Hidden Gems: Meet Hannah Seigel Proff of Learn Your Rights in the Community and Proff Law

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Seigel Proff. Them and their team share their story with us below:

In 2008, Hannah Seigel Proff and Michael Juba founded Learn Your Rights in the Community (“LYRIC”) to increase awareness of youth’s rights during police interactions. As Colorado State Public Defenders, Hannah and Michael were concerned that juvenile clients were unaware of their Constitutional rights during encounters with police.

They recognized that many young people learned of their rights only after becoming involved in the criminal justice system. LYRIC endeavors to connect with and educate Colorado youth about their Constitutional rights before they enter the criminal justice system. For years, LYRIC functioned as a grassroots organization, reaching Colorado youth whenever and wherever possible.

Today, LYRIC has grown to an organization with over twenty lawyer volunteers. In 2014, LYRIC launched LYRIC Law Day and began presenting an interactive Know Your Rights curriculum in schools, juvenile justice facilities, and community settings. Since becoming a 501(c)(3) organization in November 2014, LYRIC expanded its programming to schools across the state of Colorado.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As with most non-profits, funding is our largest struggle. We currently run LYRIC with a volunteer board of directors and one part-time staff person. On an average week, we have ten lawyers teaching in classrooms per week.

Scheduling, curriculum development, social media, and outreach take a great deal of time. We are always in need of additional resources.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am the chair of the board of directors for LYRIC as a volunteer position. During the day, I am the founding partner at a boutique criminal and juvenile defense law firm in Denver. My professional bio is below:

Hannah is a trial attorney who has represented hundreds of adults and juveniles in the state of Colorado over the last 14 years. Hannah is highly experienced in criminal and delinquency cases at all levels from misdemeanors to felonies. Before starting her private practice, Hannah practiced at Johnson & Klein, PLLC as a senior associate where she represented criminal and juvenile clients.

Prior to Johnson & Klein, PLLC, Hannah was the policy director for the Colorado Juvenile Defender Center. In that role, she successfully lobbied for legislation in the Colorado General Assembly to improve the treatment of children and youth in the juvenile justice system in Colorado.

Hannah was instrumental in getting landmark legislation passed that authorized resentencing hearings for individuals sentenced to life without parole for crimes committed when they were juveniles. Hannah previously spent seven years as a trial attorney in the Denver Office of the Colorado State Public Defender.

During this time, she defended thousands of individuals and tried over 30 cases to verdict. As a result of her pretrial investigation and advocacy, Hannah has secured over 40 dismissals for clients before trial. Hannah’s defense experience and successful track record in the courtroom have led to invitations to lecture and share best practices at legal conferences and training across the country.

With a genuine focus on collaboration, Hannah shares best practices in complex areas such as defending children charged as adults, litigation techniques, and motions practice. Hannah is not only passionate in the courtroom but she is also committed to community, state, and national policy issues. In her spare time, Hannah invests her time volunteering, leading, and consulting for several local organizations.

Hannah serves as a consultant for private firms and the Colorado Juvenile Defender Center. Hannah is also an active member of the Denver-area legal community and a member of several bar associations. Hannah has received formal recognition and awards over her career including 5280 Magazine 2017, 2018, and 2019 “Top Lawyer” in juvenile defense.

What makes you happy?
Making a difference in the community makes me happy. I love seeing law students and lawyers connect with youth. We teach such an important message of empowerment to the children of Colorado.

Additionally, often students have never interacted with a lawyer prior to seeing a LYRIC “know your rights” presentation. So now only are we teaching youth about their rights we are teaching them about the legal profession.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lyricommunity.org
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/lyric_know_your_rights?igshid=NmNmNjAwNzg=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Learnyourrightsincolorado
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaAIdh1nkNrhqWDxQuY_Pnw