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“I always want people to get a break.” Young Kwak photo
Andrea Poplawski
Call the Hound to get out of the pound 150 S Maple, Spokane, WA 99201 | www.bulldog-bail-bonds.com | 509.838.3733
Best Lawyer
“A
nything I’ve ever done is because someone told me ‘You can’t do this,’ ” says Andrea Poplawski. And as she recounts the events that brought her from rural Pennsylvania to Spokane, it becomes clear that refusal is the surest way to stoke her fire. “You tell me no, and I can figure out a way to make that a yes.” Poplawski, 44, has a sparkling vivacity. Opposing lawyers might call it feistiness. Whatever term you use, it’s an energy that has sustained her personally and professionally. She became a single mother at the age of 22, and in her small hometown (pop. 2,700), women held to traditional standards. Choosing to remain unmarried, attending college with her toddler in her arms, or moving across America to enter law school at Gonzaga weren’t considered viable options. The experience helped shape her worldview. “I’ve always felt like I’m the underdog,” she says with breathless, rapid-fire delivery. “So I always want people to get a break. I always cheer for the sports team that’s not supposed to win.” Poplawski, who specializes in employment and family law, makes no secret of her antipathy toward retrograde attitudes or complacency inside and outside the courtroom. In her smart
black outfit and leopard-print heels, she presents a distinct persona — chic, businesslike, but with a provocative flair. Her clients can tell at a glance that’s she’s not unused to challenges, and she won’t hesitate to rise to them. In 2009, Poplawski met one daunting challenge head-on and took it to the Washington State Supreme Court. A protracted custody battle had returned a young Spokane woman’s son to his former foster parents in Montana. That decision had been reached despite the fact that his natural mother had been deemed fit. Adding insult to injury, she was forced to pay child support to the foster parents. Poplawski worked diligently to overturn the ruling, ultimately reuniting mother and son in a verdict that had wider implications. High-profile cases as well as many smaller ones have earned Poplawski a reputation as a principled fighter. She sees it as life coming full circle. “I’ve always been a worker, [but] I’ve had help from people along the way. They’ve been able to push me to do what I needed to do. So why wouldn’t I help someone else?” — E.J. IANNELLI 2nd PLACE: Priscilla Vaagen; 3rd PLACE: Breean Beggs
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