Leonard D. Tanis

Trusted Family Lawyer

After graduating from college, Lenny studied at New Brunswick Theological Seminary for two years in a Master of Arts program in Theology. Tired of academia, he worked for a major retail shoe company as a management trainee in New Jersey for a year, then traveled the country for six weeks in 1974, settling finally in Boulder, 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 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, he 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. He 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, where he gained valuable knowledge of the behind-the-scenes workings of the courts. He 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., in June 1991, then moved to Cooper & Cooper, P.C., in March 1992, again as a law clerk until being admitted to the practice of law as an attorney in October 1993. At Cooper & Cooper, P.C., he handled equal amounts of commercial litigation and family law-related work. In late 1995, Bob Cooper asked Lenny to become a partner, and they agreed specializing in one area of law would provide the best service for clients. So, in January 1996 the firm was renamed Cooper & Tanis, P.C., and began specializing exclusively in family law. Bob and Lenny continued working together for more than 20 years. His current partner, Michael McGonegal, joined the firm in 2018, became a partner in August 2020, when the firm became Tanis McGonegal Family Law, P.C. As it has since 1996, the firm remains committed to assisting people as they work through family law issues of every kind: divorce, custody (Allocation of Parental Rights), child support, maintenance, guardianships, and probate, providing the highest quality, hands-on, individualized, and experienced legal services available.

In his leisure time, Lenny enjoys cooking, walking his dog, reading, and spending time with his family. An interesting fact about him is that both of his daughters were adopted from Chile.