Lawyer Magazine, Spring 2023

LAWYER

MOVE FAST AND BREAK BUILD THINGS

SEATTLE U LAW PREPARES LAWYERS FOR OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES IN TECHNOLOGY SECTOR

ALL TOGETHER NOW

The law school’s 50th Anniversary Picnic, held at Titlow Park in Tacoma in September, culminated in a group singalong with members of Func Pro Tunc, a band led by Professor Emerita Lisa Brodoff (far right). Singer Linda Rough holds the microphone for Dean Anthony E. Varona (le ) while Dean Emeritus Annette Clark ’89 (center) and 50th Anniversary kickoff co-chairs Matthew Etter ’12 and Erin Fullner join in. (Photo by Mel Ponder)

DEAN'S PERSPECTIVE

When this magazine hits your mailboxes, our May Commencement Ceremony will be just around the corner, and we will soon bring to a close this law school’s 50th academic year and my first school year as your dean. What a year it has been! My expectations were high, and still they were exceeded.

The year started with a delightful celebration in Tacoma, truly a trip down memory lane for many of us, since the law school was founded there. Our South Sound alumni are an accomplished and admirable group of lawyers, and we’re proud of their contributions to the community. In fact, I attended the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association’s Lincoln Day Awards Banquet in February and was thrilled to see our alumni not only organizing the event with aplomb, but also taking home almost every honor.

As we turn the calendar to the next 50 years, we have so much to look forward to. Our determination to educate the very best lawyers serving our region’s tremendous tech sector reached fruition with the creation of our Technology, Innovation Law, and Ethics program, which you can read more about on page 16.

I interviewed Amazon General Counsel David Zapolsky in October as part of my newly launched Dean’s Luminaries in Law Lecture and Conversation Series (page 8) and was so pleased to hear him describe how vital lawyers are to the innovative work at Amazon, as well as in the larger community through their significant pro bono e orts.

Another noteworthy Luminaries in Law guest was our own alumnus Jeff Farrah ’07, executive director of the Autonomous Vehicle

Industry Association, who shared a fascinating vision of the future of transportation without human drivers.

Seattle’s stature as a hub for tech giants as well as disruptive startups has enormous appeal across the globe, which is why I was thrilled to enact exciting new partnerships with universities in India and traveled there with Seattle University President Eduardo Peñalver and other top administrators in December (page 6). These programs, along with our new Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD), will truly make Seattle U Law a top destination worldwide for legal education.

In fact, we’re already recognized as a leader in international law by The National Jurist, thanks not only to our recent e orts but also to years of courageous advocacy, scholarship, and pathbreaking education from our stellar faculty.

If you follow me or the law school on social media, you might know much of this good news already. You might also know that I decided to suspend the law school’s participation in the U.S. News & World Report rankings this year. Virtually all alumni who have contacted me have applauded the move. The ranking system doesn’t adequately reflect our core values as an institution (page 10), and we welcome the ongoing national conversation about how diversity, opportunity, community engagement, and social justice are indispensable for law schools as well as the entire legal profession.

Lastly, I call your attention to the outstanding new scholars who join our faculty this summer (page 12). We were one of the most successful law schools on the hiring market this year, to have such renowned thinkers, teachers, and scholars join our ranks. They will expand our expertise in areas of critical race theory, labor law, tax law, and legal writing.

I wish you all a pleasant and relaxing summer. Remember to connect with me on social media (@tvarona on Facebook, @TonyVarona on Twitter, @Tony.Varona on Instagram) if you haven’t already, so I can celebrate you and your good news!

Warmly, Anthony E. Varona, JD, LLM Dean and Professor of Law

LAWYER

A MAGAZINE OF SEATTLE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW / SPRING 2023

Claudine Benmar EDITOR/WRITER

Neil Griffith DESIGNER

David Sandler DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

DEAN’S EXECUTIVE CABINET

Anthony E. Varona DEAN AND PROFESSOR OF LAW

Deborah Ahrens

VICE DEAN FOR INTELLECTUAL LIFE AND PROFESSOR OF LAW

Steven Bender

ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR PLANNING AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND PROFESSOR OF LAW

Richard Bird

ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

Kristin DiBiase

ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR STUDENT LIFE, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

Erin Fullner

ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

Paul Holland

ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF LAW

Sital Kalantry

ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR INTERNATIONAL AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF LAW

Andrew Siegel

VICE DEAN FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND WILLIAM C. OLTMAN PROFESSOR OF TEACHING EXCELLENCE

GOING GLOBAL

Dean Varona launches e ort to internationalize Seattle U Law

BY DAVID SANDLER

As he began his deanship last summer, Anthony E. Varona articulated an ambitious vision: to transform Seattle University School of Law into a global institution – one known for its quality both domestically and internationally. That Varona considers this achievable is tied to two built-in advantages.

First, Seattle U Law is strategically located in the heart of a city known as a world capital of technology and innovation, home to global companies such as Amazon, Starbucks, Microsoft, and Boeing, among many others. And second, the law school has a strong foundation in international law, with multiple courses, an LLM program that attracts foreign students, a Germany exchange program, a highly

regarded international human rights clinic, and a deep roster of talented international law faculty.

The effort to internationalize the law school has two primary components: create courses, programs, and opportunities for domestic students to gain knowledge and expertise in international law, and grow and develop programs that will attract foreign students to the law school, primarily for the purpose of qualifying to sit for licensing exams in certain U.S. states.

Varona’s vision is in service to valuable educational goals; namely, the law students of today and tomorrow need a broader knowledge base than ever before. “In a more globalized, more connected world, it

is becoming increasingly the case that no matter where our students end up practicing, they are more likely to come across issues in foreign or international law,” said Professor Ron Slye, who has decades of experience in the field.

“I want our law school to become a convening space for students and faculty from around the world,” Varona added. “Our domestic students benefit from exposure to di erent legal ideas and frameworks, while foreign students can use the worldclass legal education they will receive to create better futures for themselves, either here in the U.S. or in their home countries.” A multilingual Cuban immigrant and naturalized American citizen, Varona is

(Le ) Seattle University President Eduardo Peñalver (le ) and Dean Anthony E. Varona sign a memorandum of understanding with Vice Chancellor Anubha Singh of Alliance University in Bengaluru, India. Peñalver and Varona were part of a Seattle U delegation that traveled to India in December to forge connections with law schools and universities that will create international learning opportunities for students.

(Right) A.S. Ganesan, chancellor of Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation, a university in India, presents Dean Anthony E. Varona with a gi to mark the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Seattle University.

emblematic of professionals, legal or otherwise, who comfortably straddle di erent nations, languages, and cultures.

To help achieve this vision, Varona tapped Associate Professor Sital Kalantry to fill a newly created position as associate dean for international and graduate programs. She brings a wealth of experience developing successful international legal programs, primarily in India, during her tenure at Cornell Law School. In addition to her teaching and administrative roles, Kalantry also founded the India Center for Law and Justice, which works with law schools across India to promote legal education and mentor emerging scholars.

A cornerstone of international growth is to expand the Master of Laws (LLM) degree, with options in Technology and Innovation and in American Legal Studies. Designed for foreign-trained lawyers, the program has only enrolled a few students each year since its inception. Kalantry has been working intensely to improve this outcome.

“What we are trying to do is reach prospective students in a strategic way,” she said. “Our location in Seattle, and our proximity to well-known tech companies, is a powerful draw for overseas law students.”

After working as an attorney in India for more than 10 years, Nidhi Mudgal enrolled in the Tech LLM program to advance her career and practice law in the U.S. “I was happy with my work, but I wanted to challenge myself. I want to work as a lawyer in the tech industry, but it’s di cult to make that switch. I hope to use this degree as my springboard to a new direction in my career,” she said.

The decision to focus on India first was a logical choice given Kalantry’s experience. E orts to reach prospective students include implementing targeted digital marketing and forging relationships with law schools across the subcontinent.

In September, Varona signed an agreement with O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), one of India’s most prestigious higher education institutions. A new pathway program will allow students at Jindal’s law school to pursue an LLM degree at Seattle U Law while they finish the final year of their undergraduate education. Reciprocally, select Seattle U Law students will participate in a weeklong India Immersion Program each spring that will include lectures, workshops, study tours to legal and other public institutions, and cultural visits during a trip to India.

“ What we are trying to do is reach prospective students in a strategic way,” Kalantry said. “Our location in Seattle, and our proximity to wellknown tech companies, is a powerful draw for overseas law students. ”

Professor C. Raj Kumar, founding vice chancellor of JGU and founding dean of its law school, applauded the collaboration. “Partnerships like this one will help build young professionals who are ready to take up global challenges,” he said.

In March, Kalantry led a group of her students on the first of these immersion visits. “This program has been one of the highlights of my law school career,” 3L student Julia Doherty said. “Not only have I gotten the opportunity to learn about the workings of another legal system up close, but I have been able to build relationships with my peers on the other side of the globe. This will enhance my career for decades to come.”

This past December, Varona embarked on a whirlwind tour of India with Seattle University President Eduardo Peñalver

and other university leaders to cultivate additional connections, resulting in memoranda of understanding signed with several universities and law schools in India, including RV University School of Law in Bengaluru (Bangalore), located in central India.

“The trip was an amazing success,” Varona said. “We had many conversations with prospective students, scholars, and legal education administrators throughout India. There was significant excitement about Seattle University because of our Jesuit Catholic mission and because we are in the heart of Seattle.”

More recently, in March, Varona received word that the American Bar Association greenlighted the law school’s new Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) program, which he identified as a need. The program, designed primarily for foreign students who desire a research degree to teach law or serve as judges in other countries, will enroll its first students this fall.

Early results have been promising. Inquiries and applications for the LLM program are up. The flurry of new initiatives has attracted the notice of National Jurist/preLaw magazine, which awarded the law school an A in international law this year. As current programs expand and new programs are added, the plan is to reach students in additional regions and countries.

“That our recent efforts at internationalization, building upon our longstanding strengths, have already attracted favorable notice is very encouraging,” Varona said. “The future of law knows no borders, and I am delighted that Seattle U Law will be a leader in global legal education.”

NEW LECTURE SERIES FEATURES LEADING THINKERS IN LAW, BUSINESS, AND GOVERNMENT

Dean Anthony E. Varona launched the Dean’s Luminaries in Law Lecture & Conversation Series in September, bringing nationally and internationally prominent lawyers to campus from private practice, government, public interest, and legal education to discuss their careers, share their bold ideas, and map out the future of law.

The series opened with Professor Tanya K. Hernández of Fordham University discussing her book, “Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality.” Other speakers

included David Zapolsky, general counsel of Amazon; Fernando Laguarda, general counsel of Americorps; Zabrina Jenkins, executive vice president and general counsel of Starbucks; Je Farrah ’07, executive director of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association; and Professor Dorothy Roberts of University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

The events have been well-attended, featuring thoughtful questions moderated by Varona. Many guests spoke directly to law students in the audience, o ering valuable guidance in their careers ahead.

“We need people who can write. We’re a very narrative-driven culture,” Zapolsky said, describing Amazon’s tradition of six-page memos for making decisions. “A well-written six pager can provide everybody with much more of a grounding in the problem and put everyone at an even knowledge level.”

All Luminaries in Law events are open to the Seattle U Law community and are live streamed online. Watch the law school’s online calendar for future programs.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DECEMBER 2022 GRADUATES!

Ashley O’Connor McCready ’22 blows a kiss to her cheering family in the audience after receiving her hood from Professors Paul Holland (left) and Deborah Ahrens at the law school’s 2022 December Commencement Ceremony. Held in Pigott Auditorium, the ceremony celebrated 43 graduates receiving JD, MLS, and LLM degrees. Congratulations to the law school’s newest group of alumni!

Find more commencement photos at flickr.com/photos/sulaw.

Dean Anthony E. Varona (le ) with Amazon General Counsel David Zapolsky

INCUBATOR PROGRAMS HELPS ALUMNI LAUNCH LAW PRACTICES

Five recent graduates were selected to participate in the 2023 Incubator Program, which provides a year of structured learning sessions with experienced attorneys, peer support and encouragement, office space if needed, and coaching from Program Director Stan Perkins ’85. In turn, the attorneys commit to serving low- and moderate-income clients as part of their practice.

Members of the 2023 cohort are Kyle Berti ’20, Shanece Dedeaux ’20, Timera Drake ’19, Ashley George ’20, and Maria Therese Greene ’16.

“I graduated in May of 2020, during the height of COVID, and networking was nearly impossible. Zoom ‘co ee dates’ just didn’t provide the

level of connection I needed as a brand-new attorney,” George said. “I am really looking forward to the mentorship aspect from developed attorneys as well as the camaraderie with other new attorneys in the program.”

Perkins said the current group of attorneys, who cover several practice areas, are all dedicated to providing services to clients of moderate means, which is a central feature of the Incubator Program.

“I feel proud thinking about how many attorneys and mentors have participated in the Incubator Program and knowing they continue to contribute to their communities in meaningful ways even after the program,” he said.

LAW SCHOOL DOMINATES SUPER LAWYERS LIST

Seattle University School of Law has the highest number of alumni selectedas Super Lawyers or Rising Stars of any law school in the Pacific Northwest.

“I am thrilled that our exceptionally talented alumni rank #1 in the Pacific Northwest in the prestigious Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists,” said Anthony E. Varona, dean and professor of law. “Having come to know that our graduates are leaders in law who are champions of excellence, innovation, public service, and exceptional results for their clients, I am not surprised that Seattle University produces the most well-respected and successful attorneys in our region.”

As of 2022, Seattle U Law had a total of 1,133 alumni on the two lists of honorees, based on an online database from 2003 to the present day.

The two lists, published annually for each state, are developed by Thomson Reuters based on 12 indicators of professional achievement and peer recognition in a process that involves nominations, independent research, and peer evaluations.

No more than 5 percent of a state’s lawyers are selected as Super Lawyers, and 2.5 percent are selected as Rising Stars (lawyers who are 40 or younger, or in practice for fewer than 10 years). The selection represents all sizes of law firms and more than 70 practice areas, including business/corporate law, estate planning, and legal aid.

The Washington issue of Super Lawyers magazine for 2022 features alumna Kay Frank ’84 (far le ) on its cover as one of six attorneys whose names have been on the list every year since it was first published 25 years ago.

Ashley George ’20

ARCHIE ROUNDTREE, JR. ’18 EARNS SEATTLE U ALUMNI AWARD

Law school graduate Archie Roundtree, Jr. ’18 received the Outstanding Recent Alumnus award from the Seattle U Alumni Association for his achievements in the five years since he graduated.

Roundtree used his law degree to serve underprivileged communities in Los Angeles County at Bet Tzedek Legal Services as an Equal Justice Works Fellow for two years. He also simultaneously served as a Shriver Center: Racial Justice Institute Fellow.

In his current role at Justice in Aging, Roundtree works to advance equity for low-income older adults while pursuing systemic change in law and policy. Additionally, Roundtree lends his time with underserved communities that have limited access to legal advice.

He has long been a mentor to students, guiding them through educational and career choices and advising them on legal and financial literacy. He has also shared his elder law expertise as a speaker at local, regional, and national conferences.

Roundtree also stays connected with the university as a member of the School of Law Alumni Board.

SEATTLE U LAW SUSPENDS PARTICIPATION IN U.S. NEWS LAW SCHOOL RANKINGS

Dean Anthony E. Varona announced in January that Seattle University School of Law will suspend its participation in the U.S. News and World Report annual ranking of law schools.

Echoing concerns from other leaders in legal education, Varona said the ranking system does not adequately reflect Seattle University’s core values. The rankings also fail to consider many other areas crucial to law school performance.

“Throughout our distinguished 50-year history, Seattle U Law has been defined by our overlapping commitments to excellence, diversity, opportunity, community engagement, and social justice. None of these core values are adequately reflected in the current ranking criteria, even as recently amended by U.S. News editors,” Varona wrote in an open letter to the community.

“As I and many others have long argued, crucial aspects of the ranking criteria actively disadvantage schools with these commitments, particularly those — like us — who value diversity as a central and indispensable component of our educational mission.”

All three law schools in the state of Washington have suspended participation in the rankings.

Archie Roundtree, Jr. ‘18

The Washington Supreme Court visited Seattle University School of Law in February, providing the campus community and the public with an opportunity to see the court up close, in action, in real time. The visit is part of the Traveling Court outreach program in which justices travel to communities around the state.

The court heard oral arguments on cases that pertain to sexual assault on college campuses; whether a criminal defendant accused of the most serious crimes can be held without bail; and if

Chief Justice Steven C. González answers questions from law students while Dean Anthony E. Varona and Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud listen.

Gov. Jay Inslee’s residential eviction moratorium exceeded his emergency authority during the pandemic.

While on campus, justices also visited classes and held a conversational forum moderated by Dean Anthony E. Varona. Students also had several opportunities to hear from the court’s clerks about the work of assisting the justices in legal writing and research.

Two Seattle U Law alumni sit on the court, which is known as the most diverse high court – state and federal – in the

NEW SCHOLARSHIPS HONOR RETIRED PROFESSORS

Seattle U Law will offer two new scholarships in honor of professors who retired in recent years – the Lisa E. Brodo Endowed Scholarship and the Laurel Currie Oates ’78 Endowed Legal Writing Scholarship.

Brodo served as director of the Ronald A. Peterson Law Clinic before retiring in 2022. Intended for students with disabilities who have financial need, the Lisa E. Brodo Scholarship is the first Seattle U Law scholarship award aimed at centering disability justice and increasing the number of people with disabilities in the legal profession.

Oates co-founded the law school’s renowned Legal Writing Program in 1982 and retired in 2021 after nearly four decades of teaching. The scholarship will be awarded to rising 2Ls with the best fourth memo during their 1L year and is a recognition of the importance of legal research and writing to a student’s core skill set as a future lawyer.

To support either of these new scholarships, visit law. seattleu.edu/giving.

WASHINGTON SUPREME COURT HEARS CASES AT SEATTLE U PROFESSOR NAMED FREEDOM SCHOLAR

country: Associate Chief Justice Charles Johnson ’76, and Justice G. Helen Whitener ’98.

“The court leads the nation not only in its unprecedented diversity but also in its pathbreaking civil rights and criminal justice decisions,” Varona said. “It is no wonder that the court is celebrated nationally as well as internationally for its forward-looking and innovative jurisprudence.”

Professor Dean Spade, who focuses on movements for queer and trans liberation and racial and economic justice, including historical and contemporary resistance practices, earned a 2022 Freedom Scholar award from the Marguerite Casey Foundation.

The award, bestowed to 10 scholars last year, provides a one-time grant of $250,000 to support a scholar’s work however each recipient sees fit.

In accepting the award, Spade explained that his work aims to identify and dismantle systems that harm marginalized people.

Spade, who also serves as Seattle U’s Wismer Professor for Gender and Diversity, was featured in November as part of the O ce of Diversity and Inclusion’s Red Talks lecture series (pictured above), where he spoke about the concept of mutual aid as an important way communities support each other and build lasting structural and political change.

LAW SCHOOL WELCOMES FIVE NEW TEACHER-SCHOLARS TO CAREER FACULTY

Five outstanding legal scholars and engaging educators will join Seattle University School of Law’s faculty this year, possessing a range of expertise in disciplines from tax law to legal writing.

BY CLAUDINE BENMAR

Five outstanding legal scholars and engaging educators will join Seattle University School of Law’s faculty this summer, possessing a range of expertise in disciplines from tax law to legal writing.

In welcoming the new tenure-track professors, Dean Anthony E. Varona said that the appointments committee succeeded in its goal to find and attract top faculty prospects.

“We recruited a large, richly diverse, and brilliant group of new tenure-line professors, brimming with potential,” Varona said. “They very much appreciate our precious mission and will, together with the rest of our community, take Seattle U Law to unprecedented heights of achievement.”

The new professors are Erin Carr (legal writing), Jeremiah Chin (constitutional law), Elizabeth Ford (clinical), Kip Hustace (civil procedure), and Luke Maher (tax law).

Erin Carr is a familiar face at Seattle U Law, having joined the faculty in 2022 as a visiting professor. She teaches and writes in the areas of educational inequality, juvenile and criminal (in)justice, power and privilege, constitutional law, and legal research and writing.

“The school’s commitment to cultivating a caring and truly democratic learning community extends beyond mere platitudes. Rigorous standards are combined with a supportive academic environment that engenders enriching dialogue and critical thinking,” she

said. “I am extraordinarily fortunate to be able to call Seattle U Law my professional home.”

Carr earned her bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from the University of Florida and joint JD/MA degrees from Florida State University. Early in her career, she practiced public interest law as senior program attorney for Florida’s guardian ad litem program and as an attorney for the Florida O ce of the Attorney General’s O ce of Complex Civil Litigation.

After making the switch to academia, she taught at Gonzaga University School of Law (where she was recognized as Teacher of the Year), Mitchell Hamline School of Law, and Northeastern University.

Carr’s scholarship has been published in

Erin Carr

Jeremiah Chin

Elizabeth Ford

the Georgetown Journal of Law & Modern Critical Race Perspectives, UC Davis International A airs Journal, and the Touro Law Journal of Race, Gender, and Ethnicity. Her writing has also appeared in several mainstream media outlets, including The Seattle Times and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Jeremiah Chin comes to Seattle fresh from the publication of “The School-Prison Trust” (University of Minnesota Press), a 2022 book he co-authored with Sabina Vaught and Bryan Brayboy. The well-received work examines Black and indigenous resistance to the use of boarding schools and incarceration as a means of colonial conquest.

Chin currently teaches in the Academic Enrichment Program at Boston University School of Law, and previously taught civil procedure, constitutional law, federal Indian law, and race and the law at St. Thomas University College of Law.

His renowned research focuses on power and belonging, emphasizing the relationships between law and social sciences in constructions of race and indigeneity. His articles have appeared in Contexts, University of Nevada Law Review, University of Illinois Chicago (John Marshall) Law Review, and California Western Law Review. He has two forthcoming articles:“Antimatters: The Curious Case of Confederate Monuments” in Boston University Law Review, and “Modern Authorities: For Jurists who have considered social science when doctrine was not enough”in the Alabama Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law Review.

Chin earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Utah, then went on to receive not only his JD but also a master’s degree and PhD in justice studies from Arizona State University.

Elizabeth Ford has been a liated with the law school since 2005 as a visiting assistant professor and distinguished practitioner in residence, teaching courses such as dispute resolution, labor law, and legal writing. She will continue to teach in the law school’s nationally renowned Ronald A. Peterson Law Clinic and to direct the Workers’ Rights Clinic.

“I’m excited to continue my teaching and scholarship in the Seattle U Law community and to be a part of this incredible cohort of thinkers, teachers, and advocates for justice,” Ford said.

Ford earned her bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College and her JD from Northeastern University School of Law. In private practice for 25 years, she represented unions and individual employees. She also served as chief counsel for the Washington State Nurses Association and the Director of Labor Relations for King County. In 2015, she founded the Fair Work Center Legal Clinic, a nonprofit legal services o ce which operates in collaboration with the law clinic to provide representation to low-wage workers.

Her scholarship focuses on workplace minimum standards, labor negotiations, and clinical teaching. Her latest article, “Wage Recovery Funds,” was published in the California Law Review. Her article on externship pedagogy appeared in the Clinical Law Review.

Kip Hustace is currently a visiting professor at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, teaching professional responsibility and education law. He earned both a bachelor’s degree and a JD from Stanford University, and an LLM from University of Washington School of Law.

“I was drawn to Seattle U for its mission in advancing justice and its faculty, whose

humane and insightful work I have long admired,” Hustace said.

For three years, he served as sta attorney at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund in Los Angeles, where he litigated three major cases having to do with voting and education rights, including a case that resulted in a historic settlement against a school district forced to change its discriminatory discipline practices.

Most recently published in the William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal, Hustace’s scholarship studies the relationships between education, democratic accountability, and social movements, with an eye toward how constitutional and civil procedures a ect legal change. His research is particularly focused on the experiences of indigenous Americans and Hawaiians, (dis)abled persons, and other groups reinforcing democracy and pursuing justice in Indian Country and the American West and borderlands.

Luke Maher is a senior tax associate at an international law firm in Chicago. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College and a JD from Yale Law School, where he served as a teaching assistant in constitutional law and a teaching fellow in undergraduate courses.

“I’m extremely grateful to be joining a community that is dedicated to the thoughtful pursuit of justice,” Maher said. “The professors, sta , and students at Seattle University School of Law have created an environment that is inclusive, rigorous, and stimulating, and I look forward to working side by side with them starting this fall.”

Maher’s research focuses on taxation, and he has written about topics including the viability of reparations for slavery and Jim Crow laws through a system of tax expenditures and estate taxation issues relating to art and other culturally significant properties. Maher will teach courses on tax law.

Maher has significant pro bono experience with asylum and immigration cases, as well as protections for victims of gender-based violence. He has also been actively involved in LGBT a nity groups throughout his career.

Kip Hustace

Luke Maher

OUT & ABOUT

Highlights from recent events

A. Angela Rye ’05, political strategist and media commentator, o ers inspiring remarks on the power of personal transformation as the keynote speaker for the 30th annual Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) Auction. The event raised $240,000 (net) to provide law students with grants when they take unpaid summer internships at nonprofit organizations. Rye also announced a personal gift of $6,000 each year for Black law students who participate in PILF.

B. King County Superior Court judges (left to right) Aimee Sutton, David Whedbee, Sean O’Donnell ‘01, and David Keenan ‘08 gather for the procession to the Chapel of St. Ignatius for Red Mass in October.

C. Jana E. Matthews, associate director of professional development; Imran Malik ’13, assistant director of the Bar Studies Program; and Dominic Woolery ’19, assistant director of the Academic Resource Center, wait to welcome and congratulate graduates at the Tacoma Convention Center on the last day of the February bar exam.

D. Aaron J. Dickinson ‘20, a business attorney at Perkins Coie LLP, adjunct professor, and U.S. Army veteran, addresses the law school community at the Veterans Day Reception in November. He said military service instills a “here I am, send me” mindset that translates well to the legal profession

E. Second-year student Brenna Pink Pampena selects two new professional dresses at the Center for Professional Development’s annual Pop-up Shop in December. The event provides styling advice and free clothing for law students as they prepare for job and internship interviews.

F. The law school’s ninth dean, Anthony E. Varona, celebrates with friends and colleagues at his o cial installation ceremony in November. Speakers praised Varona’s dedication to the law school’s mission and enthusiasm for the work ahead.

G. Martha Ridgway (left) and Haley Westman pause for a moment of levity before facing o in the final round of the 2022 James E. Bond Moot Court Competition. Ridgway took first place and Westman was the runner-up.

H. Second-year law student Ryland Mahre reaches the highest branches of the law school’s Christmas tree as students, faculty, and sta gathered to hang ornaments in late November.

I. Fr. John Topel, S.J. (center) reacts to joyful memories shared by speakers at his retirement celebration in March. Topel is a longtime faculty member and administrator at Seattle University who most recently served as Jesuit adviser to Dean Anthony E. Varona of the law school.

J. Current deans and dean aspirants from around the country gather for a group photo at the 11th Annual Promoting Diversity in Law School Leadership Workshop, held at Seattle U Law in September and co-hosted by Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.

MOVE FAST AND BREAK BUILD THINGS

SEATTLE U LAW PREPARES LAWYERS FOR OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES IN THE TECHNOLOGY SECTOR

BY CLAUDINE BENMAR

WhenMark Zuckerberg founded Facebook in 2004, he coined a phrase that became the uno cial motto for not only his company, but the technology industry in general – move fast and break things.

In other words, a lawyer’s worst nightmare.

As the industry has grown and matured, so has that philosophy. The pace is still speedy, but there is increased appreciation for what’s worth breaking and what isn’t. Lawyers have become an important way tech companies identify smart risks, and Seattle University School of Law’s curriculum has evolved in recent years to prepare graduates for both the pace and mindset of working in tech.

“Our goal is to situate lawyers within the promise and opportunity of technology but also give them an awareness of the potential ethical shortcomings in those business models,” said Professor Steven Bender, one of the two faculty co-directors of the law school’s program on Technology, Innovation Law, and Ethics (TILE), a new marquee initiative launched by Dean Anthony E. Varona.

Professor Margaret Chon, who co-directs the TILE program with Bender, said legal uncertainty makes lawyers even more crucial: “Lawyers are

pivotal in counseling companies toward good business decisions that are also soundly based in legal principles and ethical norms, even when the law is still running to catch up with the technology.”

Along with Professor Steve Tapia, distinguished practitioner in residence, Bender directs the Summer Institute for Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, a collection of four courses that help students understand what the tech industry needs from lawyers, and how to provide it. The courses cover artificial intelligence, the role of in-house counsel, and how to advise start-ups. But the program’s anchor is a weeklong immersion course, originally developed by Bender, Chon, and Tapia in 2015. The course features case studies and visits from attorneys at companies and nonprofits like the Allen Institute, Expedia, and T-Mobile, as well as small and emerging startups.

“Seattle is a growth market for attorneys that can help these companies,” Tapia said. “As all these companies mature beyond startup stage and initial public o erings, they need the assistance of more and more finance and legal professionals to manage their intellectual property portfolios, risk management programs, securities regulatory compliance, and corporate structure.”

The law school also offers a Master of Legal Studies (MLS), a Master of Laws (LLM) in technology and innovation, and a newly approved Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) degree. Students can choose from a multitude of courses, internships, externships, and clinical opportunities, as well as participate in the Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental & Innovation Law and various student organizations.

Key TILE faculty include Bender, an expert in real estate law; Tapia, who practiced entertainment, media, and intellectual property (IP) law for over 30 years; Chon, a renowned IP scholar; Professor Mark Chinen, whose international law expertise includes artificial intelligence; as well as numerous other career and adjunct faculty. In addition, the school hosts many visiting speakers from the area’s pioneering software, biotech, and Internet organizations.

LEARNING A LAWYER’S ROLE

Thanks to powerhouse companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Valve, and Wizards of the Coast locating their headquarters in the greater Seattle area, other tech businesses congregate where they can find the engineering, product development, and research expertise they need. Facebook (Meta) and Google built large satellite o ces in Seattle for that reason.

For decades, traditional legal disciplines like intellectual property, taxation, contracts, and business entities have provided a solid foundation for attorneys working in technology. But Tapia said the law school’s tech-centered

programming goes even deeper, acknowledging that tech companies often move faster than laws and regulations can keep up.

“We teach classes that give our students a great sense of what those moves into unregulated space look like from the inside and what a lawyer’s role in those spaces should be,” he said. “We talk about ways to think about those new businesses and how to serve them well as lawyers.”

For alumni who have completed the immersion course and since moved into tech careers, that unregulated frontier is a feature, not a bug (to borrow a bit of tech lingo).

“I love a good puzzle,” said Alex Gorton ’19, associate corporate counsel at Amazon, where she supports the Prime Gaming division. “It’s like that with technology. I love the challenge of it. It’s the same exercise from law school of identifying a fact pattern and applying the law, but the law is relatively new and still emerging.”

Beyond guiding students through the uneven terrain of technology law, courses offered through the TILE program provide an important bridge between attorneys and developers. These courses explain enough of how the technology works for the attorneys to be taken seriously.

That acceptance is crucial, said Alejandro Villegas ’15, who came to law school from a career as a security engineer at Microsoft and now serves as vice president of product security at GoDaddy, an Arizona-based web hosting and domain registration company.

“Engineers don’t naturally gravitate toward lawyers. The lawyers are the ones in suits, and the engineers are wearing hoodies and shorts,” he said. “It sounds silly, but it makes a di erence. It’s important for attorneys to be approachable. The immersion course helps you understand those cultural norms, as well as the client’s business needs.”

Margaret Chon

Steven Bender

Jerry Vergeront

Steve Tapia

DON’T SAY ‘NO,’ ASK ‘WHY’

A good rapport between lawyers and developers (or coders, or engineers) saves businesses time and money, said Jerry Vergeront ’17, director of Information Risk and Cybersecurity at Seattle University.

“If you have the ability to talk to people from a technical standpoint, they’ll actually talk to you instead of avoiding you,” he said. “You’ll be able to guide the technology as it’s being developed, rather than having to redo it at the end because you’ve just discovered it’s out of compliance with a law or regulation.”

Chon said this is especially crucial in an industry that moves so fast. “With technology developing so rapidly, it’s even more critical to highlight the ethics, values, and even the social justice issues relevant to evolving legal norms,” she said.

Too often, the legal department is seen as the place where great ideas go to die. But Bender said good lawyers don’t say “no” - they ask “why?”

“Our students use this approach not because they don’t understand business, it’s because they want to help build a better, more ethical and sustainable business,” he said. With its focus

on ethics, students in the immersion course have studied and accurately predicted the legal woes of companies like Theranos, whose founder was convicted of fraud; and Uber and Airbnb, which both had regulatory compliance issues.

“It’s not about no,” Villegas said. “It’s about providing options. It’s about transparency. As much as we always want 100% certainty with no risk, that doesn’t exist. There’s always going to be some tradeo s.”

Patrick Chinkiwsky ’16, senior patent portfolio manager at CoMotion at University of Washington, remembered how Tapia warned his immersion class that at times they might feel like “the adult in the room,” or the keeper of the industry’s cautionary tales.

“There are so many examples in tech where people got a little too excited about making something a success and didn’t think through all the implications,” he said. “But I’m an optimist that way. I think things get worse before they get better.”

Alejandro Villegas ’15

‘AN INNOVATOR AT HEART’

For Leticia Hernández Walker ’15, corporate counsel at Microsoft supporting the Windows team, the creativity to avoid saying “no” comes from an unexpected source – her childhood as the daughter of Mexican immigrant farmworkers in Eastern Washington and her identity as Latina.

“I’m an innovator at heart because I’ve had to innovate myself. All my life, I’ve been told no, so I’ve had to be creative and resilient to open up those windows of opportunity,” she said. “That’s how I approach my job as a lawyer at Microsoft. I try to think of how we can find ways to creatively support the innovation of emerging technology while mitigating the legal risks.”

Walker practiced family law and worked in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s O ce before coming to Microsoft, a move suggested by her mentor, Catherine Romero ’96, a senior attorney at the Redmond-based tech giant. Romero founded the Hispanic National Bar Association/Microsoft Intellectual Property Law Institute, a summer immersion program in Washington D.C. that has helped many Latinx law students – including Walker – dip their toes in technology law.

Relatedly, Chon said the intellectual property community in Seattle has been a hub of sorts for tech attorneys and interested students. For example, the Seattle IP Inn of Court meets monthly and offers robust mentorship opportunities for students in the Seattle area. Students at the law school have developed several tech-related organizations, including the Intellectual Property Law Society. Chon worked closely with the late Judge Donald Horowitz and others on the Access to Justice Technology Bill of Rights, one of the first in its kind in the country and adopted by the Washington Supreme Court.

For Rachel Sindorf ’19, associate corporate counsel at Denali Advanced Integration, the focus of her legal work has not been IP but international shipping and the value-added tax, often referred to simply as VAT, among myriad other issues. Her company makes software products that integrate otherwise incompatible technologies.

She said the immersion course was the linchpin in her decision to seek an in-house counsel position at a tech company, due to the

collaborative nature of being part of a team and the variety in the day-to-day work.

Thanks to the course, she was also prepared for how different lawyering can be in a tech environment. “I’ve never had anyone ask me for a case citation or a memo,” she said. “My leadership needs actionable, quick advice. The emails I write are one to two lines, three bullet points at most. If you can’t put it in three bullet points, you can guarantee it’s not the information they need.”

She also pointed out that business executives at tech companies have little patience for that classic lawyerly answer to any question: It depends.

“They’re looking for ways that we can structure deals or transactions that may be a little risky but

Leticia Hernández Walker ’15

Rachel Sindorf ’19

at least we’ve identified those risks,” she said. “We either accept those risks or decide to nix the project.”

Gorton, at Amazon, agreed. As much as an attorney might want to write a 10-page analysis of an issue, the business client doesn’t want to read it.

“You look at a problem with a legal lens. Then you look at it again with a business lens,” she said. “The tech immersion program really helped us understand that.”

This, Tapia said, is exactly the kind of legal thinking the tech industry needs: “Companies want people who understand business needs and are willing to push hard on expanding what is acceptable risk for new businesses.”

A GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE

And what’s in it for the lawyers? Challenge, innovation, and the chance to be part of something that feels like the future.

Bender, whose academic work centers around immigration law and property law, came to develop the technology curriculum in his role as associate dean for planning and strategic initiatives at the law school.

“We found that it’s the most participatory class we teach,” he said. “These are the things people are talking about outside of law school, more so than the arcane doctrines that I also love to teach.”

Tapia echoed that sentiment. “Students are excited to ponder legal problems that do not have existing answers,” he said. “The ability to play in a blue sky thought process excites many of them in ways that carry forward into their post-law school experiences.”

That’s one of the best parts of Chinkiwsky’s work at CoMotion. He is responsible for strategizing and securing IP on a portion of the technologies developed at UW that have some pathway to commercialization. He often encounters ideas and products that could eventually solve pressing global problems. One example is Zap Energy, a company that licensed UW technology for its ongoing e ort to create a compact, a ordable source of clean fusion energy.

“It’s inspirational, working day to day with university researchers trying to solve big problems,” he said. “To have any small part in the commercialization of paradigm-shifting technology and energy is pretty cool.”

TECH LAW PIONEER: JOLEEN WINTHER HUGHES

ALUMNA SPENT EIGHT YEARS BUILDING REVOLUTIONARY SERVICES AT REALNETWORKS

In the spring of 1999, “google” wasn’t yet a verb. Amazon only sold books. Cell phones were just phones. And Joleen Winther Hughes had just graduated from law school.

In the days before Seattle University School of Law offered courses and programs tailored to students interested in technology careers, alumni like Hughes managed to make their own way in the field. She was one of the earliest graduates, possibly the first, to go directly in-house at a tech company a er graduation when she walked in the door at RealNetworks, originally known as Progressive Networks.

An eight-week internship during law school became an eight-year job, where Hughes contributed to the creation of the first legal music service, the first casual gaming platform, the first audio/visual subscription service, and the first video on demand services in the world.

“I shi ed my original idea of becoming an entertainment lawyer to learning technology and business,” Hughes said.

“The law was nonexistent for so much of what was happening. I really got my sea legs through the work. I went on to oversee and develop the licensing models to bring music, gaming, sports, news, television, and movies online.”

Her experiences at RealNetworks led to the next pioneering step in her career when she founded her own law firm in 2008, now known as Hughes Media Law Group, to serve the media and tech sector. Her clients have included pioneering companies in the areas of gaming, music, education, and cloud computing.

Her goal is to provide outside counsel that feels like it’s in house.

“I view legal as a business accelerator. It’s a different mindset,” she said. “We integrate at the executive level, so we know what’s coming up. We are also proactive and work with senior executives to set the company up successfully for their long-term goals. Tech companies can be better off by working with lawyers who have business acumen.”

THE UNAVOIDABLE CONSEQUENCES OF BEING HUMAN (AND HOMELESS)

BY SARA RANKIN

We know homelessness is a major crisis But what do we know of the law’s contributions in creating this crisis? An increasingly popular web of laws punishes people for experiencing homelessness or “visible poverty.”

This web ensnares unhoused men, women, and youth by prohibiting or severely restricting their ability to engage in necessary, life-sustaining activities in public such as sitting, standing, sleeping, eating, going to the bathroom, and asking for help - even when they have no reasonable alternative.

Simply by living unsheltered, they cannot avoid tripping a wire and incurring significant, potentially life-altering consequences.

Criminalizing homelessness comes at a significant cost, not just to unsheltered people, but to society overall. Studies show it is more expensive to criminalize homelessness than it is to pursue non-punitive alternatives such as permanent supportive housing and mental health or substance abuse treatment.

The constitutional and civil rights issues stemming from criminally charging unsheltered people for public survival are clear but often contested. Advocates have had some success challenging criminalization laws under the First, Fourth, Eighth, and 14th Amendments. Recently, the Ninth Circuit decided the landmark case of Martin v. Boise, announcing that the Eighth Amendment’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment prohibits cities from punishing people for the “unavoidable consequences” of being both human and homeless. However, this ruling is not a mandate for cities to address homelessness with best practices. Instead, criminalization appears to be evolving, rather than slowing.

Criminalization is growing nationwide. The National Homelessness Law Center’s 2019 report documents dramatic spikes in criminalization laws across the country. For example, city-wide bans on camping in public, sleeping in public, and begging increased by 92%, 50%, and 103%, respectively. Bans on loitering and loafing, which have clear historical antecedents in Jim

Crow, anti-Okie, and “Ugly Laws” targeting disabled or “unsightly” people, have doubled. Bans on sleeping in vehicles — the thin tin line that limits exposure on the street — have increased by a staggering 213% nationwide since 2006.

Ultimately, criminalization does nothing to address the root causes of homelessness; to the contrary, it’s been shown to exacerbate the problem. National entities ranging from the National Coalition for Housing Justice to the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council advance both medical and legal arguments for ending criminalization and instead investing in non-punitive solutions such as supportive housing.

If it is such a bad idea, why do we continue to criminalize homelessness? One reason is the power of our instinctive response to visible poverty.

Evidence of human struggle or desperation commonly provokes fear, annoyance, disgust, or anger from those who witness it. Indeed, visible poverty elicits higher rates of negative reactions than exposure to any other marginalized trait, including traits often associated with discrimination, such as race or gender. Media depictions of unhoused people as unclean and unwell have been shown to activate hard-wired “disgust sensitivities” that code homelessness as a “pathogen” or “contaminant” to be avoided. These instincts fuel support for exclusionary policies that purge poverty and homelessness from view.

Invisible problems don’t get fixed. So, as long as poverty and homelessness exist, the crisis must remain visible in public space.

Noted civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson argues that the first thing we must do to fight injustice is to see crises with our own eyes, so we are pushed to act. Moreover, we can only develop viable solutions when we have an up-close view of a problem. Stevenson’s call for proximity to create social change is a modest but critical suggestion to fight homelessness because it can facilitate change within us.

One simple step anyone can take is to volunteer with a social service organization that is addressing the crisis and get to know some of the intelligent and inspiring people struggling with housing instability.

Homelessness is a shared crisis. But how might we change our laws and policies if we understood homelessness as a crisis primarily, or even solely, because it harms unsheltered people? Would that shift in perspective finally push us to reject criminalization and embrace non-punitive solutions such as housing and services? What if we measured the e cacy of our laws and policies by whether they actually address the root causes of homelessness, rather than whether they render it less visible? What if we chose proximity and integration, rather than segregation, to address this crisis?

Ending homelessness is a choice. Every human needs community to survive and thrive. The need for connection, community, and a safe and legal place to belong is also an unavoidable consequence of being human. We don’t need the law to tell us that.

Sara Rankin is a professor of law and a nationally recognized expert on legal policy issues relating to homelessness. She is founder and director of the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project, where she oversees projects to advance the rights of visibly poor people.

STANDING WITH SURVIVORS

Riddhi

Mukhopadhyay

’09 seeks dignity, justice for victims of gender-based violence

BY CLAUDINE BENMAR

Two things fuel Riddhi Mukhopadhyay ’09 in her work as an attorney for sexual and domestic violence survivors, and both seem endless in supply – outrage and optimism.

The outrage comes from the violence she confronts every day, perpetrated not just by abusers but also by a system that makes it challenging for survivors to find justice and safety, their stories so often dismissed or belittled. The optimism comes from her tireless colleagues and the clients themselves.

Countless people have persevered in telling their stories with her center’s support. One former client has gone on to advocate for important state and national legislation to protect survivors. Many have channeled the pain of their experiences into beautiful art or music. Several have gone on to graduate high school or college, some pursuing law school to also fight for victims.

“It keeps me going,” Mukhopadhyay said. “I really do believe we can have a community and a justice system that is trauma-informed and that centers survivors. But we’re not there yet, and I want to push as much as I can to make it happen.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and rates of domestic and sexual violence increased, she’s been especially successful at advocating for legislation that streamlines the process for getting civil protection orders and requires training for judges who hear these cases.

Mukhopadhyay is the executive director of the Seattle-based Sexual Violence Law Center (SVLC), which protects the privacy, safety, and legal rights of survivors throughout Washington state. In 2022, her work was recognized with two prestigious awards – the Sharon L. Corbitt Award from the American Bar Association Commission

on Domestic & Sexual Violence, and the Norm Maleng Leadership Award from the Washington State Bar Association. She had previously received the Seattle Women’s Commission’s Jeanette Williams Award and Senator Patty Murray’s Golden Tennis Shoe Award for her advocacy on behalf of survivors.

The awards validate SVLC’s holistic approach to helping clients, Mukhopadhyay says, explaining that it’s a distinct departure from the siloed services traditional legal aid o ers. A survivor on average experiences 18-19 legal issues as a consequence of their abuse, but SVLC clients don’t have to work with di erent lawyers, sharing their trauma each time, in order to have their multiple legal needs met.

“We’ll take the immigration case, the housing case, employment, Title IX, protection order, and anything else that’s an emergency legal issue connected to the domestic violence or the sexual assault,” she said. “When I started at SVLC 10 years ago, people didn’t think the holistic model would be sustainable.”

With request for assistance increasing each year, the center’s now 14-person team served around 900 survivors last year with either direct representation or consultations via a statewide hotline. Those clients – who’ve survived sexual assault, trafficking, abuse, stalking, or harassment - inform Mukhopadhyay’s priorities as an advocate for legislative change.

“I need to know that I can improve the system through legislative and policy work, while also making sure day-to-day people experience some relief through representation,” she said. “If this work is going to make a long-term impact, I have to do both.”

Sara Mooney ‘09, pro bono counsel at SVLC, remembers Mukhopadhyay as

a talented, driven, and compassionate classmate in law school. These are among the qualities that help her succeed in her mission to protect her clients’ dignity.

“She does not tolerate intimidation or aggression from opposing parties or even courts,” Mooney said, adding that she makes sure survivors are at the table when discussing policies or legislation. “Her dedication is sincere, impactful, and limitless.”

Mukhopadhyay said she’s humbled by the recent awards, pointing out that she’s part of a much larger cohort of social justice lawyers who often work without recognition. It’s a community of colleagues she found at Seattle University School of Law, where the draw to its social justice mission was strong enough for her to leave her family back in Texas and move to the West Coast.

Law was an unlikely career choice; her immigrant parents expected a career in medicine or science. And the only lawyers she had seen were white men on TV or the unscrupulous immigration attorneys who took advantage of her family when they moved to the U.S. from India while she was in middle school. That changed when she volunteered while at Duke University as an interpreter for immigrant domestic violence survivors (she speaks Bengali, Hindi, and Spanish) and saw firsthand the positive impact of having legal assistance.

“Law school gave me the tools to engage in the kind of advocacy our communities deserved,” she said. “I wanted to do more than just hold their hands. I want their voices respected. I want their access to justice to be meaningful.”

Riddhi Mukhopadhyay ’09

HISTORY AND HEALING

Justin

Loveland ’20 helps Seychelles reconcile its brutal past

BY CLAUDINE BENMAR

Justin Loveland ’20 has traveled far and wide as an advocate. He has promoted human rights at the Inter American Court in Costa Rica. He has traveled to Lebanon to help refugees. And he has assisted the Committee against Torture at the United Nations in Switzerland. But his most significant work so far has been for a country he’s never seen in person – an idyllic archipelago 1,000 miles o the coast of east Africa called Seychelles.

The country’s 115 tropical islands draw more than 350,000 tourists every year with white-sand beaches, giant tortoises, majestic granite blu s, and lush nature preserves. Less obvious to visitors is the country’s troubled political history. A coup in 1977 was followed by a long period of autocratic rule, human rights abuses, killings, and land seizures by the ruling party.

In 2019, Seychelles launched the Truth, Reconciliation, and National Unity Commission to investigate and heal its past political wounds. For Loveland, who joined in the second year as one of only a few fulltime lawyers, it was the opportunity of a lifetime.

“It was a dream of mine to do this kind of work. I felt so honored and humbled to be able to do it right out of law school,” he said. “It’s fascinating to see in these post-conflict, post-transition settings how the rule of law becomes a building block for society.”

For two years (one of them spent working pro bono), Loveland drafted case determinations based on testimony from island residents about the atrocities that they or their family members suffered. By navigating a complex protocol of domestic, international, and treaty law, he assisted the commission in recommending reparations or even, in some cases, the granting of amnesty to perpetrators.

He also trained legal volunteers from law schools and advocacy organizations around the world and lobbied diligently for funding and resources from other countries and international organizations.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, all his work was done remotely, partly from Seattle and partly from New York City, where he now lives. The commission was mandated to wrap up its work in August 2022, though it has since had extensions to complete some outstanding cases. Ultimately, the five-volume report of its findings will contain around 350 case determinations.

Professor Ron Slye, who mentored Loveland as a student and served on Kenya’s Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission, said the hardest part of starting a career in international human rights law is developing relevant experience. When colleagues alerted him to the Seychelles opportunity, he didn’t hesitate to recommend Loveland.

“Because of his work at the commission, Justin is one of a handful of people in the world who has a mastery of the doctrine and practical aspects of transitional justice processes, including the international law of amnesties, accountability, and reparations,” Slye said.

Loveland grew up in Portland, Oregon, with a family that encouraged travel. As a teenager, his love of fantasy fiction drew him to the beauty of unfamiliar worlds and dialects. In college, he studied both Spanish and French to prepare for an international career. It was also there, participating in Model United Nations and interning for the ACLU, that his human rights focus started to take shape.

After the close of his Seychelles work, Loveland joined a small general practice

law firm in New York to build his litigation skills for an eventual return to international practice. Regardless of whether he ever makes it to Seychelles, he hopes his work with the commission has a lasting impact.

“Under the dictatorship, the government turned neighbor against neighbor, like a network of informal spies. People lived in fear for a long time,” he said. “This is just the beginning of a transitional justice process, but now that some have been able to tell their stories and hear that human-tohuman message, I hope people have some sense of reconciliation.”

Justin Loveland’20

CLASS NOTES

MEGAN LUTES ’02

Published “The Art of Networking - How Anyone Can Build a Robust Network.” The book offers practical and essential advice to building a valuable network. Lutes is general counsel and chief human resources officer at Glowforge.

1984

Andy Becker serves as of counsel and provides arbitration and legal services at Becker, Franklin, & Rovang, PLLC in Port Orchard. His third book, a novel, is titled, “The Kissing Rabbi: Lust, Betrayal, and a Community Turned Inside Out,” which won the Chanticleer 2021 Mark Twain Award in the category of satire and humor.

1990

Anne Egeler was appointed to the Thurston County Superior Court. She previously served as a deputy prosecuting attorney with the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s O ce since 2020 and was a deputy solicitor general with the Washington State O ce of the Attorney General from 2005 to 2020. Egeler is an active volunteer with the Thurston County Volunteer Legal Association, where she served as a past board president and earned the Legacy Award.

1995

Mikel O’Brien is the Port of Seattle’s new senior director of labor relations. Since 2015, O’Brien served as the port’s senior manager for labor relations where she managed a team with responsibility for negotiating and administering 24 collective bargaining agreements covering more

than 1,000 employees. O’Brien has more than 25 years of experience in human resources and labor relations, including 22 years with the port.

1997

Craig Sims joined Schroeter Goldmark & Bender’s shareholder group. Sims is an accomplished trial lawyer with over 25 years of litigation and leadership experience, whose practice focuses on asbestos and mesothelioma, civil rights, product liability, personal injury, and wrongful death.

1999

Jon Scott was appointed to the Snohomish County Superior Court as a judge after serving the Snohomish County legal community for over 22 years in both public and private practice. He previously was a senior trial attorney with the Snohomish County Public Defender Association where he served as a lead litigator and a member of the agency’s management team. Prior to attending law school, Scott honorably served on active duty in the United States Marine Corps.

2000

Todd Smith joined the London o ce of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP as a tax partner. He advises investors and fund sponsors on the legal, tax, and commercial aspects of large and complex global investments, including joint ventures, investment platforms, co-investments, fund investments, and operational aspects of investment management.

2001

Meng Li Che was appointed to the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division Two. Since 2010, Che had worked at the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals, where she served as an assistant chief industrial appeals judge, handling workers’ compensation appeals and alleged workplace safety violations. Previously, Che worked at the Pierce County O ce of Public Defense and the Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel

2002

David Neu has joined Miller Nash LLP as partner in the firm’s bankruptcy and creditors’ rights team. Neu, based in the Seattle o ce, represents debtors, trustees,

committees, and asset-purchasers in bankruptcy proceedings and litigation, as well as creditors in Chapter 11, 7, and 13 proceedings.

2004

Jared Boswell was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee as a Superior Court judge for Yakima County. Boswell served Yakima County for 16 years as a deputy prosecuting attorney, including the last 10 years in the Special Assault and Domestic Violence Unit.

2006

Joanna Plichta Boisen, chief pro bono and social impact o cer at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, received the Innovative Leadership Award at the Women, Influence, & Power in Law Awards in Washington, D.C.

2006

Lucia Ramirez Levias became a named partner at DuBois Law Group, which changed its name to DuBois Levias Law Group in October. The firm was founded

by accomplished litigator and crime novelist Amanda DuBois ’86 more than 20 years ago. Levias is a member of the Latino/a Bar Association and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. She also volunteers at a variety of legal clinics and with organizations such as Kids In Need of Defense and Kinship Care Solutions.

2007

Jeff Liang joined Keller Rohrback as a lateral partner. His practice focuses on tax planning, intellectual property, real estate, and estate planning issues. He dedicates his practice to business owners, nonprofit boards, and people of color. In 2022, he earned the National Asian Pacific Bar Association’s Pro Bono Service Award for his service to Asian American Pacific Islander communities during the pandemic. He serves as board chair of the Asian Counsel and Referral Service, co-chair of the Seattle-Chinatown International District, and president of the Asian Bar Association of Washington Student Scholarship Foundation. He is also an adjunct law professor at Seattle University School of Law.

Jamal Whitehead was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the bench for U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington.

2008

Matt D. Midles was appointed as a U.S. administrative law judge.

2012

Kaitlin (Wright)

Cherf joined Schroeter Goldmark & Bender’s shareholder group. Cherf has extensive experience and skill in asbestos litigation and has expanded to include litigation of other serious personal injury and wrongful death cases, along with representing plainti s in civil rights matters.

CHRISTOPHER CASILLAS ’03

received Seattle U Law’s 2022-23 Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award. (Shown here with Dean Anthony E. Varona and Vice Dean Andrew Siegel)

CLASS NOTES

▲

JEFF FARRAH ’07

became executive director of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association (AVIA). He serves as the principal spokesperson for AVIA, leads public policy advocacy for the autonomous vehicle industry, and runs the day-to-day operations of AVIA. Before joining AVIA, Farrah served as general counsel of the National Venture Capital Association. He recently visited the law school in February as part of the Dean’s Luminaries in Law Lecture and Conversation Series to discuss his work.

James F. Johnson joined Miller Nash in December and focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation. He served as the 2020-21 president of the Loren Miller Bar Association and is a 2021 graduate of the Washington Leadership Institute.

Lola Zakharova, a partner in MacDonald Hoague & Bayless immigration practice group, has been named managing partner. The firm is Seattle’s premier law group with experienced lawyers working in criminal defense, employment law, immigration, civil rights, and personal injury.

2013

Erik Connell joined Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP as of counsel. He practices civil litigation defense, including complex tort, general casualty, commercial litigation, construction, employment, and professional liability.

Christopher Sanders joined the litigation group at the Pacifica Law Group, which represents municipalities, government agencies, and nonprofits.

Chanele Brothers Reyes joined the Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest as a nonprofit environmental attorney. In addition to environmental litigation, Reyes advocates before the Arizona Corporation Commission for clean energy initiatives, a ordability for low-income residents, and environmental justice, particularly on behalf of tribal organizations.

2014

Charisse Arce joined the Anchorage o ce of Earthjustice as a senior attorney. She previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the District of Arizona and the District of Alaska.

2015

Fabio Dworschak recently moved back to Seattle from Houston, joining Miller Nash LLP as special counsel. He continues to focus his practice on environmental and commercial disputes and appeals, in addition to helping clients investigate and address environmental contamination on current and legacy sites.

John Hardie and his wife, Evelyn, welcomed their second daughter, Camila Olivia. Hardie became partner at Palace Law, where his practice focuses on personal injury and wrongful death.

Pooja

Vaddadi was elected to the bench at Seattle Municipal Court. She also serves as an adjunct professor in the Legal Writing Program.

2017

Zachary Cooper joined Miller Nash LLP in March 2022 as an associate in the firm’s financial services department. Cooper, based in the Seattle o ce, represents clients in a broad range of disputes involving bankruptcy, receivership, foreclosure, and other related litigation.

2018

Peder Punsalan-Teigen was promoted to principal at Skellenger Bender, PS. An integral part of the firm’s family law practice, PunsalanTeigen is actively involved in and committed to promoting excellence in the legal community and ensuring access to justice for LGBTQ+

individuals and families, as well as other minority and underrepresented populations throughout Washington.

2021

Alejandro Monarrez accepted a commission as a U.S. Navy judge advocate in July 2022. After graduating from O cer Development School at Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island in November, he then attended Naval Justice School. He will be stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes, providing command legal services to senior o cers and junior enlisted personnel.

Mac Thomsen joined Helsell Fetterman in the firm’s commercial litigation practice group. While in law school, Thomsen was the Research and Technical Editor for Seattle University Law Review. He also had internships with Master Builders Association of Pierce County and the Seattle City Attorney’s o ce – Tort Division. Following law school, Thompsen clerked for Judge Edirin Okoloko ’03 in Snohomish County Superior Court.

2022

Kathryn Jeanine Burke served her 19th year in human resource management in tribal government, with seven years as the HR Director at the executive level. Burke graduated with a Master of Legal Studies in Corporate Compliance and Risk Management.

In Memoriam

Tracey Thompson ’94 passed away peacefully at home on Jan. 30 after living with cancer for more than a decade. The sixth of 10 children, Thompson was raised in Massachusetts. She received her BA in 1983 from Tufts University.

In 2003, she found her life’s calling when she joined Teamsters Local 117 as a sta attorney. She reveled in championing workers’ rights and was a formidable advocate in mediations, arbitrations, and court proceedings as well as at the bargaining table. She became the first woman to lead Teamsters 117 when she was elevated to secretary-treasurer in 2008, winning re-election in 2010. She said anything that gave her members dignity was her highest honor.

Her e orts were recognized widely, including with the Mother Jones Award in 2015. She was passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders, and her influence has reached many individuals in labor and law.

The law school and Womxn’s Law Caucus named her the Woman of the Year in 2016 in recognition of her dedication to the working families of Washington. A former member of the law school’s adjunct faculty, Thompson taught products liability, consumer law, appellate advocacy, and professional responsibility. She also coached the National Moot Court Team and acted as a faculty adviser to the Womxn’s Law Caucus Lay Advocacy Program, which helped victims of domestic violence.

Thompson met her beloved wife, Kellye Testy, in law school; Testy served as dean of Seattle University School of Law from 2004 to 2009.

Michael Gordie ’03 passed away peacefully in July 2022 after an illness. While Gordie grew up throughout the United States—including in Delaware, Georgia, Alabama, California, and Washington—Seattle was his home. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in health care administration/management from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska in 2000. While in law school in Seattle, he was a member of the Seattle University Law Review.

Gordie had a lifelong passion for enhancing the health care system, focusing on health administration, policy, and health law. After law school, he was the compliance program manager at Harborview Medical Center and then corporate counsel at Quorum Review, Inc., both in Seattle. In 2007, he joined PRTM Management Consultants and moved to Los Angeles. PRTM was acquired by PwC in 2011, and he became a partner in PwC’s Washington, D.C., o ce. He retired in 2019.

Until the end, Gordie would answer his family’s and friends’ calls on the first ring. His was a life well-lived, and a life ended too soon. He will be remembered for his wit, charm, generosity, kindness, and contagious laughter.

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