Resume

Biography

Licensed to practice law in the State of Colorado, 

the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, 

and the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.      

Stephen A. Brunette is an Attorney Mediator with over 40 years of combined experience in the practice of law, alternative dispute resolution, and legal publishing.  He has devoted the past several years to representing clients in simple and complex estate litigation involving estates of various sizes, representing estate administrators, heirs, devisees, protected persons, and other persons who have interests in an estate.  His current practice emphasis is on Estate and Probate Mediation, and Appeals.  He has served pro bono on the Standing Committee on Publishing Oversight of the American Bar Association, the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the Board of Trustees of the Forensic Sciences Foundation, the Forensic Specialties Accreditation Board, and as Amicus counsel to the Colorado Center on Law and Policy.  He has several legal publications, and has organized and conducted several CLE programs for national and state organizations.      

Experience      

Legacy Mediation

Brunette Law Office, LLC 

Colorado Springs, CO   

2024 - Present      

Solo practice emphasizing mediation of estate and probate matters.

Brunette Law Office, LLC   

Colorado Springs, CO   

2014 - Present      

Solo practice emphasizing probate litigation, guardianship, conservatorship, 

appeals, and alternative dispute resolution.

Of Counsel

Drexler Law Group

Colorado Springs, CO

      2017 - 2024

Estate & probate litigation and appeals.

Gasper Law Group, PLLC   

Colorado Springs, CO   

2010 - 2014 

Civil and criminal appeals, real estate, probate and 

loan servicer litigation in state and federal courts.      

Stephen A. Brunette

Attorney & Counselor at Law   

Colorado Springs, CO   

1996 - 2010      

General practice emphasizing appeals, real property, and probate litigation.  

Pro bono service on national boards and panels in legal publishing and forensic sciences.  

Shepard's/McGraw-Hill   

Colorado Springs, CO   

1986 - 1996      

Legal editor, in-house author, sponsoring editor of litigation and trial practice publications, 

publishing emphasis on use of expert and scientific evidence in civil and criminal litigation.      

Young & White   

Omaha, NE   

1985 - 1986      

Associate attorney, complex commercial and construction litigation 

in various state and federal courts.      

Stephen A. Brunette

Attorney & Counselor at Law    

Lincoln, NE    

1981 - 1985       

General civil practice, primarily representing plaintiffs in personal injury litigation.      

Education      

J.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, College of Law (1980)       

M.A. (Psychology), University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Law & Psychology Program (1986)       

Certificate in Public Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

Interdisciplinary program focused on administrative theory and process, 

public budgeting and finance, policy analysis, and program evaluation. (1980)       

B.A., Cum Laude (Psychology), University of Colorado-Boulder (1973)      

Selected Professional Training    

Online Probate & Elder Mediation,  American College of Trust & Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and Mediate.com (10 hour training emphasizing strengths & weakness of using online services & resources (e.g., Zoom) in probate and estate mediations, completed 2024)

Mediation Primer: Growing Your Probate & Elder Mediation Practice, American College of Trust & Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and Mediate.com (10 hour training emphasizing issues unique to probate and estate mediations, completed 2024)  

Tenth Circuit Bench & Bar Conference (2018)

Summer Mortgage Conference, Foreclosure Echo: Addressing the Ongoing Consequences 

of the Foreclosure Crisis, National Consumer Law Center (2015)      

Consumer Rights Litigation Conference, National Consumer Law Center (2014)      

Fundamentals of Mediation (40 hour training for Basic Certification as Mediator), 

Anne Michelle McKenna, McKenna, Inc. (2011)      

Construction Industry Arbitrator Training, 

American Arbitration Association (1997)       

Mediation Skills and Settlement Conference Advocacy: The Art of Facilitating Settlement, 

Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law (1996)       

Arbitration Case Preparation and Presentation, 

American Arbitration Association (1996)      

Professional Associations      

American Bar Association

Standing Committee on Publishing Oversight (2000 - 2003) 

Standing Committee on Scientific Evidence (1989 - 1995)

Section Membership: 

Dispute Resolution (1994 - 1999) 

Health Law Forum (1993 - 1995) 

Litigation (1993 - 1997)

Natural Resources, Energy, & Environmental Law (1990 - 1993)

Science and Technology (1989 - 2000)

[Chair, Behavioral Science Committee (1996 – 1999, 2008 - 2010)]

Tort & Insurance Practice (1993 - 1997)

Forum on Entertainment and Sports Industries (2001 - 2003, 2008 - 2010)

International Law (2008 - 2010, 2017-2018)

American Academy of Forensic Sciences      

Director (2001 - 2004)

Jurisprudence Section

Fellow (1996- 2005)

Chair (1997-1999)

Secretary (1996-1997)

Member (1994-1996)

Program Chair (1995)

Program Co-chair (1994, 1996) 

Provisional Member (1989-1994)

Harold A. Feder Award Winner (2001).

Forensic Specialties Accreditation Board 

(1997-2003)

At Large Member of a Board established by the AAFS, and funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), for the purpose of creating standards to accredit entities that certify individual forensic practitioners in various areas of specialization (1997-2003). Participating certification entities included: American Board of Forensic Toxicology (ABFT), American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO), Forensic Toxicology Certification Board (FTCB), American Board of Medico-Legal Death Investigation (ABMDI), American Board of Forensic Document Examiners (ABFDE), Association of Forensic Document Examiners (AFDE), International Association for Identification (IAI), American Board of Criminalistics (ABC), International Association of Forensic Engineering Specialties (IAFES). Affiliate entities include American Board of Forensic Pathology (ABFP), National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), 

U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and NIJ.      

Professional Oversight Task Force 

(1994-1997)

Precursor to Forensic Specialties Accreditation Board.

Forensic Sciences Foundation 

Trustee (1995-2003)

Vice-chair (1997-1998)

Secretary (1998-1999)

Chair, Education Committee (1997-1998, 1999-2003)