Author, lawyer, neighbor
Steven Collis is a lawyer, professor and successful author in Castle Pines.
By Celeste McNeil; photo courtesy of Steven Collis
For one Serena resident in the City of Castle Pines, religious freedom is more than part of the First Amendment, it is a way of life. Steven Collis has spent his career understanding, perusing and educating others about this basic and often misunderstood constitutional right.
Collis is a lawyer – chair of Holland & Hart LLP nationwide religious institutions and First Amendment practice group and equity partner. He is also a adjunct professor at Sturm College of Law, University of Denver, teaching religious liberty law and a sought-after speaker across the nation, including speaking on behalf of the U.S. State Department to foreign diplomats from countries around the world.
In addition to his successful law career, Collis is also a writer. He has a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Virginia Commonwealth University, and in 2012, he published a fictional novel, At Any Cost. Recently, the Tattered Cover hosted an author event where Collis’ new book Deep Conviction sold out. His nonfiction work culminated over four years of research and writing; bridging his passions.
Deep Conviction is a compilation of true stories about average Americans taking a stand for what they believe. It’s not simply a legal book or religious freedom rantings. “At root, it is meant to be good storytelling. Along the way, I hope readers will come to understand the importance and complexities of this very fundamental and important freedom,” described Collis.
Collis has been pleased with the book’s reception so far. “I’m thrilled to report that the book is becoming a vehicle for people of all beliefs and political affiliations to think about and understand religious freedom better: its importance, its limits, the protection it gives all of us no matter our beliefs or nonbeliefs, how it is mischaracterized, and how none of us should take it for granted.”
Community and religious freedom are inseparable. Collis and his family have called Castle Pines home since 2014. “We’ve felt so grateful to be able to live in Castle Pines. It’s a wonderful and unique community.” All the attention the new book has attracted is just one of several changes for the Collis family. “I’ve recently accepted an offer to join Stanford Law School, where I will be a research fellow, then executive director of Stanford Law’s Constitutional Law Center. Now that we’re facing the prospect of leaving Castle Pines, we are truly appreciating what a special place it is.”
