ABOUT DOLAN ZIMMERMAN

What defines this firm is as much what it refuses to do as what it does. It refuses to treat clients as case numbers. It refuses to default to standard plea offers when creative strategies exist. And it refuses to exploit client cases for marketing purposes, because client privacy is treated as an obligation, not an option. The results the firm achieves are life-changing for the people involved, and that is exactly who they are for.

How It Began

Founded in 2015 by Sydney Dolan and Jennifer Robin Zimmerman

Sydney Dolan and Jennifer Robin Zimmerman both earned their law degrees from the University of Colorado School of Law in 2007, then spent years building their careers separately across public defender offices, civil litigation firms, and private practices throughout Colorado. When they joined forces in 2015, they did it around a philosophy that is deceptively simple: represent clients the way you would want your sisters, your friends, or yourself to be represented.

That philosophy was a direct response to a legal culture both founders had seen up close. Too many defendants and civil litigants were being underserved by attorneys who lacked the time, the creativity, or the commitment to genuinely understand a client’s full situation. Standard plea offers were being accepted when better outcomes were possible. Clients were losing touch with their own cases.

Dolan + Zimmerman was built to fill that gap: a firm where attorneys work selectively, communicate consistently, and fight tirelessly for outcomes that reflect each client’s actual goals. From two founding partners in 2015, the firm has grown to a team of six, handled thousands of cases, and earned its reputation the only way that matters, one client at a time.

Mission and Values

Our Mission

To offer creative and honest legal representation that empowers clients to understand their options and make informed decisions, whether they are facing criminal charges, a family law matter, a personal injury, or a civil dispute.

Our Vision

To be the most trusted trial law firm in Boulder and throughout Colorado, known not for newspaper clippings or self-promotion, but for the life-changing outcomes achieved quietly and consistently on behalf of clients.

Our Values

• Client-Centered Representation: Every strategy is built around the individual client’s goals, not a one-size-fits-all playbook.
• Transparency and Communication: Clients have personal access to their attorneys and are kept fully informed throughout their case.
• Privacy and Discretion: The firm refuses to exploit client cases for self-promotion. Client privacy is a non-negotiable obligation.
• Creative Problem Solving: The firm rejects default approaches and crafts unique legal strategies for each case.
• Tenacity: The firm is willing and fully prepared to go to trial when that is what a client’s circumstances require.

The Attorneys

Sydney Dolan   |   Founding Partner

Sydney Dolan has been in private practice in Boulder since 2012, with a career devoted to criminal defense. She began her legal career at the Adams County Public Defender’s Office after law school, representing clients in matters ranging from DUI to first degree murder. She has completed more than fifty jury trials and is recognized as both an aggressive trial lawyer and a creative, sensitive negotiator, a combination that serves her clients at every stage of a case.

Sydney earned her J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law in 2007 and her B.A. in History from the University of Colorado Denver in 2003. She is admitted in Colorado (2008) and the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado (2012). She has been named to the SuperLawyers Colorado Rising Stars List and served as a board member of the University of Colorado Moot Court. Her professional memberships include the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, the Colorado Women’s Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Boulder Bar Association. Together with Jennifer Zimmerman, she serves as co-chair of the Boulder Chapter of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar.

Jennifer Robin Zimmerman   |   Founding Partner

Jennifer Zimmerman’s legal background spans both civil and criminal litigation, a combination that gives her a genuinely distinctive perspective on every case she handles. She does not accept the default framing of “take the plea or go to trial.” Instead, she crafts creative, individualized solutions shaped by each client’s actual circumstances and goals.

Jennifer earned her J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law in 2007, where she made the Dean’s List and served as an associate editor of the University of Colorado Law Review. She holds a B.A. in International Studies from Emory University (2002) and speaks both English and French. She is admitted in Colorado and the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, both since 2007. She received the National Association of Women Lawyers Outstanding Woman Graduate Award in 2007 and has lectured on criminal law topics at the state and national level, including presentations on search and seizure trends, the Colorado sex offender registry, and wage and hour litigation. She has also served as an adjunct professor at Front Range Community College.

Outside the law, Jennifer is the owner of Boulder Wine Merchant and a founder and board member of the Boulder Burgundy Festival, reflecting deep roots in the Boulder community that extend well beyond her practice. Together with Sydney Dolan, she serves as co-chair of the Boulder Chapter of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar.

Lauren Shepherd   |   Partner

Lauren Shepherd is a dedicated family law attorney who has devoted her career to helping clients navigate some of the most difficult and emotional periods of their lives. She understands the significant personal and financial impact family law matters carry, and she is committed to providing thoughtful guidance, strong advocacy, and personalized strategies tailored to each client’s unique situation.

Lauren takes a settlement-minded and collaborative approach whenever possible, believing that creative and practical resolutions often lead to the best long-term outcomes for families. At the same time, she recognizes that settlement is not always achievable or appropriate. Whether negotiating a resolution or preparing for contested litigation, she remains a strong and strategic advocate. She has extensive experience handling high-conflict family law matters involving substance abuse, mental health concerns, and domestic violence issues. Her practice covers divorce, legal separation, allocation of parental responsibilities, custody disputes, parenting time matters, and child support and maintenance modifications.

Lauren earned her J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School in 2013, where she made the Dean’s List, served as Editor in Chief of the Journal on Telecommunications and High Technology Law, and reached the top four teams in the Carrigan Cup Mock Trial Competition. She earned her B.A. in English Literature magna cum laude from the University of Colorado Boulder. She is admitted in Colorado (2013) and is a member of the Colorado Bar Association, the Boulder Bar Association, and Colorado Collaborative Divorce Professionals. Lauren became a full partner of the firm in 2025.

Meet the Full Team →

What Makes This Firm Different

• Selective Caseload by Design: The firm takes cases selectively, ensuring every client receives the time, research, and attention their matter genuinely deserves.
• Direct Attorney Access: Clients communicate personally with their attorneys throughout the case. Not through assistants. Not through form emails.
• Privacy Over Publicity: The firm refuses to exploit client cases for marketing. There are no newsworthy verdicts displayed on the walls, because the firm’s obligation is to its clients, not its reputation.
• Reframing the Whole Person: The attorneys thoughtfully reframe the facts and legal issues of each case so prosecutors see the full complexity of the person, not just the police report.
• Two Disciplines, One Approach: The firm combines the research-driven strategies of civil litigation with the quick thinking courtroom instincts of criminal defense practice.
• Winning Defined by the Client: Success might mean a not guilty verdict, a preserved driver’s license, a sealed record, or a resolution that protects a professional license. The client defines the goal. The firm builds the strategy to reach it.

Who We Serve

Dolan + Zimmerman represents individuals and businesses across Boulder and throughout Colorado in matters where the outcome genuinely shapes what comes next in their lives.

Client Types

• Individuals facing criminal charges, from petty offenses and municipal matters through serious felonies
• People navigating divorce, child custody, property division, and other family law matters
• Plaintiffs injured in accidents, dog bites, or other incidents caused by a third party
• Individuals and businesses involved in civil disputes, contract matters, wage claims, or landlord and tenant issues

Geographic Focus

Boulder, Colorado, as the firm’s home base, with statewide representation in criminal and civil matters across all Colorado jurisdictions.

Practice Areas

Dolan + Zimmerman provides trial-focused legal representation across four core practice areas, bringing the same standard of preparation, creativity, and client attention to each.

Criminal Defense

• DUI and DWAI
• Domestic violence
• Drug offenses
• Sexual assault and sex offenses
• Robbery, fraud, forgery, and weapon charges
• Murder and attempted murder
• Traffic violations
• Child abuse and child endangerment

Family Law

• Divorce
• Child custody and child support
• Property division
• Maintenance (Alimony) establishment and modification
• Marital agreements
• Restraining orders

Civil Litigation

• Business disputes and dissolutions
• Contract disputes
• Landlord and tenant disputes
• Colorado Wage Claim Act matters
• Arbitrations, mediations, and appeals

Personal Injury

• Car accidents
• Dog bites and animal attacks
• Premises liability

Results and Recognition

Awards and Recognition

• Super Lawyers Colorado Rising Stars List: Sydney Dolan and Lauren Shepherd
• Super Lawyers: 2022-2026, Jennifer Zimmerman
• Super Lawyers: 2024-2026, Sydney Dolan
• National Association of Women Lawyers Outstanding Woman Graduate Award: Jennifer Zimmerman, 2007
• Co-chairs, Boulder Chapter of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar: Sydney Dolan and Jennifer Zimmerman

Representative Cases

• People v. Harte, 337 P.3d 1232 (Colo. App. 2012)
• Harte v. 13th Judicial District, Colorado Court of Appeals

Publications and Seminars

• Associate Editor, University of Colorado Law Review: Jennifer Zimmerman
• Appealing Administrative Findings of Child Abuse and the Trails Database, CCDB, 2010
• Petitioning for Removal from the Colorado Sex Offender Registry, CCDB, 2009
• New Trends in the Law of Search and Seizure, Lorman, 2008
• Recent Trends in Wage and Hour Litigation, 2010

What Clients Say

“Being wrongfully accused of felonies was so stressful. You made the district attorney see these cases for what they were and dismiss them. Now that both cases are sealed, I feel like I can continue pursuing my dreams!”

M.P.

“With all of the gratitude in the world, I want to thank you. You made the most impossible of situations tolerable. Please know how much you have done for my family and how much we appreciate you.”

R.W.

“Thanks so much for your endurance and perseverance. [Your fee] is such a small amount compared to what we think you’re worth.”

D.L. + K.L.

Timeline

2007: Sydney Dolan and Jennifer Robin Zimmerman both earn their J.D. degrees from the University of Colorado School of Law

• 2007 to 2012: Both founders gain extensive experience at public defender offices, civil litigation firms, and private practices across Colorado
• 2012: Sydney Dolan enters private practice in Boulder, focusing on criminal defense, while Jennifer Zimmerman continues building her combined civil and criminal litigation practice
• 2015: Dolan + Zimmerman LLP established
• 2019: Firm moves to its current office at 2315 Broadway in Boulder
• 2025: Lauren Shepherd becomes a full partner

How We Work

Dolan + Zimmerman approaches each case and each client collaboratively, working as a genuine team within the firm and always incorporating the needs, desires, and input of the client. Strategy is developed across practice areas, drawing on the combined perspective of attorneys with civil, criminal, and family law backgrounds, and both founding partners remain personally engaged in client relationships throughout the life of every case.

The firm focuses on team members who share a passion for representing clients and bring an exceptional legal foundation that allows them to think expansively about each matter. The selective caseload model is central to how the firm operates: it exists precisely so that every attorney can give every client the meaningful attention that makes their goals achievable.

Community

The firm’s connection to Boulder runs deep and extends well beyond its legal work.

• Colorado High School Mock Trial: Both Sydney Dolan and Jennifer Zimmerman have participated as coaches and volunteers, investing in the next generation of advocates
• Boulder Burgundy Festival: Jennifer Zimmerman is a founder and board member of this community cultural event
• Boulder Wine Merchant: Jennifer Zimmerman owns this beloved local Boulder business
• Pro bono criminal defense representation through law school clinics and early career public defender work