Shelly is passionate about helping support people in trauma, those experiencing domestic violence, as well as those individuals undergoing family transitions that happen during the course of life. She believes it is both and honor and privilege to walk beside someone seeking a change in their life. Her practice includes all areas of family law including civil protection orders, dissolutions, common law marriage issues, custody disputes, pre and post marital agreements, relocation issues, decision making disputes, child support issues, contempt actions, and other civil legal matters such as stalking and harassment. She also some experience with mental health, special education, and addiction issues that create complexity in cases.
Shelly has been licensed to practice law in Colorado since 2006 and received her Juris Doctor from American University, Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C., with honors. Dill has practiced both litigation and mediation throughout the State of Colorado.
Shelly is a trained mediator and has completed her mediation certification. Prior to joining New Leaf Family, Shelly owned her own firm, Uhuru Law & Mediation. Uhuru means freedom in Swahili and it is her passion to see people walk in greater freedom, whatever that may mean for the individual or the family. She created and directed the Pro Bono Project at the Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Center and Project LIFT at Tessa, both aimed at serving victims of domestic violence.
Early in her career Shelly clerked for Judge Margie Enquist in the 1st Judicial District, for Judge Jim Casebolt at the Colorado Court of Appeals, and for Justice Greg Hobbs Jr. at the Colorado Supreme Court. She also worked as a Staff Attorney at the Judicial Arbiter Group, the leading mediation and arbitration firm in Colorado, as well as the Colorado Department of Labor in a Policy position.
Shelly served on the Board of the Colorado Women’s Bar Association for five years, chairing the Publications, Policy, and Legal Services Committees. She also served three prior terms on the Board of Governors for the Colorado Bar Association and was most recently on the Leadership Nomination Committee for the Colorado Bar Association for 2023. She was a member of the Colorado Bar Association’s COBALT Leadership Training Class in 2015 and Emerge Political Leadership Class in 2016. Over the years she has authored, coauthored, and edited multiple articles published in the Colorado Lawyer focusing on her two legal passions access to justice and women issues. For three years she chaired and co-chaired the Denver Bar Association Access to Justice Committee. She has also previously volunteered with the Colorado Lawyers Committee Legal Nights and Project Homeless Connect as well as the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMAIN). Additionally, she is a NITA National Trial Training Program Participant and most recently completed the NITA Women in Trial Training Program in Denver in 2023.
Shelly also holds an MA from American University’s School of International Service in Political Economy, an MA from the University of Kwa Zulu Natal in Economic Development, and a BA from Baylor University in International Relations.
Shelly is admitted to practice law in the State of Colorado, United States District Court for the District of Colorado, and in the 10th Circuit of Appeals. She is currently a member of the Arapahoe County Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, and the Colorado Women’s Bar Association.