For 25 years, Jeff Reiman worked as a lawyer litigating large business disputes.

"It was a wonderful career, intellectually demanding and profitable," he said. "But I thought it might be time for a switch."

Reiman said he found he enjoyed talking with his teenage children about the world. Now he's a social studies teacher at Grandview High School.

"The careers are similar in that I take complex issues and make them understandable," he said, "and both jurors and students don't necessarily want to be where they're at. It's my job to engage them."

It's apparent Reiman has been successful at engaging them. In 2006, he was named Grandview High School's Teacher of the Year.

This year, the Colorado Council for Social Studies named him Colorado's Social Studies Teacher of the Year. He will be nominated for the National Council for Social Studies Teacher of the Year Award.

Reiman doesn't like to talk about his awards, but he does like to talk about his love for teaching.

"This is a job worth doing," he said. "Being a lawyer was great, but this is exceedingly rewarding. I thought I worked a lot as a lawyer. This job is all-consuming. I'm reading, planning, constantly thinking about how to reach that one kid."

Nothing speaks to Reiman's abilities as much the comments from his students, who describe him as passionate, caring and inspiring.

"I have never had a teacher who has influenced my education so much," said Grandview graduate Lauren Edgar. "During my senior year, I came to school with one thing on my mind: to be finished. At least I felt that way until I walked into Mr. Reiman's AP Government and Politics class. My brain wanted to soak up everything he had to teach us."

Student Hannah Buckman said, "Mr. Reiman understands that to improve someone, you have to push that person past the point at which he is comfortable. He challenges with the intent of having students make informed decisions on their own."