She joined SLS in 2009, after 7 years of working in both government and private practice. She began her legal career as a judicial clerk in Boulder, assisting four judges at the state trial court level on civil, criminal and probate dockets. Upon completing her clerkships, she served as a Deputy District Attorney, prosecuting misdemeanor and traffic cases in Boulder County. Denean left prosecution for private practice, associating with a small firm in town and hanging her shingle before coming to work at CU. Her legal career follows her service as an officer in the United States Air Force during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and work as a Human Resources professional.