Leonard I. Frieling
Attorney at Law, Former Judge
Appearances
Lenny has appeared on radio, television, podcasts, and in many classrooms and legal education programs. The court appearances, from hearings to trials, to administrative agencies number in the many thousands.
I have been a legal consultant for CNN, as well as for ABC News and other news outlets. I have been interviewed for TV, (local and national), on radio, on podcasts, and more, including the Jon Bonet homicide case.
By invitation, I played a lawyer on TV for FOX, nationally, for their show “Power of Attorney.”
I served for five years on the Board of Directors of the Boulder County Bar Association, taught numerous continuing legal education courses to other lawyers and judges throughout the state and nationally, (including Las Vegas, Key West, and Lawrence, Kansas) as well as having been an occasional guest lecturer at Denver University College of Law and at New Mexico Highlands University, as well as at the University of Colorado Law School in Boulder, Colorado.
I have taught “Trends in Search and Seizure Law” for Lorman Education Services advanced motions practice, and many other classes to lawyers, civilians, and some LEOs (law enforcement officers). I have also presented educational programs for the Boulder County Department of Social Services, and the sexual abuse team, and served as a Special County Attorney for Boulder County numerous times.
I am pleased to be a mentor to other newer attorneys statewide, and to be an informal advisor to many junior and senior members of the criminal defense bar, statewide and nationally.
I served on the Board of Directors for the Colorado Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies for many years, as well as on the first of the V.A.L.E. Board of Directors (supportive of victims’ services).
The District Attorney’s Office for Summit County had me do a presentation on “How to Write A Search Warrant” to local police officers. My central theme was to teach them why it works better not to lie.
I have been writing and lecturing on various Medical Marijuana related issues. I taught for the NORML Legal Committee education program many times in Aspen and Key West at NORML Legal Committee conferences over decades. “Advanced DUI Motions Practice” for the Colorado Bar Association CLE (Continuing Legal Education) program was especially interesting and challenging. (I also helped design the entire program).
I have helped over many years, as Chair of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, and chaired the Spring Criminal Law Update for the Colorado Bar Association, including helping to design the program, as well as presenting a segment on mental conditions and criminal responsibility. I chaired the Boulder Criminal Defense Bar for 8 years.
I have presented to groups including the Colorado Municipal Judges Association on topics including medical marijuana, the science of marijuana, and related topics.
I am a lifetime member of the National Register of Who's Who, listed in the Global Directory of Who's Who and in Who's Who in American Law. Martindale-Hubbel rates me as an AV Pre-eminent lawyer (highest rating) and have again been selected as a Colorado Super Lawyer.
I was privileged to be named Volunteer of the Year by Boulder Action for Soviet Jewry (1995).
I have served as a presiding judge for the 15th & 16th Annual Colorado Mock Trial Competition, and for the University of Colorado Appellate Moot Court competition and at numerous Moot Court trials since then.
I am truly honored to have been nominated three times by my peers for the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Olom Award, the highest criminal defense honor in Colorado.
I was a presenter at the Third and Fourth Annual Public Defender’s Retreat, an international program for criminal defense lawyers, in Las Vegas, as well as for the Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers pm search and seizure topics, and on the illegality of "general searches."
He is a Colorado speaker for Law Enforcement Action Partnership, LEAP.cc This organization of former judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, wardens, and civilians is opposed to the ongoing failed war on drugs. It is a public health problem and should not generally be a criminal issue problem. The war on drugs is lost, and legalization and regulation/taxation are the paths to better control of dangerous drugs education, and to a concomitant reduction in direct and related crime.
Personal
I have been married for over 37 years, and have a very wide range of interests. I perceive myself as a “Renaissance man” with skills in the fine arts, music, sciences, literature, and also hands-on types of work. 50 years of playing guitar and teaching guitar intermittently have recently been supplemented by learning harmonica, uke, and a saxophone is waiting for me to tackle this new instrument.
In my home shop, I work with wood, metal, and plastic, with projects ranging from spinning wooden pens on the lathe, creating woodturning accessories for spinning wheels, and building tabletop battle robots (1st place in 1993, 3rd place in 1994 Critter Crunch, “Nifty Critter” ribbon, 1996).
A watercolor of mine took a third-place ribbon in the 1995 Lafayette Art Show, and my photographs grace the covers of three issues of the Bar Association magazine, The Colorado Lawyer.
I am the co-creator of and past webmaster for the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar website as well as coding my own legal websites for many years. I was also a webmaster at Crime Lynx, a famous legal blog by Jerry Merritt.
I sat in with Patrick and the Dinosaurs several times, including on the Boulder Mall as a part of a city event, and with the Legendary Fornikators several times. And in June 2006, I had the honor and good fortune to jam with Jimmy Ibbotson of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on the patio of the famous Woody Creek Tavern, just outside of Aspen, and former home of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. In May '07, I attended Fur Peace Ranch guitar camp for the third time (Jorma Kaukonen, headmaster, teachers including Jorma, Bob Margolin, and others). Bob and Lenny performed a song that I wrote at the Student Concert.
I did several TV shows for Fox TV (Power of Attorney) in 2001 until the show was canceled in early 2002 because of the impact of 9/11. I was scheduled to shoot 4 more shows in Hollywood on 9/12/2001, but the show was canceled by Fox, and did not return except in -re-runs. I made it to the "short list" of judges being considered for a new TV show (which would have been the "Judge Lenny Show"). The current status is that the syndicators and the producers were not on the same page, so that adventure remains on "hold." Other Power of Attorney lawyers included some of the finest attorneys in the country, and even Marcia Clark of OJ Simpson fame was on the roster.
Investigated for, suspected of, or even questioned about a crime? I am on your side. Call (720)320-6201 immediately.
Education
Juris Doctor, Rutgers University Law School, Newark, 1975. Bachelor of General Studies, Cum Laude, 1972. Colorado attorneys are required to obtain 45 hours of continuing legal education (CLE) every three years. In a typical year, including teaching credits, I generally earn between 100 and 200 hours of CLE credit.
Bar Admissions & Memberships
All Courts of the State of Colorado
United States Supreme Court
NORML Legal Committee Life Member
Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Life Member
Colorado Municipal Judges Association, during this time, I sat on the bench for the City of Lafayette, Colorado, including serving on their Board of Directors. I taught a session on Cannabis Law to this group.
Of Counsel to Imhoff & Associates based in Los Angeles, California, and Colorado Counsel for the firm, having been invited to join when the firm was The Cochran Firm, under Johnnie Cochran.
Board & Chair Positions
First Chair and creator of the first state bar association Cannabis Law Committee. Liaison to other states following the Colorado example in setting up state bar association CLC committees.
The Colorado Lawyer Board of Directors 7/2014 for several years. Criminal Law Article co-editor for a number of years with Judge Morris Hoffman.
Colorado NORML Board Member Emeritus
Colorado NORML Executive Director 9/2011 for many years. Served once by election and once by request of NORML National Leadership. Board of Directors for many years
Former Associate Judge, City of Lafayette, Colorado, for 8 years
NORML.org Life Member, NORML Legal Committee, Life Member
Twice Chair, 2004-2005, 2005-2006, Executive Council, Criminal Law Section, Colorado Bar Association. Sitting on this board is an extremely high honor. No one else has chaired it twice, consecutively. I was elected unanimously.
Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Board of Directors (completed a two-year term ending June 2001, and elected to a new term starting June 2003)
Life Member of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar.
Colorado Municipal Judges Association, Board of Directors (completed a two-year term). Currently a presenter for ongoing legal education.
Boulder Criminal Defense Bar, Past Chair, 8 years service, from 1996 to 2004).
Colorado Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Study, Board of Directors (retired from the board after 9 years)
Original Webmaster of Jeralyn Merritt's fantastic legal information blog site, Crimelynx
Served as liaison from Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Board to the Colorado Death Penalty Resource Center for two years. I created that liaison position.
Public Education and Law Committee, Boulder County Bar Association, 1997-2002.
Boulder County Bar Association, past member of the Board of Directors, served five years.
Victim and Law Enforcement Board (VALE), charter member, served three years, function of the VALE Board is to distribute victim services grants.
Lecturer
Co-Host on Time4Hemp Radio Show 2015 for many years, weekly.
Guest lecturer, over many years, Univ of Colorado, Boulder Campus, Global Studies Academic Program, Caroline S. Conzelman, Ph.D.
Multiple appearances on Hawaiian Radio/Internet Show Jeff Davis the Solar Guy
I gave a presentation on DUI marijuana at the DPA International Reform Drug Policy Conference in Denver, October 2013. I made a presentation as a LEAP speaker for a large gathering of the SSDP (students for a sensible drug policy) at the Auraria campus of the University of Colorado in addition to my many dozens of other LEAP presentations for LEAP.
On-Demand legal consultant for the Boulder Daily Camera on a variety of topics
Driving Under the Influence of Cannabis, Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, 2011 DUI conference, Keystone, Colorado
Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, “Prosecutorial Ethics” followed by “Advanced Cannabis Motions.” May 2011. This was my second presentation for this group of Kansas defense attorneys.
Panel, NORML National Conference, Denver, April 2011, “Police Encounters.”
University Of Colorado, Boulder, LEAP presentation on the failure of the “war on drugs.” March 2011
Cannabis Law Update, June 2009, for the Boulder Criminal Defense Bar
Lorman CLE, Search and Seizure Law update and trends, December 2008
Math and Sicence, including graphing, privately to groups for attorneys to help talk to forensic experts, many times over decades including for the Colorado Bar Association, October 31, Halloween, 2008. This one was done in costume, with the help of my wife, Debi Dodge, as the Sorcerer and the Sorcerer's Apprentice.
Colorado Bar Association, March 2008, Criminal Law Update, (program chair and presenter).
Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, March 2008, presenter at their Spring Conference, Lawrence, Kansas, as my first presentation for this group, by invitation.
Colorado Bar Association, February 2007, DUI Motions Practice. I assisted in designing the entire program on DUI law.
NORML, June 2006, Aspen, Colorado, (ethics and investigation). This is only one example of the presentation I have made to the NORML Legal Committee, as well as one of the several times I have moderated portions of these conferences.
December 2006, Key West, Florida, (Advanced Motions Practice)
CLE International (July 15, 2005) Advanced DUI Motions
Various police agencies, "mountain" counties, How to Write A Search Warrant"
Denver University School of Law, criminal law clinic. Lectures on negotiation techniques and strategy, and criminal defense ethical considerations.
3rd Annual Public Defender Las Vegas Retreat to a National audience in Nevada, March 28-30, 2003. "How to Win Every Case." March 2004, 4th Annual Public Defender Retreat, on General Criminal Legal Ethics as well as on Sentencing Techniques and Ethics.
2nd Annual Public Defender Retreat, Las Vegas, "Effective Negotiating Techniques, or "How to Win Every Case Every Time."
Ethical Handling of Evidence by the Criminal Defense Attorney, or "What to do with the smoking gun." December 2003
Sex Assault Post Conviction Remedies; A Creative New Approach
Internet investigative tools for death penalty investigators, and paralegals
How To Win Every Case (sponsored by the Boulder County Bar Association)
Child Sex Assault Allegations in the Divorce Context (sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Committee on Child Custody)
Domestic Violence Restraining Orders and No Contact Orders: The Criminal Defense Perspective (summer, 1999, Glenwood Springs 9th Judicial District)
"Gadgets" For The Computer and Law Office for the Colorado Bar Association Solo Practice Committee.
Internet Investigation Tools for the Defense Attorney, December 2000 in Key West, invited by the NORML Legal Committee.
Use of Fairy Tales in the Treatment of Incest Victims, 1988, Amsterdam (presentation by invitation)
Author
I wrote a regular column in the RAP SHEET, the publication of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar for several years, and have regularly published articles on legal and non-legal topics.
I worked as co-editor, with Judge Morris Hoffman, ongoing editor of the Colorado Lawyer criminal law articles for over five years.
Published Articles Include:
Book review of Colorado DUI Defense: The Law and Practice published in the March 2014 Colorado Lawyer.
E-mail Etiquette; a multi-part series being published in several places including the Colorado Lawyer and the Docket, Denver Bar Association.
"How to Stay Married" to an attorney was published in March, 2005, in The Docket, a publication of the Denver Bar Association.
Scientific and Other Expert Testimony, Daubert, Kumho Tire Co., and Colorado Rules of Evidence 702 and 403. (The Rap Sheet)
Courtroom Etiquette (Colorado Lawyer)
Firearm Rights and Criminal Defense (The Rap Sheet)
Alcohol-Related Driving Offenses: Some Basics
The Federal Aviation Administration and Your Client (co-authored with J. Scott Hamilton)
The Dilemma of the [child abuse] Reporting Statute
Tuberculosis in the Prison System
He is working to complete a self-help psychology book, "Gista Bista," started and inspired by his late father, Ed Frieling. A "pre-publication" self published edition was given to family members as a gift on what would have been his Dad's 80th Birthday in January, 2005. (Gista Bista translates from Yiddish to "he who gives, is."
Honors & Awards
2017 NORML Distinguished Counsel's Circle. For his years of work with the marijuana legalization efforts nationally and in Colorado, Lenny was awarded the “Distinguished Counselor’s Circle” recognition by the NORML Legal Committee on 12-9-2017. This is one of the highest awards given by the NORML Legal Committee, of which Lenny is a life member.
2011 to present, Colorado Super Lawyer
Cicero Award of Excellence for 2011, for demonstrated effectiveness and distinction in my field (American Biographical Institute)
Martindale-Hubbell AV and Preeminent Lawyers (highest possible rating) attorney rating.
Courage Under Fire award for political activism, from SAFER and SENSIBLE Colorado.
Nominated three times for the Olom Award, the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar's highest honor.
National Register of Who’s Who
Global Directory of Who’s Who
Who's Who in American Law.
His big horn sheep photograph appeared on the cover of the June 2007 Colorado Lawyer, the monthly publication of the Colorado Bar Association in addition to two other cover photographs.
He has also guest performed on lead guitar with The famous Boulder Fornikators, Patrick and the Dinosaurs, and with a number of other bands over the years in various states.
During the NORML Legal Committee conference in Aspen, June 2006, he played with Jimmy Ibbotson (formerly of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) both on the patio of the Woody Creek Tavern, and the following afternoon at Owl Farm, home of the late Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.
Volunteer of the Year, 1995, Boulder Action for Soviet Jewry
Lafayette Art Show, third place watercolor, 1995
Critter Crunch Table Top Battle Robots, 1st place, 1993, 3rd place 1994, "Nifty Critter" award, 1996.
Leonard has been nominated for Lawyers of Distinction, for publication in the New York Times and the National Law Journal. While I refuse to "pay to play," the nomination cannot be bought, and only paying them is needed to be published. I am nominated, meaning I have been successfully vetted. From their literature, "¹Lawyers of Distinction Members have been selected based upon a review and vetting process by our Selection Committee utilizing U.S. Provisional Patent # 62/743,254. The platform generates a numerical score of 1 to 5 for each of the 12 enumerated factors which are meant to recognize the applicant’s achievements and peer recognition. Members are then subject to a final review for ethical violations within the past ten years before confirmation of Membership. Nomination does not guarantee membership and attorneys may not pay a fee to be nominated. Attorneys may nominate their peers whom they feel warrant consideration. The determination of whether an attorney qualifies for Membership is based upon the aforementioned proprietary analysis discussed above." In other words, I have been selected, cannot purchase the nomination (passing the vetting process) and if I am willing to pay them, I would have my name published in their list. ONLY paying remains, which I will not do as a matter of principle. I am however proud to have successfully passed their strict vetting process.
