About Janel Falk
Janel Falk Chin built a foundation in the sciences before turning to law. She earned an A.S. from North Idaho College in 2001, a B.S. in Environmental Science—Social Sciences from the University of Idaho in 2003, and a J.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2007. During her legal studies she pursued coursework in Alternative Dispute Resolution and Federal Indian and Natural Resource Law.
Her early legal work mixed courtroom exposure and public outreach. In 2006 she worked as a law clerk in the Broomfield District Lawyer’s Office, handling research and supporting trial preparation. The following year she served as an outreach coordinator at the University of Colorado’s Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement, a role that paired community programming with legal subjects and civic education.
Chin moved into private practice and advisory roles over the next decade. She joined Matrium Law Group as of counsel in 2013, providing counsel on matters that drew on her background in environmental issues and dispute resolution. In 2017 she founded Peaks and Valleys, PLLC and assumed ownership, a step that formalized her work as a practicing lawyer and business owner.
Her academic background and early positions inform the work she does now. Courses and study in federal Indian and natural resource law align with her environmental science training. That combination appears in how she approaches cases and client work: attention to statutory detail, interest in practical dispute-resolution options, and an awareness of the policy contexts that frame resource and tribal issues.
Chin is licensed to practice in Colorado and Montana. Her professional path spans public-sector roles, in-house advisory work, and private practice leadership. Colleagues and clients encounter a lawyer who draws on litigation experience and outreach skills. She has handled legal research, case preparation, and client advising across an array of matters tied to her educational background.
Peaks and Valleys, PLLC operates as her primary practice vehicle. She continues to handle matters that reflect her training in environmental science and interest in federal Indian and natural resource law, while offering dispute resolution and related legal services through her firm. Her current practice concentrates on these areas through the work of Peaks and Valleys, PLLC.
