OUR TEAM
Dustin R. Sparks, Esq.
MANAGING PARTNER
Dustin R. Sparks has been instrumental in assisting schools with obtaining new charter contracts, financing facilities, purchasing properties, negotiating construction contracts, drafting policies, advising boards and administrators, assisting with employee and student challenges, advising schools on special education matters, addressing various tax issues, and helping his clients with the many new and unique challenges charter schools face.
Dustin has also helped charter schools obtain more than $150,000,000 in financing, represented schools in acquiring both land and existing school facilities, successfully defended schools in claims from both students and employees.
Dustin finds working with charter schools to be very intellectually stimulating and finds joy in knowing his work helps students attend the school of their choice.
PH: 303-209-7813 Ext. 1
Amber DeCarli, Esq.
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Amber DeCarli started her passion for the law as a paralegal. She graduated with a BS in Paralegal Studies from Stevenson University then attended the University of Baltimore Law School where she graduated Cum Laude in 2011. Amber has been representing clients in a range of fields and issues ever since.
Amber joined the firm in 2018 and brought with her a diverse legal background from her experience drafting legislation, to arguing in front of the state intermediate court of appeals, to prosecuting upwards of 30 cases a day in the courtroom. Amber continues to successfully represent clients outside the courtroom in all phases of nonprofit and charter school management. She excels in representing her clients vivaciously through complex contract matters with multiple parties. She enjoys drafting policies to protect clients from litigation and reaching solutions that best fit the client’s needs. Amber is invested in her client's desired growth and assisting each client to reach their goals.
Amber has been a spouse of an active duty Marine since 2011, and together they have three beautiful children. Amber is very involved and invested within her community and volunteers with several advisory committees aimed at training, mentoring, and supporting the military community and the unique challenges they face.
PH: 303-209-7813 Ext. 3
Kristen Maurer McCarthy, Esq. is an associate at the Law Office of Dustin R. Sparks, LLC d/b/a Charter School Law Group, representing the interests of charter schools throughout the State of Colorado. Her work assists clients in navigating the complex field of student and employee issues, special education concerns, and authorizer relations. Kristen is passionate about helping clients thrive and innovate through their policies and practices, and working with regulating agencies, authorizers, and opposing counsel to achieve maximum results for her clients.
Before joining the firm, Kristen practiced corporate litigation extensively on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill case, developing her keen ability to focus on important details amidst vast amounts of data. During a brief hiatus from the law, Kristen designed, coordinated, and facilitated professional training and community leadership programs for a domestic violence nonprofit. Kristen also practiced criminal law in the defense and prosecutorial fields, conducting investigations, preparing witnesses for depositions and trials, and engaging in trials and motions practice.
Kristen graduated in the top 10% of her class from Michigan State University College of Law. During law school, Kristen studied abroad in Australia and New Zealand gaining global legal experience. In addition to Kristen’s legal experience and education, she is a military spouse who brings adaptability, creativity, and tenacity to get the job done for her clients.
Kristen and her husband, a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army, enjoy traveling and are committed to raising their daughters to be confident young women.
Kristen is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia and Colorado.
PH: 303-209-7813 Ext. 2
Kevin Doss, Esq.
ASSOCIATE
Kevin Doss has a lifelong passion for facilitating change in education systems around the world. After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, with a B.S. in Political Science in 2014. Kevin served for two years as a Teach For America corps member in New Orleans, Louisiana. While serving as a special education and middle school Science/Social studies teacher for ReNEW Schools, a public charter school management organization that specializes in acquiring and improving low-performing schools, Kevin developed a passion for the charter school movement. Following his two years of service, Kevin accepted a position as an educational consultant with Shyulun Educational Consulting in Shanghai, China, where he helped develop an American-style curriculum for a large network of Chinese international elementary and middle schools.
Desiring to effectuate change in American education on a larger scale, Kevin attended the University of Colorado Law School, graduating with a J.D. in May 2020. Thereafter, he took a brief hiatus from the world of education and spent his first summer after law school interning with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on the China Team in Washington D.C. Kevin quickly returned to his education-based roots and spent the next year interning for the U.S. Department of Education in the Office for Civil Rights in Denver, Colorado, where he helped elementary, secondary, and post-secondary institutions comply with a variety of federal laws, including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, among others.
Kevin now helps CSLG clients navigate the complex field of real estate issues, as well as helping charter schools understand and tackle the dynamic world of special education law.
PH: 303-209-7813 Ext. 6
Cynthia Wood Davies
Technical Writer & Editor
As the firm’s newest member, Cynthia is excited to offer her gifts and abilities in support of the firm’s mission to contribute to the development and success of Colorado charter schools.
Cynthia brings extensive editorial experience to the firm. She earned a B.A. in English Literature, and for more than 20 years, she has overseen and produced diverse editorial projects from their inception to completion, streamlining processes along the way. Cynthia is passionate about the beauty and power of language to inform and inspire. As the firm’s official word nerd, it is her job to ensure that all written information is accurate, well organized, and communicated clearly, demonstrating the firm’s commitment to both excellence and empathy for our clients. A lifelong learner and mother of five, Cynthia is a firm believer in the role of education in establishing a solid foundation for students’ opportunities and success.
On most days, you will find Cynthia working in her garden, silently correcting your grammar in her head.