Seattle University School of Law

fall 2015

A NEW CROP OF LAWYERS Alumni embrace budding opportunities in cannabis law

1 NEW ARC DIRECTOR marriage equality LAWYERHOMELESS | fall 2015 RIGHTS DEAN’S perspective

ather William Sullivan, S.J., was Seattle University’s longest-serving presi- dent and brought the university’s values-driven education to the legal community through the acquisition of our law school. Our home, Sullivan Hall, is named for him in honor of his visionary leadership. As many of Fyou know, Fr. Sullivan passed away this past June. I begin with this memory of Fr. Sullivan not to focus on loss, but rather to re- flect on how much we have gained since that bold move more than 20 years ago. “In the long term, we will be educating many of the region’s finest lawyers, women and men who are destined to play significant roles in determining how our society operates,” Fr. Sullivan once said. Could anyone doubt the truth of those words now? In this issue of Lawyer, you’ll see that, just as Fr. Sullivan predicted, our strong alumni community is working at the forefront of unprecedented change. An entrepreneurial spirit leads many of our graduates to dive into technology start-ups as well as corporate giants such as Amazon and Microsoft. I’m grateful that many of our business- and tech-savvy graduates gave their time to educate students in our inaugural entrepreneurship and innovation immersion course in May and our Business Boot Camp in August. Washington state is now three years into a daring experiment with the legal- ization of recreational marijuana. Fueled by both a desire to reform the criminal justice system and a sense of entrepreneurial adventure, our graduates have become leaders in the area. They’re working hard to help businesses – and other lawyers – build a legitimate, safe, and ethical industry. But an economic boom can also mean growing concern about income in- equality. The values that are so essential to a Jesuit legal education are especially reflected in our Homeless Rights Advocacy Project, led by Professor Sara Rankin. She and her students are making a real difference for the visibly poor in our state and beyond. Read more about this project on page 20. As the school year begins, I can’t wait to see our new leaders and dreamers emerge from the classrooms of Sullivan Hall. Thank you all for your continued support and for proving, through your work, the difference that powerful advo- cates for justice can make.

Best,

Annette E. Clark ’89 Dean and Professor of Law Fall 2015

Claudine Benmar Editor/Writer inside this issue Ryan M. Barnes, MFA ’11 Designer NEW ARC DIRECTOR Tina S. Ching Professor Jeff Minneti values diverse voices in the law Interim Director 4 Marketing and Communications spotlight on SCHOLARSHIPs 12 Generous donations fuel student achievement administration Annette E. Clark ’89 LOVE WINS Dean and Professor of Law 14 Professor Julie Shapiro reflects on legal fight for marriage equality Steven Bender Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development A NEW CROP OF LAWYERS Richard Bird Alumni embrace budding opportunities in cannabis law Associate Dean for 16 Finance & Administration Carol Cochran HOMELESS RIGHTS Assistant Dean for Admission 20 Law students stand up for rights of ‘visibly poor’ Donna Deming Associate Dean for Student Affairs John Eason LIFE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE LAW Associate Dean for Academic Affairs 22 Student Molly Matter rebounds from felony conviction Kathleen Koch Assistant Dean for Student Financial Services O Y U CAN GO HOME AGAIN Patricia McCowan 26 Judge Helen Whitener ’98 speaks up for human rights in Trinidad Chief Advancement Officer Bahareh Samanian ’02 Director of Alumni Relations MORE THAN A THRIFT SHOP and Annual Fund 28 Daryl Campbell ’11 aims to end poverty as CEO of Goodwill Andrew Siegel Associate Dean for Planning and Strategic Initiatives

In every issue 6 The Briefcase ­• Law school news 24 Alumni News and Updates LAWYER MAGAZINE is published by the Communications Office at Seattle 30 Class Notes and In Memoriam University School of Law.

©2015 Seattle University School of Law.

CLEAR on the cover: Christopher Larsen ’14 and Joshua Ashby ’13 represent several cannabis businesses, including Seattle Inceptive Group, a recreational marijuana producer. Photo by Matt Hagen.

AREA FEATURE story

Law school welcomes new ARC director

By Claudine Benmar

This is Jeff Minneti’s dream job. Professor Minneti is the new faculty director of Seattle University School of Law’s Academic Resource Center, a nationally renowned academic support program that aspires to increase access to the legal profession by helping under-represented students achieve academic success. And for Minneti, that effort is vital to the health of the legal profession. “I look at lawyers as being social architects. They help create the rules and laws by which we govern our- selves,” he said. “And those folks have to be representa- tive of the people being governed. We’ve got to do more to bring diverse voices and experiences into the law.” Before joining the law school as an associate pro- fessor of law, Professor Minneti directed the Academic Success Program at Stetson University College of Law in Florida. In addition to directing the ARC program here, he’ll also teach Criminal Law and Trusts and Estates. He steps into the formidable shoes of Professors Paula Lustbader and David Boerner, who directed and taught in the ARC program for nearly 30 years. He is well aware of the proud legacy they leave behind.

4 LAWYER | fall 2015 “Diversity is a core value of our school, and we’re proud that these programs open the legal profession to people who might otherwise be denied access to legal education. Professor Minnetti shares that commitment and will help us educate powerful advocates for justice.”

Dean Annette E. Clark ’89

“It’s an honor for me,” he said. “I know “As a lawyer, you’re a lifelong learner,” ARCies are a family, and I’m thrilled I get he said. “Law is always changing and evolv- to be a part of it.” ing. You need to know your own learning He’s already inspired by his students. preferences so that you can effectively “They come to us with a real interest in communicate with your clients.” public service. They come with such a Professor Minneti eventually left passion,” he said. “It’s rewarding to see elementary education to pursue a joint that they feel a sense of community here, JD/MBA degree at Samford University’s because these are students who could Cumberland School of Law in Alabama. feel very disconnected in a typical law After law school, he clerked for a school classroom.” justice at the Alabama Supreme Court, The law school conducted a national where he witnessed firsthand the famous search to fill the position. Dean Annette E. incident in 2001 when Chief Justice Roy Clark ’89 was thrilled that Professor Min- Moore ordered a granite Ten Command- neti accepted the job. “Diversity is a core ments monument to be installed in the state value of our school, and we’re proud that judicial building and refused to remove it. these programs open the legal profession He then moved to Florida to practice to people who might otherwise be denied aviation insurance defense before returning access to legal education,” she said. “Profes- to education. In 2003 he began teaching sor Minnetti shares that commitment and legal writing at Stetson and moved into will help us educate powerful advocates the Academic Success Program in 2006. for justice.” One of Minneti’s goals for Seattle Professor Minneti started his career University is to better coordinate the as an elementary school teacher, primarily Bar Studies Program with the Academic fourth and fifth grades. It was there that he Resource Center. developed a passion for curriculum and An avid runner and biker, Professor educational design that continues to this Minneti has two sons in college. His young- day, even now that he’s teaching adults. est is at Fordham University in New York, His scholarly research focuses on and his oldest is attending the University of learning styles and educational theory, Colorado in Colorado Springs, after having including a paper on how law students served in the U.S. Army. are different from other learners. Spoiler alert: They tend to be analytic, linear, and authority-driven.

LAWYER | fall 2015 5 THE BRIEFCASE law school news

Congratulations Class of 2015!

More than 220 graduates participated in our 2015 Commencement on May 16 at KeyArena, a wonderful ceremony filled with joy and celebration. Above, Shiva Mirzanian celebrates after her hooding, Samuel Van- Fleet hugs a classmate, President Stephen Sundborg, S.J. addresses the crowd, and Nancy Mendez and Raz Meshkian snap a selfie backstage.

6 LAWYER | fall 2015 Korematsu Center wins new trial in Arizona ethnic studies case In an important decision advancing equality and free- dom of speech, the Ninth Circuit ruled in July that a student challenge to an Arizona law prohibiting Mexican American Studies raises claims that should go to trial. “We are pleased that the Ninth Circuit upheld a key finding of the district court, and we are excited for the opportunity to tell the plaintiffs’ story in court, that the students and the Mexican American community might yet find vindication,” said Professor Robert Chang, executive director of the Korematsu Center. He led the students’ legal team on appeal. In Arce v. Douglas, high school students challenged an Arizona statute that dismantled the highly successful Mexi- can American Studies program in the Tucson Unified School District. The plaintiffs argued that it was unconstitutionally vague and overbroad, discriminated based on viewpoint, and was enacted and enforced in a discriminatory manner. The district court in 2013 agreed that one of the provi- sions, which could outlaw any ethnic studies course, violated Renton resident Nestora Salgado-García has been illegally jailed the First Amendment, but it granted summary judgment in Mexico for two years. against the students on their other claims. Importantly, the Ninth Circuit panel agreed that students have a First Amendment right to receive information and Clinic achieves transfer for jailed client ideas and that provision which would outlaw virtually any In the midst of a 31-day hunger strike in May, Nestora Salgado-García, a ethnic studies course violated this First Amendment right. Renton woman who has been illegally imprisoned in Mexico since August of Though the panel agreed with the district court that the 2013, was moved from a remote, maximum-security prison to a detention facility other provisions were not vague or overbroad, it reversed in Mexico City where she could receive crucial medical care. the grant of summary judgment against the students on their “This is a first step in the journey to secure her outright release,” said Pro- discrimination claims. The court found that there was sub- fessor Thomas Antkowiak, director of the International Human Rights Clinic, stantial evidence that the law was adopted out of a racially which has led international litigation on Salgado’s behalf. discriminatory animus and directed that the students’ equal The transfer resulted from the clinic’s negotiations with Mexican gov- protection discrimination claims be set for trial. ernment authorities. Antkowiak, co-counsel Alejandra Gonza, and the rest The legal team includes Chang; Erwin Chemerinsky, of Salgado’s legal team negotiated for weeks following the Inter-American dean of University of California, Irvine School of Law; Commission on Human Rights’ declaration that Salgado should be released. Tucson attorney Richard Martinez; and Seattle University Salgado was arrested in August 2013 for her courageous community professors Lorraine Bannai and Charlotte Garden. Since the work in the small indigenous village of Olinalá in the state of Guerrero. The spring of 2012, students from the Korematsu Center’s Civil Mexican Constitution guarantees the rights of indigenous communities to Rights Amicus and Advocacy Clinic have assisted on the case. form their own justice and security institutions. Salgado was a leader of a Anjana Malhotra, formerly a clinical teaching fellow at community-policing group, which legally forms part of state law enforcement the Korematsu Center and now associate professor at SUNY and had the express approval of Guerrero’s governor. Buffalo Law School, played a key role in the development Rep. Adam Smith, whose congressional district includes Renton, visited the of the legal theories and with the briefing in this litigation. law school in June to demand once again that the Mexican government release Sujal Shah, an attorney with Morgan Lewis, led a team of Salgado and to request intervention by the U.S. State Department. lawyers who provided key assistance in the appeal.

LAWYER | fall 2015 7 THE BRIEFCASE law school news

Three grads win prestigious public service fellowships

Three 2015 graduates who are dedicated to public service earned prestigious fellowships this year – two with the Presidential Management Fel- lowship (PMF) program and one at the Unemploy - ment Law Project. Melanie Pugh and Robert Wilke, the PMF recipi- ents, will participate in a federal program aimed at training future government leaders. For two years, fellows work at various federal agencies and receive Melanie Pugh, left, and Robert Wilke, center, were awarded Presidential Management Fellowships, 160 hours of classroom training on leadership, man- and Andrés Muñoz, right, received the Frances Perkins Fellowship at the Unemployment Law Project. agement, and other topics. Fellows selected in March 2015 have until March 2016 to find and apply for PMF-eligible jobs at a fed- eral agency. Pugh had her eye on the Food and Drug Administration or the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Wilke hoped to land at the Department of Justice. Jesuit law schools unite in effort to Both Pugh and Wilke share a love of policy work help child refugees and majored in political science as undergraduate students. Pugh has been active in food safety and Seattle University School of Law status. Clinic students can file a peti- organized a day-long symposium on food law this was one of 13 Jesuit law schools that tion on their behalf seeking to have spring at Sullivan Hall. Wilke came to law school worked with Jesuit Refugee Service/ them declared dependent by the after three years at the Crisis Clinic, where he helped USA to release “A Fair Chance for Juvenile Court, which then makes homeless families obtain access to shelter. Due Process: Challenges in Legal them eligible to pursue relief from Andrés E. Muñoz, also a 2015 graduate, received Protection for Central American deportation. the inaugural Seattle University School of Law Asylum Seekers and Other Vulner- Finding legal representation is Frances Perkins Fellowship at the Unemployment able Migrants.” This report captures one of the first hurdles that migrants Law Project. The fellowship is a unique partnership efforts by Jesuit law schools to assist arriving in the U.S. face. According to between the law school’s Access to Justice Institute asylum seekers and migrants from data compiled by the Transactional and the Unemployment Law Project, a statewide, not- Central America and the challenges Records Access Clearinghouse at for-profit law firm established to assist and represent they face in delivering these services. Syracuse University, only 46% of the unemployed workers. In the summer of 2014, the num- unaccompanied children going before Named for the former United States Secretary ber of Central Americans migrating Immigration Court are currently rep- of Labor and the first female cabinet member, Fran- to the United States reached peak resented by an attorney — and more ces Perkins, the fellowship allows ULP to expand numbers. Of particular concern was than 81,000 juveniles are still without its capacity to help workers who lose their jobs. the high number of unaccompanied legal representation. Social justice champions Jim Degel ‘80 and Jeanne and separated migrant children, origi- Jesuit law schools are working to Berwick provided critical funding to kick start this nating primarily from the Northern fill this void, serving asylum seekers new partnership opportunity with ULP, which is also Triangle of Central America — Hon- and other vulnerable migrants from providing financial support. duras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Central America in a variety of ways, Muñoz will provide direct representation, advice, Paul Holland, acting director of including through research, training, legal education, and community outreach to those the Ronald A. Peterson Law Clinic, and direct representation. In 2014, who have been denied unemployment benefits or said the Youth Advocacy Clinic has Jesuit law schools represented 291 whose award of benefits is being challenged. “This represented unaccompanied immi- asylum seekers and migrants from is exactly the kind of work I want to be doing,” said grant minors who are seeking what is Central America and anticipate serv- Muñoz. “I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity.” known as Special Immigrant Juvenile ing almost 300 in 2015.

8 LAWYER | fall 2015 Immersion in innovation Professor Steven Bender explores law and regret

In his latest book, “Mea Culpa: Lessons on Law and Regret from Human History,” Associate Dean and Professor Steven Bender examines laws and policies that society has later come to regret – stealing Native American land, the internment of Japanese Amer- icans, and U.S. enslavement of Africans. The common thread, he argues, is the dehumanization of people. Professor Bender, who presented a lecture on his book in April, said he experienced some of that dehu- manization firsthand growing up in the barrios of Los Angeles and witnessing the scorn and discrimination faced by his Mexican American family. “Mea Culpa,” praised as both scholarly and read- Students in our May immersion course for lawyers interested in entrepreneurship and able, argues that the past can be a valuable tool in craft- innovation had a remarkable opportunity to interact with lawyers at successful start-ups and ing a definitive moral compass for the future, a compass some of the country’s largest and most innovative companies, including Expedia, Starbucks, that can guide the United States away from the policies and Microsoft. Here, student Srikanth Naidu chats with Dave Green ’96 of Microsoft. and practices that have led to societal regret.

Students honored for dedication to service, justice

Law student Daniel Hsieh, class of 2015, received Elisabeth Guard, class of 2017, was one of just 12 Seattle University’s most prestigious honor, the Arch- students in the country to be selected for the Native bishop Raymond G. Hunthausen Award, which recog- American Congressional Internship Program. nizes students who live the University mission of being The program provides American Indian and Alaska a “person for others.” Native students with the opportunity to gain practical The award, given each year to one under - experience with the federal legislative process in order graduate and one graduate student, recognizes to understand firsthand the relationship between tribes the culmination of the university’s most treasured and the federal government. values — integrity, faith, leadership, and passion Also called the Udall Internship, the program for learning. honors the legacies of Morris Udall and Stewart Udall, Hsieh, who hails from Cheyenne, Wyoming, was whose careers had a significant impact on American active in numerous groups while in law school but Indian self-governance and health care, as well as the received particular praise for his efforts as a mentor to stewardship of public lands and natural resources. young people. Guard is a member of the Mitchell Bay Band of Law student Yessenia Medrano-Vossler, class of Indians and is Swinomish. She intends to pursue a legal 2016, also received a University Mission award. The career protecting sovereignty as well as environmental award honors students who have made outstanding and natural resource rights for Native American tribes. contributions to the university community in areas She is particularly interested in helping tribes who are central to the values in the Seattle University Mission not federally recognized gain formal status. Statement. Medrano-Vossler was honored for her com- As part of this internship, she worked at the Bureau Daniel Hsieh ’15, top, and mitment to justice. of Indian Affairs in the office of Assistant Secretary Elisabeth Guard ‘17 Kevin Washburn.

LAWYER | fall 2015 9 THE BRIEFCASE

S cholarly conferences explore IN MEMOriaM labor, civil procedure, storytelling Prominent scholars from around the country met at Sullivan Hall this spring and summer for several conferences. Associate Professor Charlotte Garden organized a conference to recognize the 150th anniversary of the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, and to provide a forum for scholarly discussion of ongoing issues of labor and class. Topics included everything from non-compete agreements to human trafficking. Associate Professor Brooke Coleman gathered scholars in July for the First Annual Civil Procedure Workshop, which featured a keynote address by Yale Law School’s Judith Resnik and presentations on the federal rulemaking process and class action litigation. Also in July, Professor Chris Rideout hosted the Applied Legal Storytelling Conference, bringing together academics, judges, and practitioners to explore the role Fr. William Sullivan, far left, joined of storytelling and narrative structures both in lawyering President Stephen Sundborg and other leaders at the ground-breaking for and in legal education. Sullivan Hall, which opened in 1999.

Powell takes new role at Seattle U Sullivan Hall’s namesake, Fr. Wil- Professor Shelly Frankel taught Professor Russell Powell, an liam Sullivan, S.J., passes away for more than 30 years expert on religious jurisprudence Father William Sullivan, Seat- Professor Emeritus Shelly and a member of the law school’s tle University’s longest serving Frankel, who joined the faculty faculty since 2005, became Seattle president, died June 16, 2015, at the in 1974, just the second year of University’s associate provost for Jesuit care center near Milwaukee, the law school’s operation, passed global engagement on July 1. He had Wisconsin. He was 84. away at his Vashon Island home in previously held the position on an The law school’s current December 2014. interim basis for almost a year. home, Sullivan Hall, is named for “He was a longtime fixture at Provost Isiaah Crawford praised Powell’s “strong Fr. Sullivan because he was largely the law school and in our tax pro- and unwavering commitment to students and the mis- responsible for moving the law gram, guiding hundreds of students sion of SU” and noted his 15 years of service to Jesuit school from Tacoma to Seattle. He toward careers in tax law, and will institutions dedicated to scholarship and social justice. saw legal education as a vital part of be missed,” Clark said. “He thinks creatively about how to effectively the university’s mission to promote Frankel practiced law in Boston address new challenges and take advantage of opportu- and pursue social justice. and was an associate professor at nities that are presented to the university, develop and “His energy and initiative Ohio Northern University College of promote an integrated institutional global strategy for were the driving force behind the Law before he came to the Univer- SU, and build a sustainable financial and operational law school’s move from the aus - sity of Puget Sound School of Law infrastructure to support ongoing and planned initiatives pices of the University of Puget (now Seattle University). He was not in Nicaragua, Africa, and Asia,” Crawford said. Sound to our permanent home only a respected scholar but also an Much of Powell’s scholarship and other professional at Seattle University,” said Dean engaging teacher, able to make tax endeavors have been globally oriented. He began his Annette Clark ’89. “So, in a very real law fascinating even for English career as a Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Depart- sense, every client our students and majors. Many of the law school’s ment of State and is currently writing a book on Turkish alumni assist and every wrong they students went on to prestigious secularism. He reads and speaks a number of languages, help put right is a tribute to Fr. Sul- LL.M. programs at top institutions including Turkish and Farsi. livan and his visionary leadership.” thanks to Frankel’s encouragement. Powell will continue to teach at the law school half-time.

10 LAWYER | fall 2015 From left: Dean’s Club members Catherine Romero ’96, Joan Watt, Robin Dubrin ’85, Dean Annette Clark ’89 ; Fred Tausend with Professors Emeriti David Boerner and Paula Lustbader ’88 of the celebrated ARC program.

Influential and Loyal Seattle U Law Dean’s Club About the Dean’s Club On a stunning May evening this spring, Dean Clark invited the Dean’s Club and School Members are individual and organiza- of Law Legacy Society members to a celebration at the Museum of History and Industry. tion investors who make a financial President Stephen Sundborg, S.J. welcomed the crowd and described the importance of gift of $1,000 or more to the law providing such an opportunity to come together, to take in the exhibits, and to reinvest school in a fiscal year (July 1 – June in Seattle U Law. There was much to celebrate, including the recognition of Dean Fredric 30). Recent alumni from the last Tausend, who attended along with many members of his family. The law firm of Pfau nine years who give $100 for each Cochran Vertetis and Amala recently established the Fredric C. Tausend Scholarship year since graduation are considered for Academic Excellence with a $100,000 commitment; also present were firm partners Emerging Leaders and are also Dean’s Jason Amala ’05 and Michael Pfau. Club members with full benefits. “Dean’s Club members provide significant capital to enhance our students’ experi- ence,” Dean Clark said. “I was so appreciative to have the opportunity to personally thank these alumni and friends for their meaningful and critical support.” The next Dean’s Club experience is being planned for the spring of 2016. Want to know more? Contact a member of the Advancement team with questions and suggestions.

We are grateful for our alumni and friends and their generous investments in our law school. Thanks to you, the 2014-15 fiscal year was one of our strongest in terms of raising support for our students and their education. More than 670 individuals and organizations contributed $2.45 mil- lion in gifts to the law school, including $300,000 in Annual Fund support; over $1 million for scholarships, academic programs, centers, institutes, and faculty initiatives; and over $1 million in planned gifts. In a year of increased need for financial aid, you provided an opportunity for us to identify and retain exceptional and diverse students through increased merit scholarships. Your generosity helped us meet these needs, and more. Thank you for your commitment to our law school. Our 2015 Report of Giving will be available later this fall. In it, you will find examples of your investments and how they are making a difference. Until then, you can read more at www.law.seattleu.edu/Giving.

LAWYER | fall 2015 11 SPOTLIGHT on scholarships

M ark Reutlinger Scholarship for Excellence in Legal Writing

The depth and breadth of Seattle U Law’s Legal Writing Program is second to none. The program is led by nationally renowned faculty, and the focus on developing excellent writ- ing skills is ingrained in the school’s history, which can be traced back to, in part, the advocacy and leader- ship of Professor Emeritus Mark Reutlinger. A found- ing faculty member, he From left: Mary Jo and John Costello, Leo Costello, Kip Toner, Dean Clark, Carol taught at the law school for 26 years and served Costello, Don Luby, and current president of the Friends of St. Patrick, Ryan Gallagher, for 23 of those years as co-founder, adviser, and who is also the co-founder of the new Seattle Police Beds for Kids Program. liaison to the Legal Writing Program. In 2004, several faculty members estab- lished the Reutlinger Legal Writing Scholar- John J. Costello, Leo B. Costello, ship in his honor. The scholarship is awarded and the Society of the Friends of St. Patrick Law to the 2L, 3L, or 4L student who writes the best paper in a non-legal writing course Endowed Scholarship each semester. Now, thanks to a generous gift from John and Mary Jo Costello and Leo and Carol Costello are loyal and committed Professor Emeritus Reutlinger and his wife, friends of Seattle University and the School of Law. They participate in Red Mass Analee, the Mark Reutlinger Legal Writing each year and are members of the law school’s Dean’s Club, supporting both the Scholarship has an established endowed Annual Fund for Excellence and the Costello Scholarship through their generosity. fund. Their contribution and the future con- A retired senior partner in the Walthew Law Firm of Seattle, John has served as a tributions of others will ensure Seattle U Law member of Seattle University’s Board of Regents since 2007. students will be celebrated for their excellent Several members of the Costello family are not only proud alumni of Seattle writing skills for years to come. University, they are also members of the Society of the Friends of St. Patrick. In 1995, Professor Christopher Rideout, a member the Society established the Costello Scholarship to honor John Costello’s service of the faculty since 1981 and Legal Writing to the Irish community. The scholarship recognizes the achievement of a current Program associate director, oversees the writ- law student with Irish heritage. Over the years, many distinguished graduates have ing competition from which the scholarship received the Costello Scholarship. This year’s recipient, 3L Catherine Connell, is a awardees are chosen. “Professor Reutlinger summer associate at K & L Gates and the incoming editor in chief for the Law Review. valued excellent writing in the law and always Dean Annette Clark ‘89 welcomed representatives of the Friends of St. Patrick encouraged his colleagues and students to do to a special June luncheon where she thanked them for their continued support. the same,” he said. “I savor the opportunity They surprised Dean Clark at the end of lunch by presenting her with their annual of announcing the winners at the fall James gifts, including a larger-than-life check. “The Costellos and the Friends of St. Pat- E. Bond ABA Moot Court Competition each rick have become cherished members of our law school family,” said Dean Clark. year. They are always thrilled!” “Their generous support of our students clearly comes from their hearts and we are exceedingly grateful.”

12 LAWYER | fall 2015 New scholarship honors Dean Fredric Tausend

By tina ching

any in our community have first- hand experience with the former Mdean, influential teacher, mentor, and celebrated trial lawyer. Current students may recognize the name from the school’s long-standing moot court competition. Now, the name will be associated with a prestigious new scholarship honoring the former dean. Fredric Tausend was dean of the University of Puget Sound School of Law from 1980 to 1986. His commitment to diversity, social justice, and educational excellence motivated him to establish the Academic Top photo: Former Dean Fredric Tausend was joined Resource Center and the Legal Writing Program. by his wife, Marilyn (lower left), daughter Rachel Tausend’s deanship provided the foundation for the Tausend (lower center), and several family members social justice mission of the law school and the strong at the Dean’s Club Reception in May. Bottom photo: commitment to academic excellence. Jason Amala ’05 and his mentor, Fred Tausend. Jason Amala ’05 has long admired Tausend’s generosity, inspiration, and dedication to the law Dean Annette Clark ’89 announced the school. He first met Tausend through the moot court scholarship at the Dean’s Club Reception competition. “He was actually one of the judges, and held at the Museum of History and Industry in May. I remember being slightly terrified that the namesake “We are thrilled to be able to award a scholarship that of the competition was going to grill me in a crowded celebrates the academic excellence of our students and room of professors and my peers,” he said. “Thankfully honors Fred’s career and contributions to the school of he spared me, and perhaps out of pity, he introduced law,” she said. himself after the competition, and that was the begin- Tausend’s wife, Marilyn, said the reception was ning of our close friendship.” a pleasant surprise. “He cares so much about the law When the opportunity emerged, Amala wanted to school,” she said. “Being a lawyer was very important help create something worthy of Tausend’s “legacy of to him and he misses being a teacher.” a great lawyer who is dedicated to social justice.” The Tausend was moved by the reception. “I was very firm Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala, co-founded by Amala, touched by the creation of the scholarship,” he said. established the Frederic C. Tausend Scholarship for “It means recognition of what I tried to contribute, Academic Excellence with a gift of $100,000. “It is our which are important values to the school. I’m pleased hope that this scholarship will grow with additional about that.” support of others who want to make a contribution in Tausend’s contributions to the values of the law Fred’s honor,” he said. school are evident in those he has inspired. In his The Frederic C. Tausend Scholarship for Academic introductory remarks at the reception, Amala said, “It Excellence supports a rising 2L in the top 10 percent is my hope that I have weaved some small amount of of the class. The first recipient of the scholarship is Fred into who I am not only as a lawyer, but who I am Steven Fawcett. as a human being.”

LAWYER | fall 2015 13 FACULTY showcase LOVE WINS L ooking back at the movement toward marriage rights

By professor julie shapiro By the time Andersen was filed, I had been teach- ing family law at Seattle University School of Law for over a dozen years. From the beginning I had taught In February 2004, without court order a unit on access to marriage for same-sex couples. or legislative authority, the mayor of San One of the very earliest cases challenging restrictive Francisco started issuing marriage licenses marriage laws—Singer v. Hara, decided in 1974—was to same-sex couples. Soon after, the Mult- from Washington. (In that opinion the court of appeals nomah County Commissioners followed dismissed the plaintiffs’ claim out of hand with virtu- ally no reasoning, basically concluding that the very suit in Portland, Oregon. Three months idea of two men marrying each other was incredible.) later, same-sex marriage became legal in As new waves of litigation and legislation emerged, Massachusetts, thanks to an earlier rul- the class time I devoted to legal claims for marriage ing by that state’s highest court. Images of for lesbians and gay men had grown. Goodridge—the happy, newly married same-sex couples landmark Massachusetts case—warranted a full-day discussion on its own. flooded the media. I also worked with the Northwest Women’s Law At the time, Ron Sims was King County’s execu- Center (now known as Legal Voice) on a variety of pro tive here in Seattle. He supported the right of same- bono cases concerning lesbian/gay or women’s rights sex couples to marry, but didn’t believe that elected in emerging areas of family law, so I joined the team officials should take the law into their own hands. As a that litigated Andersen. Over the next nine months we child he had seen elected officials in the South refuse all immersed ourselves in the law, history, and social to enforce laws they didn’t agree with, namely laws science literature relevant to the meaning of marriage. that directed racial integration. Sims wanted to change While we were successful at the trial level, the litiga- unjust laws rather than defy them, so he made himself tion in Washington ultimately failed; the Washington the defendant in a lawsuit that would do just that. State Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Washington Thus was Andersen v. King County, the Washington Constitution did not require that gay men and lesbians state marriage case, born. be allowed to marry.

14 LAWYER | fall 2015 A new approach was required, one that relied on These issues were resolved by the United States the incremental progress of legislation. A series of laws Supreme Court this June in Obergefell v. Hodges. In were proposed in Washington. Each expanded on the this opinion the majority reached the decision Wash- one before it, with the penultimate bill being known as ington’s high court declined to reach in 2005, declaring “everything but marriage”— all of the legal rights and that same-sex couples – wherever they lived – had a benefits, but not the word “marriage” itself. Finally, the right to marry. last in the series provided full access to marriage for While Obergefell is truly a landmark case, it isn’t lesbian and gay couples. the end of the story either. Much remains unresolved. When the legislative approach began in 2005, The rights affiliated with marriage, such as parental most expected it would take at least a decade to reach rights, may now vary from state to state for same-sex full access to marriage. Happily, that timeframe turned couples. A woman might be a legal parent in Washing- out to be far too pessimistic. Events proceeded faster ton but lose that status if she travels to Idaho. Addi- than anyone imagined and the final bill, extending full tionally, anti-discrimination laws in most states do not marriage rights, was enacted by the legislature in the protect lesbians and gay men. You can celebrate your spring of 2012. A state-wide referendum followed in the wedding and then be fired for being gay. And a host of fall and, for the first time, a majority of the electorate questions involving religious objections to same-sex approved marriage rights for lesbians and gay men. marriage, some of which may raise First Amendment Marriage equality had come to Washington. issues, are emerging. Securing marriage rights in this state was not, how- Even if this isn’t the end of the story, it is a time ever, the end of the story. Two major hurdles remained. to look back and consider the course of social change First was securing federal recognition of Washington and the role law plays. I think the Washington Supreme state marriages. This was enormously important, as Court got it wrong in Andersen. The dissenting opinion over a thousand federal laws are keyed to marital status. in that case tracked the reasoning of the majority in The Supreme Court addressed this issue when it struck Obergefell. But what I think about that didn’t mat - down the federal Defense of Marriage Act in June 2013. ter. Instead of change as a result of a court decision, While this meant that Washington’s married same-sex Washington travelled the legislative route—slower couples could enjoy both state and federal rights, it did and more painstaking, to be sure. But winning the not help couples in those states that still barred those referendum—a vote of the people—was a broader and couples from marrying. Neither did it protect Washing- a deeper victory, perhaps paving the way for more ton couples who might travel to those states. change that is yet to come.

Professor Julie Shapiro teaches civil procedure, family law, and law and sexuality at Seattle University School of Law. “Reflections on Complicity,” her article about litigating Andersen v. King County, was published in New York City Law Review, Vol. 8, p. 657, 2005.

Professor Shapiro, Professor Andrew Siegel, and Dean Annette Clark ’89 all provided insightful commentary across multiple media outlets on this and other U.S. Supreme Court decisions handed down in June.

LAWYER | fall 2015 15 COVER

Aw New Crop of La yers Entrepreneurial alumni embrace budding opportunities in cannabis law

16 LAWYER | fall 2015 Washington voters approved I-502 in November 2012. Legal possession and DUI limits went into effect the following month and the first retail businesses opened in the summer of 2014. Between those two dates, By Claudine Benmar in the spring of 2013, Joshua Ashby graduated from law school and started his own firm. As is often the case with alumni who practice oshua Ashby wanted to help small cannabis law, business came to him through friends businesses and start-ups. Stephanie and pre-existing clients. “I had been involved in small Boehl loved tax law. Her husband, businesses and start-ups before law school,” said Ashby. J “If you think about it, everyone in this industry is a small Kurt Boehl, practiced criminal defense. business or a start-up, since it’s so new.” Josh Brower specialized in land use and One client led to another and from there “it snow- real estate. Christopher Larsen studied balled very quickly,” he said. He hired 2014 graduate intellectual property. Christopher Larsen to help with the expanding busi- Despite their varied interests and divergent legal ness. Third-year student Sativa Rasmussen joined them pursuits, all of these Seattle University School of Law as an intern this summer. “We’re an SU firm,” Ashby alumni now have something in common – marijuana. said. “The sense of camaraderie we enjoyed so much With the passage of Initiative 502 legalizing rec- at school extends into the professional community.” reational marijuana in Washington State, tremendous As a specialty firm, they got so many inquiries from opportunities have cropped up for those with the legal people who just wanted a basic rundown of legal issues skills to help clients make their way through the weeds. that they wrote a book. Self-published and available on I-502 created three separate tiers of marijuana busi- Amazon, “Lost in the Weeds” is the first comprehensive nesses – producers, processors, and retailers. All three guide to Washington’s recreational marijuana laws. have specific legal needs. But it goes well beyond that. “That’s what makes this business so exciting,” Marijuana regulations can touch family law, employ- Larsen said. “This is cutting-edge work. We’re building ment law, liability issues, landlord-tenant contracts, a new industry.” zoning rules, criminal law, and more. Potential investors It’s that sense of opportunity – the excitement also seek out legal assistance. of getting in on the ground floor of an entirely new While more and more law students are planning practice area – that drives alumni to marijuana law, future careers in this specialty, for the law school’s rather than the smoky allure of the product itself. One practicing alumni it’s been a baptism by smoke. trade group report estimated that legal marijuana is “We spend a tremendous amount of time doing non- the fastest growing industry in the United States. In billable work, reading and researching the regulations the first year of retail sales in Washington, marijuana and making sure we understand them for our clients,” businesses brought in $70 million in taxes, according said Stephanie Boehl ’07. to the Associated Press.

Opposite page: Joshua Ashby ’13 and Christopher Larsen ’14 represent several cannabis businesses, including Seattle Inceptive Group, a recreational marijuana producer. From top: Kurt Boehl ’05 and Stephanie Boehl ’07

LAWYER | fall 2015 17 “Ninety percent of what we do is the same as for any other business,” Ashby said. “Contracts for investors, operating agreements, bylaws, shareholder agreements, purchase and sale agreements. But many of our clients are looking ahead to a day when more states legal- ize recreational marijuana and they can transition to become larger businesses. That’s why I love start-ups. I love that strategic legal planning.” Boehl said the industry as it now stands is especially well-suited to new lawyers with a sense of adventure. The Boehls’ practice grew from Kurt’s defense of medi- cal marijuana users facing criminal charges. Stephanie joined him as the practice grew. “There’s tremendous opportunity here,” she said. “It’s a new industry that has all kinds of legal needs. The larger firms are shying away from this work, which opens up opportunities to new lawyers willing to take risks.” Part of that risk, she explained, is the fact that marijuana is still illegal under federal law as a Schedule 1 controlled substance – the same category as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy. “Lurking in the background you have the question of what does this all mean with the federal govern - ment,” she said. “This type of practice requires you to become proficient at explaining risk as opposed to giving definitive answers. A lot of time you can’t give definitive answers because we’re in uncharted territory legally.” For now, the federal government is staying out of it. Josh Brower, class of 2005, said that’s because “states are the laboratory of democracy” and the feds want to see if states can successfully turn marijuana into a legitimate business, keeping it out of the hands of children, off the black market, and safe from organized crime.

I think there’s definitely a lot of capacity for entrepreneurship. But if the law is going to work, there needs to be good lawyers participating. It’s a very regulated industry and it would be almost impossible to navigate it without legal help.”

P ete Talevich ’09

18 LAWYER | fall 2015 COVER story

“But what do you do if they decide they no longer want to tolerate Washington’s little experiment?” he said. Brower, a land use planner who went into real estate, land use, and corporate law after graduation, was also drawn into the marijuana business by existing clients. The zoning challenges for pot businesses, he said, are enough to give you the spins. In 2014, Washington’s Attorney General Bob Fer- guson ruled that I-502, as written, does not require all jurisdictions to allow the operation of marijuana busi- nesses. So that means cities or counties can effectively ban grow operations or retail stores if they wish. For example, Brower had one client who found an excellent site in Sultan that met all the proper zoning requirements, but was then told they couldn’t discharge wastewater into the municipal sewage system “because they didn’t know what was in it.” Instead, the client was told that all wastewater had to be handled like hazard- The goal, he said, was to allow attorneys to serve Joshua Ashby ’13, who ous waste, with detailed paperwork that accounted for marijuana clients without fear of being suspended or founded Ashby Law Group every drop. disbarred, since marijuana is still illegal federally. After to provide legal services to small businesses and start- “When jurisdictions are allowed to opt out, I thorough research, the task force submitted a proposal ups, visits with client Fadi worry that Washington will mess up this experiment in to the Washington Supreme Court in the fall of 2013. Yashruti at Seattle Inceptive democracy because we will have a patchwork of legal The court eventually adopted a separate proposal from Group’s grow house in Belfair, and illegal pot markets and we won’t be able to meet the the Washington State Bar Association, but Talevich felt Washington. federal government’s requirements,” he said. “In certain good about moving the issue forward in a productive jurisdictions things go great but then in some towns way. The KCBA gave its President’s Award to Talevich you can’t even discharge to the sewer treatment plant.” and his task force colleagues for this work in 2014. By and large, attorneys want the experiment to “I think there’s definitely a lot of capacity for entre- succeed. Not just because it’s a fantastic business oppor- preneurship. But if the law is going to work, there needs tunity but because it’s a chance to correct imbalances to be good lawyers participating,” he said. “It’s a very in the criminal justice system. regulated industry and it would be almost impossible “The unequal application of our drug laws has to navigate it without legal help.” contributed to the racial tensions and problems we see Ashby and Larsen said they often face misconcep- all across the country. For decades, we have targeted tions about the sorts of people they represent. As it people of color and arrested and prosecuted them at far, turns out, the clients are less like Cheech and Chong far higher rates,” said Ammon Ford, a JD/MBA student and more like Branson and Bezos. in his third year at Seattle University and president of “People assume it’s going to be a bunch of stoners,” the Cannabis Law Society. Larsen said. “But it’s not at all. These are former execu- “They lose their votes, they lose access to federal tives, stock brokers, people from all the big companies.” student aid, and, in many states, three felonies of any Ashby agreed, explaining that the regulations sort results in a life sentence. The status quo is uncon- require all marijuana licensees to have a squeaky clean scionable. Fixing our drug laws won’t heal all wounds, record. That makes it unlikely that former black market but it is an important step.” growers and sellers will start up legitimate businesses. That’s the argument that swayed Pete Talevich ’09, As the industry becomes more mainstream, Boehl who admits to having mixed feelings about the law. He said she hears fewer pot jokes and more admiration for handles commercial disputes at K&L Gates and does her decision to get in early. Still, when you call her office not represent any marijuana clients, but he did serve and get put on hold, the music you hear is “Three Little on a King County Bar Association task force aimed at Birds” by the notorious toker Bob Marley. So there’s still changing the ethics rules that might prevent attorneys room for humor. “It’s all in good fun,” she said. from helping marijuana businesses.

LAWYER | fall 2015 19 FEATURE

Law students stand up for rights of ‘visibly poor’

Imagine a life where almost everything you did was eattle University School of Law stu- prohibited. You could not sit, lie down, obtain food, use the dents this year boldly confronted a restroom, or sleep with any protection from the elements. Sgrowing trend in cities and towns In effect, your very existence would be a crime. throughout the state of Washington and beyond – municipal laws that essentially Law Professor Blogs Network make it a crime to be homeless. post by HRAP students As part of the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project, led by faculty director Professor Sara Rankin, students released four in-depth policy briefs in May that exam- ined the scope and extent of the problem of criminaliza- tion of homelessness in the state. These reports are the most extensive of their kind in the nation. Student research found that anti-homeless laws are expensive, ineffective, and disproportionately impact already marginalized individuals.

20 LAWYER | fall 2015 “The common thread is prejudice,” Rankin said. “One of the underlying premises of our research is that visible poverty makes people uncomfortable. Regret- tably, we often use the law to purge visibly poor people from public space. As long as we pretend that homeless- ness is a problem that should be addressed through the criminal justice system, we are not really addressing the root problems of homelessness and poverty.” Rankin’s students spent months collecting data, researching, and writing their briefs. They presented their works-in-progress and incorporated feedback Professor Sara Rankin (center) with students in the Homeless from experts, including prosecutors, defense attorneys, Rights Advocacy Project: Justin Olson, Matthew Dick, Joshua police, service providers, and people currently experi- Howard, Scott MacDonald, Kaya Lurie, and Javier Ortiz. encing homelessness. “This research humanizes the problems and shows One brief estimates the City of Seattle will spend a the ways in which the institutional response to home- minimum of $2.3 million in the next five years enforcing lessness has failed,” said Scott MacDonald, one of the just 16 percent of the city’s criminalization ordinances. student co-authors. Spokane will spend a minimum of $1.3 million enforc- Extensive media coverage – both local and national ing 75 percent of the city’s criminalization ordinances. – followed the release of the reports in May, including Investing this same money over five years on affordable a forceful editorial in The Seattle Times. “The Seattle housing could house approximately 55 people experi- University study is a timely reminder that public policy encing homelessness per year, saving taxpayers over should enhance, not undermine, the work being done $2 million annually and $11 million total over the five to end homelessness and get people back on their feet,” years, according to the briefs. the editors wrote. “At what cost are we criminalizing homelessness?” “In its inaugural year, the Homeless Rights Advo- asked one student co-author, Joshua Howard. “Crimi- cacy Project has made an indelible mark on the rights nalization is expensive and ineffective, and non-punitive of homeless and visibly poor people, not only in Wash- options are proven to save money.” ington, but throughout the country,” Rankin said. “To date, half a dozen cities throughout Washington have contacted me asking for opportunities to talk with me and the students about our recommendations for how National experts praised the research to approach the problem differently. Other cities have “These reports will leave an indelible mark on constitutional, civil, and asked if we would hold trainings for their elected offi- human rights discourse about how society and the law can either cials and their city attorney’s offices.” contribute to the problems of poverty and homelessness, or how society Rankin said she receives both requests for help as and the law can reverse course and contribute to more meaningful and well as offers to help from people who have experienced just outcomes for all people, regardless of their housing or economic homelessness firsthand. “The response has simply been status,” said Michael Stoops, director of community organizing at the overwhelming,” she said. “It motivates me to work National Coalition for the Homeless. harder to do this incredibly important work.” Student researchers analyzed data from 72 cities Read more at www.law.seattleu.edu/hrap and completed in-depth case studies of seven cities: Seattle, Burien, Bellingham, Spokane, Auburn, Pasco, and Vancouver. They also looked at other states that have adopted the “Housing First” movement that prioritizes providing shelter over enforcement.

LAWYER | fall 2015 21 FEATURE

Life on both sides of the law

Student Molly Matter rebounds from felony conviction to build a career seeking justice

By Claudine Benmar “Dear Justice González, We were first introduced under much different circumstances…” So began law student Molly Matter’s externship application letter to Justice Steven González at the Washington Supreme Court. When she met him 11 years earlier, they weren’t on the same side of the law. Matter was a defendant facing charges of felony theft and Justice González was her judge. She got the externship. Now, as she finishes her final semester of law school and looks forward to graduating in December, Matter reflects on how her life as a former felon has come full circle.

22 LAWYER | fall 2015 “In some ways, working for Justice González was And she found new and better ways to channel her just an odd coincidence, but in other ways it definitely passion for social justice. She developed an anti-bias makes that earlier time in my life more meaningful,” curriculum for students and teachers. She worked with she said. the Seattle Public Schools’ Department of Equity and González didn’t remember her as a defendant, and Race Relations. She interned with the ACLU’s Voting didn’t hold her past against her. Rights Restoration Project, stung by her own loss of “I have never hired a felon before, let alone one I voting rights. She taught English to refugee women. sentenced,” Justice González said. “Molly, however, has Pursuing a lifelong dream, Matter applied to law earned a second chance through hard work and dedi- schools, many of which rejected her outright because cation to others. She is now poised to lend her unique of her criminal record. voice to improving access to justice in our democracy.” Seattle University School of Law appealed to Over the course of her fall 2014 externship, Matter her because of its location, top-ranked Legal Writing found Justice González to be a friendly mentor with Program, and the social justice focus of the Korematsu impeccable integrity who shared her commitment to an Center. Here, she was stymied not by her record but by inclusive, accessible justice system. At their first meet- her LSAT score, she explained with a smile. But on her ing, she remembered, he mentioned that his office was third attempt, she was accepted. bigger than the house he grew up in. After she arrived, renowned “We need representative voices voting rights advocate Profes- from all backgrounds,” she said. sor Joaquin Avila proved to be an “We are not saints as attorneys. We invaluable mentor. She became his need to bring our whole lives, our research assistant and contributed whole selves, to our work. That’s to scholarly articles and advocacy what will transform the system.” efforts, which helped cement her Matter’s felony conviction interest in voting rights as a career. stemmed from an abusive relation- “When I lost my right to vote ship that began in 2002 when she for seven years, I lost my voice,” was a preschool teacher and senior she said. “You can’t talk politics, at Western Washington University’s you can’t sign petitions, you can’t Fairhaven College. Immersed in her participate in democracy, you have studies of social justice and unsure to keep that part of your life hidden.” how to direct her passion, she began As part of her work with the a relationship with a man twice ACLU, Matter drafted a step-by- her age who groomed her to be a step guide to pay off Legal Financial professional thief. Obligations after a felony convic- “He convinced me that we tion, a guide that’s still in use. And could be like Robin Hood,” she she testified in House and Senate said. “We had to go take back what Committee hearings to help pass the world had taken from us.” 2009 legislation that made it easier for former felons He isolated her from friends and family and threat- to get their voting rights restored. ened to hurt those she loved. They lived underground, She also contacted the Victim Assistance Unit of moving among motels to escape detection. After a few the King County Prosecutor to send letters of regret months, the reality of her abusive situation sank in and and apology to her victims. Matter started making mistakes, subconsciously hoping Today, Matter enjoys a busy life with her partner to get caught. Eventually the police found her. and toddler daughter, Isadora. She is grateful for those With the aid of a public defender, her four felony who have given her a second chance. She hopes to set up charges were reduced to one. Justice González, then a scholarship for law students who have been formerly serving as a trial judge at King County Superior Court, incarcerated and are interested in voting rights law. sentenced her to community service. Her abuser was And when she looks to the future, she thinks of how never found, and never charged. one day she’ll share her own story with her daughter as Over the next several years, she healed. She a way to teach her self-discernment, serving as a real- obtained a protection order. She reconnected with her life example that adversity can be overcome. family and friends. She learned martial arts, gaining both a black belt and a confidence that melted away her nightmares of abuse.

LAWYER | fall 2015 23 ALUMNI news Out About

Atlumni-s udent initiatives provide meaningful opportunities Sidebar Happy Hours connect communities Alumni engage with students in significant ways every day. Influential programs like Job Shadow Week and 3L/4L The South Sound alumni community gathered in downtown Tacoma Mentorship positively impact the professional development on April 22 for a Sidebar Happy Hour where we honored local judicial of our students and strengthen alumni relationships with members Judge Gretchen Leanderson ’87, Judge Frank Cuthbertson ’93, Seattle U Law. Judge Helen Whitener ’98 (see page 26), Prof. John Strait and Prof. Laurel Oates ’78. Attendees (pictured above) were Lynn Rainey ’07, Sheryl Colvin On April 14, we brought together the 2014-15 mentor/mentee ’98, Dean of Admissions Carol Cochran, and prospective student Ramona pairs for a free CLE and reception to thank the nearly 100 Nabors. Watch our website for more Sidebar Happy Hour events this fall. alumni who volunteered and to provide another mentorship opportunity to connect. Pictured are Jody Cloutier ’15, a senior program manager at Microsoft with an interest in family We are excited to announce that the 3L/4L mentorship law, with his mentor, Amy Franklin-Bihary ’04, a family law program will be entering its third year this fall. If you would attorney with Wechsler Becker. like more information, please contact [email protected].

Seattle U Law journals’ spring celebrations

Seattle U Law has a rich history of honoring This year, we toasted the accreditation and achievement and recognizing excellence official launch of the Seattle Journal for within our community. Each spring before Environmental Law and the 13th Anniversary classes end and final exams begin, we of the Seattle Journal for Social Justice. The celebrate the accomplishments of the three Law Review, celebrating 38 years, invited student-run publications and all the ways alumni Andrew Moore ’97 and Cori Gordon in which students enhance and enrich the Moore ’98, partners and executive leaders at law school. Perkins Coie, to serve as keynote speakers for the annual alumni dinner on April 17.

24 LAWYER | fall 2015

C elebRATING the newest members of the Washington bar

Dean Annette Clark ’89 and Judge Veronica Galvan from King County Superior Court congratulate Alice Bagirova ’14 after the swearing-in ceremony for South King County on May 1. Dean Clark and other Seattle U Law representatives were delighted to celebrate with recent law graduates in King, Pierce, Snohomish, and South King counties this spring.

Multi-generations are proud to be Seattle U Law alumni

On May 16, Bianca Connell-Flint ’15 was hooded by her father and Seattle attorney, Raymond Connell ’84. Since the school graduated its first class in 1974, the number of family members participating in graduation ceremonies has increased exponentially, and it’s an honor to be a part of that special bond.

Upcoming Events

S eptember 30 N ovember Dane ’s Club Reception at MOHAI Red Mass and Reception Seattle Sidebar Chapel of St. Ignatius Happy Hour and Sullivan Hall Freshly minted 2015 alumni Marco Puccia, Michael Althauser, Nikita Parekh, and Shiva Mirzanian were on hand at the Museum of History and 2016 Sidebar Industry to share their experiences with members of the Seattle U Law O ctober Happy Hours Eastside Sidebar Dean’s Club and Legacy Society. The Dean’s Club Reception, an annual New York City, Happy Hour event recently reinvigorated, honors the participation and generous Tacoma, and Everett investment of alumni and friends who make annual investments at the For updates: Please see our Alumni Events Calendar Dean’s Club level. at www.law.seattleu.edu/alumni/calendar

LAWYER | fall 2015 25 ALUMNI profile

Judge G. Helen Whitener speaks up for human rights in her birth country of Trinidad

By Claudine Benmar

udge Helen Whitener ’98 for her visit. The U.S. Embassy invited her laughs easily and speaks of to celebrate National Caribbean-American Jher recent career success Heritage and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and with a calm sense of bemused Transgender Pride (LGBT) months. humility. She’s not the sort of per- “It was really important for me to son you imagine being slapped put a face on the issue back home. We with handcuffs and whisked off to have privileges here that I knew were jail as an international criminal. not available there,” she said. “But I had to pass it by my wife first. There was a Yet that was the risk she faced when good possibility I would be arrested.” she returned in June to her home coun- Thankfully, the only people who try of Trinidad and Tobago. Laws there whisked her anywhere were reporters outlaw homosexuality, and Whitener is and representatives from the many human openly gay. In fact, that was the reason rights and student groups she addressed.

26 LAWYER | fall 2015 Human rights are not just defined by the obvious things, like gender and race. Everywhere I spoke I tried to move the discussion from LGBT rights to human rights because the message is the same across the board.”

Judge G. Helen Whitener ’98

Professors Paula Lustbader and David Boerner, who led the ARC program for 30 years, provided crucial support for her and became lifelong friends. When Pro- fessor Boerner’s offer to hire her as a teaching assistant Judge G. Helen Whitener visited with Margaret B. Diop, deputy conflicted with another job offer from the Washington chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Trinidad & Tobago. Attorney General, he called the AG’s office personally to iron out the schedule. She kept both jobs, plus a third job at a bank. Her legal career has included stints in prosecution, private and public defense, and administrative law. Judge Whitener was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to Retired District Court Judge David Kenworthy wrote in the bench of Pierce County Superior Court in January, Pierce County Lawyer magazine that when they worked the youngest woman of color to serve in that position. together on an assignment many years ago, he strongly (She’s 50.) Her wife, Lynn Rainey, is a 2007 graduate encouraged her to seek a judgeship. of the law school. “At times I would almost describe her as being regal Since then she’s realized that she now has an ampli- or queenly,” he wrote. “She carried herself so nicely, no fied voice she can use to advocate for the causes she matter what the circumstances, and never let herself believes in – access to justice, disability rights, gender show any sign of being rattled or off-guard.” equality, and LGBT awareness. It’s an honor she never Perhaps it’s that quality that made her such an would have imagined as a 16-year-old girl immigrating effective ambassador in Trinidad. As she met with to New York City all by herself so long ago. countless audiences and conducted interview after Judge Whitener suffers from a back condition that interview, she kept in mind the words of her country’s required sophisticated medical care at the time, neces- national anthem: “Here every creed and race / Find an sitating her travel to the United States. After treatment, equal place.” she stayed to study international marketing and trade “That should include everyone,” she said. “Human at Bernard Baruch College. rights are not just defined by the obvious things, like “I always imagined I’d be a business woman. My gender and race. Everywhere I spoke I tried to move the intent was to do something that tied the Caribbean with discussion from LGBT rights to human rights because the United States,” she said. “So I went to Anchorage the message is the same across the board.” Activists because that was the import-export hub for the Pacific in Trinidad and Tobago have already made significant Rim. Imagine this island girl in that cold place!” progress in promoting anti-discrimination policies, and After three years she moved back to the Lower 48, she hopes it’s just a matter of time before the outdated working at an accounting firm in Bellevue where her laws are off the books for good. sharp analytical skills were noticed right away by a col- She said the support she received in law school has league who encouraged her to try law school. She found been an ongoing source of strength as she undertakes her home in Seattle U’s Academic Resource Center. new challenges in her career. “I didn’t even research any other law schools,” she “I always believed in myself but that supportive said. “I was the perfect candidate for the ARC program environment really bolstered my confidence,” she said. because I had potential but didn’t understand the sys- “When something new comes up, I don’t question my tem. I was brought up in the British education system, abilities, I just do it. I just figure out how to do it.” so things were different.”

LAWYER | fall 2015 27 ALUMNI profile

Daryl Campbell takes the helm at Seattle Goodwill Secondhand treasures, first-rate job training

By Claudine Benmar aryl Campbell ’11 isn’t just the president and CEO of Seattle DGoodwill. He’s also a shopper. “I love going into the stores,” he said. “You always find some kind of treasure.” In fact, Shoreline’s Goodwill recently saved the day for Campbell when he was visiting there for business. At lunch, an ugly blob of balsamic vinaigrette splashed on to his pastel button-down business shirt. “I can’t go into meetings like this,” he thought, so he ducked into the retail store and scoured the racks for a replacement. “I found the perfect shirt, nice and clean,” he said. “I bought it and went to the back right away to change. It was four dollars! And I didn’t even use my employee discount.” Strolling through the high-tech classrooms at Good- will’s Seattle headquarters, a stunning LEED Gold certified building in the Rainier neighborhood, Campbell said he found the perfect job when he landed at Goodwill in August 2014. That’s because it’s about more than secondhand treasures and poppin’ tags.

28 LAWYER | fall 2015 “My experience at SU was tremendous,” he said. “What law school helped me understand was how to parse a problem, how to peel back all the layers and look What law school helped at them from different perspectives. It’s a real challenge to take a step back and consider that there are multiple me understand was how perspectives, but being able to do that has made me a to parse a problem, how much better leader.” Campbell, a New York native, enjoyed a diverse to peel back all the layers career before enrolling in Seattle University School of and look at them from Law’s part-time program at the age of 47. He played different perspectives. It’s piano professionally. He worked as a registered dietitian. He managed finances and operations for an $8 million a real challenge to take health club company, experience that eventually led him a step back and consider to become chief financial officer for Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont. He found his niche in higher that there are multiple education and moved to the Northwest to become perspectives, but being Shoreline’s vice president for administrative services, able to do that has made a job he held while attending law school. Though he passed the bar and established a solo me a much better leader.” family law practice after graduation, Campbell said law school was more about setting a goal and daring Daryl Campbell ’11 himself to meet it. “It was a personal challenge I had to undertake, one that I needed for my life,” he said. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and at times the most frustrating thing I’ve ever done, but definitely the “Our mission here is nothing less than ending most rewarding.” poverty and restoring the middle class,” he said. How? He was drawn back in to higher education and, By helping people get jobs. relatedly, workforce development when Shoreline Seattle Goodwill, one of 165 affiliates of Goodwill Community College approached him with an offer to Industries International, operates 25 retail stores and serve as interim president. While there, he stabilized the employs over 2,000 people across five counties. The college’s finances, increased targeted enrollment, built Seattle flagship store is the largest Goodwill retail store partnerships for the college’s auto maintenance pro- in the country and a nearby Goodwill outlet was one of gram, and coordinated programs with schools in Asia. several locations featured in the video for hip hop artist He now enjoys visiting with new SU Law students Macklemore’s 2012 hit song, “Thrift Shop.” and speaking to them about non-traditional careers, Revenue from the stores goes toward free programs remembering the law school community that supported and services at the organization’s 10 job training and him along the way. education centers. Popular classes include computer “I came to law school expecting competition, but skills, English for speakers of other languages, cashier- not this incredible spirit of camaraderie,” he said. “The ing, and GED prep. way that we all wrapped our arms around each other to In the 2013-14 fiscal year, Goodwill helped more help each other succeed was remarkable.” than 9,200 people, many of whom were low-income His favorite memory from law school was winning single parents, immigrants, people of color, former an evening of poker at Professor Sidney DeLong’s house offenders, or those struggling to get by without a high with Professors Christopher Rideout and Gregory Sil- school diploma or GED. verman and four classmates at the Public Interest Law Though he doesn’t work in a traditional legal field, Foundation’s annual auction. Campbell said his Seattle University law degree has been “There was a bidding war because it was a very invaluable in his leadership positions, both as CEO of coveted prize,” he said. “I don’t want to say too much Seattle Goodwill and as president of Shoreline Community but boy, that was a really fun evening. What happens College, a position he held from June 2013 to August 2014. at DeLong’s stays at DeLong’s.”

LAWYER | fall 2015 29 class notes

Kyle Hulten ’11, Gavin Johnson ’11, Collin Roberts ’11, and Gideon Dionne ’11 are partners at InVigor Law Group. The firm was positioned to hire its first legal administrator and summer associate this year and expand its Fremont office lease.

1975 attorney for the Wash- on human-powered out- Mike Sullivan serves as 1986 Tom Schmidt is co-direc- ington State House of door recreation. the sole superior court Susan tor of the Cross Street Representatives. judge for both Pacific and O’Brian Community, an end-of- 1981 Wahkiakum counties since attended the the-line service center for Girard Miller joined the Brian his appointment in 2005 American Bar mostly homeless people in Minneapolis law firm, Stiles was by Gov. Christine Gregoire. Association’s Joint Ses- Tucson, Arizona. Maslon LLP, in their Busi- appointed sion with the London ness and Securities Group. to the Skagit 1985 Bar to commemorate 1976 County Supe- Steve Bulzomi, John the 800th signing of the Stephen A. McAlpine 1980 rior Court. Christensen ’89, and Jer- Magna Carta. She also was appointed to the Catherine emy Johnston ’03 founded attended a special event Regulatory Commission Walker was 1984 the new firm Evergreen at the British Library to of Alaska by Gov. Bill elected to Karin Nyrop w a s Personal Injury Counsel. view the Declaration of Walker ’83. Previously the board of appointed by Attorney The firm, with offices in Independence, Bill of lieutenant governor of directors of the Outdoor General Bob Ferguson Tacoma and Seattle, advo- Rights, and a copy of the Alaska, McAlpine served Industry Association as chief of the AG’s Uni- cates personal injury and Magna Carta. as mayor of Valdez and (OIA) in August 2014. versity of Washington wrongful death claims in was also a member of the She chairs the Nomi- Division, providing legal state and federal courts in 1987 City Council. nating and Governance services to the university. Washington and Oregon. Gloria Bolino has been Committee and is a For fun, she has completed appointed a part-time 1977 member of the Execu- four Ironman triathlons John Karna was accepted magistrate in Beaufort Allen W. Hayward has tive Committee. OIA is and currently coaches a into the University of County for the South authored a book, “My the trade association for triathlon team that raises Arizona School of Law’s Carolina District Court. Ride,” about his 34 years manufacturers, retailers, money for the Leukemia & LL.M Indigenous Peoples’ She also works as a court- as a constitutional and suppliers, and affiliates Lymphoma Society. Law and Policy Program appointed attorney for parliamentary process whose businesses focus for the fall. delinquencies and depen-

30 LAWYER | fall 2015 Stay up to date! Submit your class note online: www.law.seattleu.edu/classnotes

dencies in the Chatham 11th year of owning his tional patents, trademarks, County Juvenile Court in practice. His primary 1993 and copyrights. 1999 Savannah, Georgia. areas of work are criminal Cynthia Linet was one Judge Jeanette Line- defense, personal injury, of five Raging Grannies Sarah L. Lee is an associ- berry was elected to the Andrew Schwarz is traffic and insurance who chained themselves ate at Lee Smart. She is Pierce County District managing partner of the issues, and civil litigation. together on the train also a court-appointed Court and took the bench Schwarz-Garrison Law Of encounters with his tracks in front of terminal arbitrator in King and in January 2015. Firm, specializing in crim- Seattle University class- 5, in hopes of preventing Pierce county courts and inal defense and creative mates, he shared, “The Shell’s Polar Pioneer from serves as a mediator for 2001 approaches to family law, bond we share is invalu- leaving Seattle in time to the Pierce County Center Thomas E. collaborative divorce, and able. I love Seattle, and feel drill in the arctic. for Dispute Resolution. Gates wa s mediation. He serves on most grateful to be part of elected for the board of directors of our legal community.” 1995 Cynthia inclusion in King County Collabora- Julian Bray w a s (Cindy) Lucas the 2016 Who’s Who in tive Lawyers and lives on Michael Floyd’s “Get the appointed chief of the practices law America. He also received Vashon Island with his Truth: Former CIA Offi- Tacoma Division of the with her hus- the 2015 Washington wife and law partner. cers Teach Washington State Attor- band, Gregory Excellence Award for You How to ney General’s Office in D. Lucas, in Bellevue, Wash- Legal Services by the U.S. Brent Zadorozny joined Persuade February. He replaces ington. Her practice is in the Commerce and Trade the El Segundo, Califor- Anyone to Gretchen Leanderson ’87 area of wills, trusts, estate Research Institute and nia office of Simmons Tell All,” is who was appointed to the planning, and probate. has been named one of Hanly Conroy, a national a New York Times best- Pierce County Superior the Premier 100 trial attor- complex litigation firm seller. His firm, QVerity, Court bench in December. Jonathan neys for Washington by and one of the country’s is actively involved in The division represents Medema was the American Academy of leading mesothelioma law continuing legal educa- various state agencies in appointed by Trial Attorneys. firms. He concentrates tion training throughout the defense of tort actions. Gov. Butch his practice on asbestos the United States. Otter as judge 2002 and personal injury cases. 1996 of the 4th Judicial District Jonathan D. Rands His experience includes Ken Masters is completing Jennifer Brooks joined in Idaho, which includes was recognized for his an $8.7 million asbestos his final year on the WSBA NFP Retirement as a Ada, Boise, Elmore, and dedication, leadership, trial verdict in Los Angeles Board of Gov- retirement plan consultant Valley counties. and excellence in DUI Superior Court, as well as ernors, serving and ERISA specialist. She defense and inducted into successful arbitration of as treasurer. In assists plan sponsors with 1998 Worldwide Registry. various matters in non-U.S. addition, his fiduciary best practices to Patricia Paul is a judge for jurisdictions including peers recently remain compliant with all the Confederated Tribes Peter Schippits is the Sweden and the Bahamas. voted him one legislative and regulatory of Grand Ronde Court of managing director and of Washington’s Top 100 matters with the Depart- Appeals. A member of the market leader for the 1988 Attorneys for the fifth time, ment of Labor, Internal Inupiaq tribe, she is a busi- Colorado region at CBRE. Gregg M. Olson was and he was named a Fel- Revenue Service, and ness and estate-planning appointed district attor- low of the American Bar other governing bodies. lawyer specializing in 2003 ney for Fairbanks, Alaska Foundation. But best of all, land use law and federal Deborah Ann Frederick by Attorney General his beautiful wife, Kara 1997 Indian law. She and her is learning space law. She Craig Richards, effective Masters ’93, has been of Priya Cloutier joined the artist husband, Kevin, live has applied to the LL.M June 1, 2015. counsel at Masters Law Pacific Northwest regional on the Swinomish Reser- in Space and Telecom- Group PLLC for over a year. law firm Schwabe, Wil- vation. She also manages munications Law pro - 1992 liamson & Wyatt, focusing the business end of K. Paul gram at the University Edmund Michael Schwartz was her practice on the pro- Carvings and writes a tra- of Nebraska and hopes to Allen is cel- appointed to the Pierce curement and enforcement ditional-cooking column work in Washington, D.C. ebrating the County Superior Court. of domestic and interna- for a local newspaper. or California.

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LAWYER | fall 2015 31 class notes

2004 Kyle Olive formed a new Kathleen ate attorneys are Nicole Stephanie Robert Allen recently partnership known as Casper was Trask ’12 and Whitney Grassia was took a position as an asso- Olive Bearb Law Group recently Phelps ’13. Upadhyay was promoted to ciate attorney with the PLLC in Seattle in June hired as the named a Rising Star for partner with Law Offices of Harold D. 2015. His firm is dedi- gifted educa- immigration and nationality Helsell Fet- Carr in Lakewood, Wash- cated to serving indi- tion specialist for the state law for 2014 and 2015. terman on Jan. 1, 2015. She ington. He now devotes viduals and families that of Florida. She works with leads Helsell Fetterman’s his time to personal injury have been victims of neg- the 67 Florida school dis- 2008 Insurance Coverage group, law. In 2014 and 2015, he ligence and unreason- trict program coordinators Magdalena where her practice is pri- was awarded Martindale able conduct. to provide resources and Bragun was marily focused on disputes Hubble’s Super Lawyer’s guidance to improve gifted featured on between policyholders and Rising Star award. Regina Paulose pre - education for students. the front page their insurance companies. sented a paper at the of The Seattle Times in Jennifer J. Cave recently University of Maastricht Peter early April. The article Laura Pietan joined Dinsmore and on genocide and refu- Lohnes was about a recent change (Hanson) is Shohl LLP as a partner in gees (pending publica- recently in the federal law that now the deputy its Lexington, Kentucky tion) and will present started a con- enables some of the H-4 city attorney office, practicing envi- again at the University sulting busi- visa holders to work in the for Saint Paul, ronmental and natural of Galway in December ness to combine his acting U.S. She advocated for this Minnesota. Currently she resources law. She has on human rights and and legal skills to coach change in her 2008 Seat- is working to expand pre- been selected as a Super people’s tribunals. attorneys and strengthen tle U Law Review article trial diversion in Saint Lawyers Rising Star in and refine their perfor- entitled “The Golden Paul, both affording jus- environmental law. 2005 mance in oral argument. Cage: How Immigration tice and restoration to Steven Peralta is now the Law Turns Women Into harmed communities and chief operations officer at Aubrey Seffernick was Involuntary Housewives.” victims, while also striv- Healthcare Preparatory elected to partner at ing to reduce collateral Institute in Las Vegas. Miller Nash Graham and Joseph Gordon joined consequences for low-risk, Dunn, LLP effective Jan. Burns White LLC as an non-violent offenders. Julie Seiden- 1, 2015. She is located in associate attorney, litigat- stein w a s the firm’s Seattle office. ing employment law, tort, Dalynne recognized and contract matters, with Singleton is Julie Kline and Jus- by the 2015 2007 an expanding focus on now a sole tin Boland have been Washington Super Law- Daniel J. Oates is a mem- representing companies practitioner married since 2013 and yers publication as a Rising ber of the recent part - in the health care industry. of Singleton Law Group, welcomed their first son, Star in real estate. ner class at Miller Nash Inc. PS. She moved her James, in December 2014. Graham and Dunn, LLP. office to Silverdale, Wash- She is a senior deputy 2006 Effective January 2015, his ington as of June 1, 2015, prosecuting attorney for Joanna Plichta Boisen litigation practice is based and handles personal injury, King County, currently received the King County out of the Seattle office. wrongful death, probate, assigned to the Most Dan- Bar Association’s 2015 and estate planning, and gerous Offender Project. Young Lawyer award and Kripa Upadhyay and Jason Holman and Helen became certified as an He is an associate in the the Washington Young Steve Tanijo have merged Holman ’08 welcomed estate guardian ad litem. Seattle office of Lewis Lawyers Committee’s their respective practices their third child, Adelaide She enjoys traveling and Brisbois Bisgaard and Local Leader Award. She and are now partners at Hope, on May 20, 2015. lifting weights with her Smith practicing in the is president-elect of the Orbit Law, PLLC. The firm She joins brother Duke (3) husband of 36 years, Namon area of civil defense. They law school’s Law Alumni specializes in all areas of and sister Marina (5). They Singleton II. Her family live in Seattle with their Board. immigration and nationality live in Napa, California, includes two grown chil- pug, Hamish. law. Joining them as associ- where they have a family dren & four grandchildren. winery, Holman Cellars.

32 LAWYER | fall 2015 Stay up to date! Submit your class note online: www.law.seattleu.edu/classnotes

Chris Kat- Chowdhary Nathan, on in addition to helping per- ing primarily on chil- tenhorn is Sept. 11, 2014. He joins big manent residents preserve dren’s mental health. She a partner at sister Sonal. their status in this country and her husband, Justin Cowan Kirk and become naturalized Hanson, welcomed their Kattenhorn, Rachel Luke joined Per- citizens. first son, Blake Archer, in a boutique law firm spe- kins Coie as a discovery Angeline Thomas and August 2014. cializing in misdemeanor attorney. Leah Fisher Stephan Thomas wel- criminal defense. His is an associ- comed their son, Xavier Camilo M. Ortiz has been areas of expertise include Christopher E. Warner ate at Hanft Elijah, into their family appointed assistant dean criminal traffic violations, has joined Michael Best & Fride, a pro- on April 2, 2015. of admissions at Brandeis such as DUI and reckless Friedrich LLP’s Salt Lake fessional School of Law at the Uni- driving, as well as assault City office as a member of association 2012 versity of Louisville. and domestic violence the firm’s growing ven- of attorneys in Duluth, Brian related charges. ture capital practice group, Minnesota. She primarily Edwards Corey J. Venture Best. practices in the area of joined Pivotal Wlodarczyk Mishkin family law, representing Law Group in started his Santa was individuals in a broad June as of counsel. own San appointed range of matters, includ- Diego crimi- partner at ing divorce, custody, Cody For- nal defense practice, CJW his firm, Five parenting time, child gey has Defense, in May 2014. Stone Tax Advisers, in May support, adoption, and joined Ernst 2015. In this role, he over- other general family mat- & Young’s Lola Zakha- sees several lines of business ters. She volunteers with national tax rova w a s including tax compliance, the Volunteer Attorney office in Washington, featured in tax planning and legal advi- Program. D.C., as a senior associ- the Bellevue- sory services, accounting ate focusing primarily on based Rus- services, tax controversy, Ben Robinson was pro- the taxation of mergers, sian language newspaper, and international tax. moted to the rank of lieu- acquisitions, and buyouts. Perspective. Covered in Evan Williams married tenant commander in the the article was her journey 2009 Amanda McNeil on June U.S. Coast Guard on July Scott Kim- from her native Uzbeki- Steven R. Blair joined the 5, 2015, in Columbus, 1, 2015. He is currently berly opened stan to the U.S., her studies Pacific Northwest regional Ohio. They both serve as assigned to the Marine his own law at SU Law and subsequent law firm Schwabe, Wil- captains in the U.S. Army Safety Unit in Portland, office on the legal career, and her family. liamson & Wyatt. His prac- Judge Advocate General’s Oregon, as the chief of the Historic Pub- tice focuses on U.S. and Corps at Ft. Belvoir, Vir- investigations division. lic Square in Murfrees- 2013 foreign computer science ginia. boro, Tennessee in March Bree Black Horse has matters, including pat- Pavel Stepa- 2015. His solo practice completed a one-year ent procurement, patent 2011 nov is a man- focuses primarily in clerkship with U.S. Dis- infringement litigation, IP Akshat Divatia joined aging broker criminal defense, family trict Judge Brian M. licensing, audits, infringe- Bellevue-based Desh and princi- law, and personal injury. Morris in the District of ment and freedom to oper- International & Business pal of Nexus He and his wife, Allison, Montana and joined the ate opinions, copyright Law in July 2015 as senior Group at Force Realty in live in Murfreesboro with Seattle law firm Galanda registration, and strategic counsel and director of Seattle. He specializes in their son, Henry, and Broadman, PLLC as IP portfolio management. immigration practice. He residential purchase and newborn daughter. an associate. Galanda represents businesses and sale of real property with Broadman is an Ameri- Jaspreet Chowdhary individuals in a wide vari- an emphasis in Seattle Joan Miller joined the can Indian-owned law and Anil Nathan wel- ety of nonimmigrant and and on the Eastside. Washington Community firm dedicated to advanc- comed their son, Suresh immigrant visa matters, Mental Health Council ing tribal legal rights and as a policy analyst focus- Indian business interests.

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LAWYER | fall 2015 33 class notes

Nathan Rouse LL.M. in taxation at the in memoriam was selected University of Washington for a clerkship on June 7, 2015. with the Hon- 1976 orable Dolores Ryan Dyer joined Cozen Terry Lammers, of Santa Barbara, service, he retired at the rank of com- K. Sloviter of the U.S. Third O’Connor as part of their California passed away on Oct. 6, mander. Always an eager learner, he Circuit Court of Appeals in global insurance depart- 2014. After graduation he returned then received his J.D., which launched Philadelphia, Pennsylva- ment. home to Santa Barbara to establish his second career. He practiced law in nia. Prior to clerking, he a general law practice. He continued Port Orchard, Washington, for over 30 worked for Davis Wright Michael J. practicing law until his untimely years. He loved movies, live theater, Tremaine in Seattle as Royse joined death. He served as president of the barbershop quartets, and magicians. a commercial litigation Eisenhower “Children in the Middle” program, associate, where he plans Carlson, a mandated program for individuals 1992 to return in the fall of 2016. PLLC, as an involved in custody proceedings. A Shelley Kerslake passed away on associate. His practice sports enthusiast throughout his life, July 13, 2014 in Tacoma after a battle Tobin Standley has focuses on commercial he made an astonishing seven holes- with colon cancer. A 1987 gradu- joined Taub and Associ- transactions including in-one in his lifetime. ate from Wilson High School, she ates in Tacoma where he incorporation, business attended the University of Washing- handles family law cases acquisitions and sales, 1980 ton and then pursued her law degree in Pierce County. buy-sell agreements, Peter Percival passed away on April at the University of Puget Sound secured transactions, real 3, 2015 in Des Moines, Iowa. He prac- School of Law, graduating with hon- Chris Van Vechten estate matters, and com- ticed law in Des Moines for a number ors. She began her legal career as an recently celebrated the mercial lending. of years followed by a long and pro- assistant city attorney for the City of first anniversary of his solo ductive career at Wells Fargo Bank. Tacoma where she worked until 2003, criminal defense prac- Holly Sprague, a former He joined Syverson & Strege as an when she joined the Kenyon Disend tice. His first law office in intern for the Center for investment advisor and after several law firm. She was named partner in Freighthouse Square in Indian Law and Policy, years formed his own firm, Nth Degree 2007. She enjoyed traveling with her Tacoma was across from an has taken a full-time posi- Financial, LLC. At the age of 47, he husband, Dennis, and her son, Ian. unlicensed medical mari- tion as director of trust decided that in order to improve his Culinary considerations often influ- juana dispensary and above services for the Muckle- golf handicap, he should take up enced the destination. the Pierce County Asylum shoot Indian Tribe. She running and ran his first marathon Haunted House. After a will oversee leasing, sales, at the age of 49. Within a year’s time, 1996 year of writing 3.5 motions and gifts of allotted trust he competed in the Boston Marathon Ann Marie Montgomery Schwartz while periodic screams and lands in addition to serving and went on to compete in a dozen died unexpectedly at her home on chainsaws hummed below as Muckleshoot’s primary marathons around the United States June 10, 2015 in Federal Way, Washing- him, he has moved to a contact for the Office of and in Canada. ton. She graduated with honors from downtown Tacoma loca- the Special Trustee for the University of Washington in 1993 tion, and is much happier. American Indians and the 1982 and, in 1996, received her J.D. magna He and his wife, Jen, are Bureau of Indian Affairs. Sam Fleshman, a longtime resident cum laude. She was associate editor expecting their first child of Tacoma, passed away Nov. 22, 2014 of the Law Review. In her profession in December. Mathew Teagarden after a brief battle with cancer. He as a defense attorney, she championed earned his LL.M in tax was born in Charleston, West Virginia cases for battered women, tried class 2014 from New York University. and achieved a bachelor’s degree in action suits, and successfully litigated Ciavash Amiri, Tony management engineering from Rens- a murder case in the Ninth Circuit Gonzalez, Kwan Law, selaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, Court of Appeals. She is survived by and Isaac Shin success- New York. In June 1956, he was com- her mother, brother, and the pride of fully completed their missioned as an ensign in the United her life, her son Jackson. States Navy. After 24 years of military

34 LAWYER | fall 2015 Keep us informed: www.law.seattleu.edu/classnotes Join us for mass, the reception, or both as we honor the contributions of our alumni, the bench, bar and our legal community. wednesday, September 30, 2015

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S eptember 10 - 11 October 2 October 30 N ovember 19 7th Annual Domestic Violence CLE: New Rules and Good Tools: CLE: Beyond Boilerplate: New Influential Voices: Professor Lori Symposium Building Your Civil Procedure Strategies for Drafting Win-Win Bannai Book Release and Talk Toolbox Contracts September 15 December 18 Low Bono Brown Bag CLE October 2 November 3 CLE: Ethics with Professors Series: Different Billable Models CLE: Lessons from the Law Influential Voices: Michele Strait & Boerner Practice of Abraham Lincoln Brachter Goodwin September 17 December 18 Constitution Day October 9 November 13 Baccalaureate and Graduation CLE: Supreme Court Watch CLE: 3rd Annual NW Cannabis Reception September 18 Law Conference CLE: Legal Project Management October 9 – 17 December 19 Civility CLE Seminar in Italy November 17 Winter Commencement September 30 Low Bono Brown Bag CLE Series: Red Mass and Reception October 20 Google-liscious Technology with Low Bono Brown Bag Charity Anastasio CLE Series: Ethics and Professionalism

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