Little Big Town (Article from Super Lawyers)

admin • Mar 04, 2024

Amy Cook Olson

Klein Cook Olson; medical malpractice defense; Steamboat Springs: I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, in another small community comparable to where I live today. Both have ties to Nordic skiing, believe it or not. The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club was founded by Carl Howelsen, who also founded the Norge Ski Club over 100 years ago. I serve as a board member of the SSWSC, one of the oldest winter sports clubs in the U.S., producing more than 100 Olympian athletes.

Why Colorado?

Cook Olson: My husband and I have three children that we wanted to raise in a small community, and we chose Steamboat Springs because our kids are competitive skiers.

Drawn to Law...

Cook Olson: I became a lawyer to advocate and to try and make a positive impact in people’s lives. I live in the world of medical negligence claims, of doctors, hospitals and nurses, and it’s an incredibly rewarding area to work in, to advise and help healthcare providers navigate litigation. They’re healers.

Narrowing It Down

Cook Olson: I wanted to be in a courtroom, for sure. I started out, as many lawyers did, as a public defender. I had three years under my belt of litigating in criminal law, and then migrated to civil, and went directly to medical negligence, which is just a fascinating area of law to learn medicine alongside your clients.

Pros and Cons

Cook Olson: Steamboat is a very tight-knit community where everyone knows and supports one another. For example, everyone comes together with the United Way to make sure their community center is stocked for anyone who doesn’t have a place to go for Thanksgiving. Our club, SSWSC, is community-focused on building champions on and off the hill. STARS provides life-changing experiences for participants with cognitive and physical disabilities through skiing and other outdoor activities. The drawback to rural practice? You’re going to be distant from clients and from courtrooms at times, but it’s very manageable and workable.

"The" Case

Cook Olson: I was most inspired by a cardiothoracic surgeon client who dedicated his life, day in and out, performing complex heart surgery. [Seeing] the expertise, talent and command of the operating room while he performed an open-heart surgery, while I watched and photographed the procedure in preparation for trial, and ultimately described the surgery to the jury, was a pivotal point in my career. I was hooked.

Why They Stay

Cook Olson: I like the sense of community and giving back and, I guess more frivolous, skiing and having access to a world-class resort. We have a small working farm on the Elk River, which you wouldn’t be able to have in a big city like Denver. My daughter Avery and I also have an apiary, Bee Bomb Honey, and we sell our mountain wildflower honey and our comb and also try to help maintain a healthy, sustainable bee population in this small community.