Lawyer Limelight Featuring Denis K. Lane, Jr., Attorney at Law
Denis Lane, one of CPH Insurance’s help line attorneys, has been practicing mental health law and civil litigation since 1978. Although Denis is now based in Colorado, having attended law school at The University of Oklahoma and spending some time working in Washington DC, he is licensed to serve and has assisted many of our insureds from all over the US! He’s an established author and has spent a lot of time publishing and lecturing on law and ethics for mental health professionals as well as serving on the Ethics Committee for the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA). CPH Insurance is proud to work with Denis and share his expertise with their insureds. Read on to learn more about Denis in our Lawyer Limelight blog series Q&A:
Q: Can you tell us about your family?
A: I have 2 daughters, their husbands (my sons-in-law) and two granddaughters, who are 4 and 7 years old. My 7 year old granddaughter was just named the National Winner of the Google Doodle contest with her “Dino Doodle” which illustrated dinosaurs spelling out “Google”. It was so exciting considering there were 180,000 entries and the other national finalists were older, included high school students! I try to see my grandchildren as often as possible and enjoy staying in touch through social media.
Q: Where is your favorite place in the world and why?
A: I love travels to Ireland, especially County Mayo and the town of Ballylinan, where the Dempsey clan live. It’s fun to visit relatives (cousins) who live there and are incredibly welcoming! My other favorite place is wherever my family members are, whether Baltimore, MD, Washington, D.C., Montenegro, etc.
Q: If you didn’t pursue mental health or law, where do you think life would have taken you? What would have been/was your “Plan B”?
A: I might have been an actor. My ambition was to play center field for the N.Y. Yankees but unfortunately, my greatest skill was in arguing cases in court. There is no market for poetry these days, so it would’ve been difficult to make a living as a Poet….
Q: Do you have any special / unique talents?
A: I do like to write poetry. I love to sing—it frees the soul. These abilities developed late in life!
Q: Do you have any pets? What kind? What is his/her name(s)?
A: I have 2 dogs and 2 cats: the dogs are Mello and Blue, a Great Pyrenees and a great big mutt! Mello is famous among family and friends as a dog who helps guide Santa’s sleigh (because Rudolph’s nose wouldn’t glow) and protects him on his trip around the world, taking presents to good girls and boys, in an annual poem during the holidays. The dogs get to come to the office every day and clients love them. The cats are also loved and sometimes catch mice!
Q: It’s Friday night and you must choose between going to a sporting event, a musical theater performance, an exercise class or staying home on your couch. Which do you choose and why?
A: A musical theater performance. Phantom of the Opera is my all time favorite musical! It spoiled me for other shows. I wish I could sing, “Music of the Night.” It is a sad story, but what music!
Q: Anything else you’d like to share with us?
A: I have great respect for Mental Health Professionals with whom I consult and whom I represent. Their work is so important these days! Preserving families. Helping children. Saving lives. They are in the trenches doing difficult work, and I try to support them in any way I can.
CPH Insurance offers an Avoiding Liability Helpline as a policy holder benefit. For concerns or incidents that may lead to a claim, your policy includes 2 hours per policy year to consult with an attorney. Examples of such consults include:
- Release of record requests
- Custody issues related to a minor clients
- Client suicide risk situations
- Criminal client matters and navigating law enforcement requests with respect to confidential client information
Denis Lane is one of our helpline attorneys based out of Colorado, but he services all states. If you’d like to work with him, feel free to request Denis upon calling CPH Insurance for an attorney consult. We cannot guarantee that we’ll be able to match availability on short notice, but we can certainly try!
Professional liability for mental health professionals is a valuable asset considering the complex matters that are faced daily. We encourage our insureds to become a member of a professional association such as AAMFT, CAMFT or AMHCA to leverage association benefits, such as attorneys on staff, as a reference point for legal and ethical guidance. Such associations also have a strong network of mental health professionals that share practical experience gathered over years of practice to assist in navigating similar dilemmas you may experience. Do not underestimate the value of your professional association as a practical resource and advocate on your behalf!
April 2023 Update: Denis Lane has retired and is no longer a CPH helpline attorney.
