Leonard D. Tanis graduated cum laude from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, in 1971, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a minor in Psychology. He then studied at New Brunswick Theological Seminary for two years in a Master of Arts program in Theology.

In 1973, tired of academia, Lenny began working for a major retail shoe company as a management trainee in New Jersey. Although he received several promotions, he grew tired of living in New Jersey. In 1974 he moved to Colorado where he resumed working in retail sales at Thornton Shoes on Pearl Street in Boulder prior to Pearl Street becoming a Mall.

Lenny changed careers in 1976 and began working in restaurants. Beginning as a busboy, he eventually worked his way to Manager and then Regional Supervisor of five restaurants.

In 1990, intent on finding a career where he could really make a difference in people’s lives, Lenny entered the University of Denver College of Law. During law school, Lenny was awarded membership in the Order of St. Ives Honor Society, the American Jurisprudence Award in 1992 for Administrative Law, and the Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., BNA Law Student Award at graduation. Lenny also served as a Technical Editor of the University of Denver Law Review. During his final year in law school, Lenny interned for Judge Donald Cordova in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado in Denver. Lenny obtained his Juris Doctorate in 1993, graduating eighth in his class.

Lenny began his professional law career as a Law Clerk for Frascona and Joiner, P.C., during the summer after his first year in law school, working primarily on real estate issues. In March 1992, during his second year in law school, he moved to the law firm of Cooper & Cooper, P.C., where he worked as a law clerk until being admitted to the practice of law as an attorney in October 1993.

Lenny continued working at Cooper & Cooper, P.C., as an associate attorney until the end of 1995, doing equal amounts of commercial litigation and family law related work. In late 1995, Bob Cooper and Lenny determined that being partners and specializing in one area of law would provide the best service for clients. Thus, in January 1996, Lenny became a Shareholder in the firm, which was renamed Cooper & Tanis, P.C., and the firm began specializing in family law.

Bob and Lenny have continued working together since then, committed to the practice of family law. In 2004, they joined with Melody Fuller and Michael Cohen to form Cooper, Tanis, Fuller & Cohen, P.C.

In his leisure time, Lenny enjoys coaching his daughters’ basketball teams, cooking, snow skiing, hiking, reading and spending time with his family.

An interesting fact about Lenny is that both of his daughters were adopted from Chile.

Legal:

Practice Areas:

• Exclusively Family Law and Family Law Appellate cases.

Attorney:

• Founding member and shareholder of Cooper & Tanis, P.C., (1996 – 1998 and 1999 - 2000), Cooper, Tanis & Bernstein, P.C. (1998 – 1999), Cooper, Tanis & McBain, P.C. (2000 - 2004) and Cooper, Tanis, Fuller & Cohen, P.C., (April 2004 – Present).
• Associate Attorney, Cooper & Cooper, P.C. (1993 – 1995)

Admissions:

• Colorado – October 1993
• Court of Appeals - 10th Circuit
• United States District Court

Published Cases:

• In Re the Marriage of Bowles
• In Re the Marriage of Tonn

Other:

Education:

• J.D., University of Denver College of Law, 1993
• B.S., Hope College, Holland, Michigan, 1971

Memberships:

• Colorado Bar Association
• Boulder Bar Association, Past Chair of Family Law Section
• Adams/Broomfield County Bar Association
• Boulder Interdisciplinary Counsel, Vice President 2004 – Present
• State of Colorado Interdisciplinary Counsel

Speaker:

• Continuing Legal Education for Adams/Broomfield County Bar Association – regarding Qualified Domestic Relations Orders
• Multiple Legal Information Clinics for Boulder County Legal Services

Non-Profit Service:

• Board of Directors of the Garden Center Association