Lawyer Magazine, Spring 2025

IN THIS ISSUE

������ MAGAZINE | Spring 2025

Reclaiming “We the People” Flex JD Program hits milestone Meet the new faculty

FOSTERING FUTURE INDIGENOUS ATTORNEYS TH E R E N A M E D N O RTH W E ST C E NTE R FO R I N D I G E N O U S L AW L AU N C H E S A P L A N FO CU S E D O N G R E ATE R ACC E S S

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LIGHTS & LAUGHTER The 32nd Annual Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) Auction and Gala, held in late February, was a joyous celebration and an incredible success. The event raised more than $216,000 to fund PILF summer grants so students can complete internships with public interest-focused organizations. Clockwise from far left: Tiana Pereira ’24; Zulen Pantoja-Ortega ’24; Mayelee Watts; Kayla Fencl; Ryann Fencl; Lindsey Sullivan; Oluwatobi Ishola; Sabreena Zavala ’24; and Michael Zangl ’24.

Spring 2025 LAWYER MAGAZINE

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ing the smooth operation of our institution and providing

LAWYER

invaluable assistance to our students and faculty through

A MAGAZINE OF SEATTLE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW / SPRING 2025

Our staff are leaders in supporting our mission, ensur-

a spirit of innovation and service. Their dedication creates an environment where learning and growth can flourish.

Working together, our collective leadership has

Neil Griffith

legal writing, clinics, diversity, and innovation.

DESIGNER

It is clear that leadership is foundational to the Seattle As current and aspiring lawyers, we do so in profound ways: ›

Since this academic year began last August, you may

Strive for excellence and rigor, both academically and in practice, catalyzing innovation and discovery in new areas of law and policy across the private and public sectors.

›

Advocate for the vulnerable by representing those who might not otherwise have a voice, regardless of background or circumstance.

›

have heard or noticed the phrase, “Leaders Serving

Uphold the rule of law by working to protect the integrity of our legal system, ensuring that laws are

Justice.” This has been part of a soft launch of our law school’s new tagline, and I am excited to formally announce

EDITOR/WRITER

resulted in recognition as a top school for international law,

U Law community, but what does it mean to serve justice?

DEAN'S PERSPECTIVE

Nicole Jennings

applied fairly and equitably. ›

Promote legal reform by challenging unjust laws, policies, and practices wherever they are found.

its adoption and explain its meaning.

David Sandler DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

DEAN’S EXECUTIVE CABINET Anthony E. Varona DEAN AND PROFESSOR OF LAW

Steven W. Bender ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR PLANNING AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND PROFESSOR OF LAW

Brooke D. Coleman VICE DEAN FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND FREDRIC C. TAUSEND PROFESSOR OF LAW

Kristin DiBiase ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR STUDENT LIFE, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

Provide access to justice by offering legal services to

Seth Endo

mission, vision, and the very spirit of our community. It

those who cannot afford them and making high-qual-

speaks to who we are, what we strive for, and the impact

ity legal education accessible to all with potential and

VICE DEAN FOR INTELLECTUAL LIFE AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF LAW

This powerful phrase encapsulates the essence of our

›

promise.

we have on the world.

"Leaders Serving Justice" is more than just words; it's a reflection of the daily actions and aspirations of our alumni,

›

Serve our communities through pro bono work, volunteer service, and civic engagement.

students, faculty, and staff, who contribute to this ideal in unique and meaningful ways.

Our Jesuit Catholic values of justice, compassion, and

Matt Etter ASSISTANT DEAN FOR THE CENTER FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Erin Fullner ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

As alumni, you are leaders in the legal profession,

care for the whole person inform everything we do. Jesuit

Gerald Heppler

serving as distinguished advocates, judges, dealmakers,

legal education is not just about mastering legal doctrine;

ASSISTANT DEAN FOR ADMISSION

policymakers, elected officials, educators, and commu-

it is about developing the knowledge, focus, passion for

nity leaders, among

service, and ethical

many other roles. You

compass necessary to

embody the values

become effective and

of Seattle U Law by

innovative leaders who

using your legal skills and knowledge to promote justice

strive for excellence and justice.

and serve your communities. That is a significant reason

"Leaders Serving Justice" is not just a tagline; it is a call

why Seattle U Law has the most alumni recognized as

to action. I invite all of us to reflect on practices to adopt and

Super Lawyers and Rising Stars in the Pacific Northwest.

actions to take that will help us become stronger and more

Our students are future leaders in law with a deeply

committed leaders who actively serve justice. In doing so,

Paul Holland ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF LAW

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

Jeffrey Minneti ASSISTANT DEAN FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND BAR SUCCESS AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF LAW

felt desire to make a difference and to become powerful

we can further amplify our law school community's posi-

Feven Teklu

advocates for justice. This is evident in the classroom,

tive influence on society.

ASSISTANT DEAN FOR DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS

through rigorous intellectual discourse, as well as in their

Colin Watrin

engagement with communities through clinics and extern-

ASSISTANT DEAN FOR ADMINISTRATION AND CHIEF OF STAFF

ships, where they are honing their leadership skills.

Our faculty are national and international leaders in legal scholarship – ranked #1 in the PNW for scholarly impact – who shape the future of the law through

Sincerely,

research, writing, and teaching. They also mentor and

Lawyer magazine is published by the Marketing and Communications Office at Seattle University School of Law.

inspire the next generation of legal professionals, instilling the importance of justice, service, and ethical practice in our students.

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Anthony E. Varona Dean and Professor of Law

©2025 Seattle University School of Law.

CONTENTS S P RING 2 02 5

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DEPARTMENTS

09 The Briefcase Law school news.

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Faculty Showcase Assistant Professor Nazune Menka explores the meaning, as an Indigenous woman, of a key phrase in the U.S. Constitution.

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Out & About

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24 Alumni Profile Greg Colburn ’08 uses his own experience with a severe injury to advocate on behalf of his clients.

25 Alumni Profile Nikole Hecklinger ’95 becomes a judge, capping an impactful career focused on serving the public.

26 Class Notes

FEATURES

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New faculty join law school

Flex JD celebrates first-ever graduates

Building Indigenous practitioners' ranks

The first cohort of Flex JD students graduated in December, reaching a significant milestone.

The renamed Northwest Center for Indigenous Law has launched a new effort to draw more Indigenous students into the field of law.

The law school has hired eight professors who are renowned teachers and scholars to bolster an already world-class faculty.

On the cover: The design is based on a mural created by the late Jeffrey Veregge (1973-2024), who was a renowned Indigenous artist and member of the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, located on the Kitsap Peninsula.

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SEATTLE U LAW WELCOMES RENOWNED NEW FACULTY Seattle University School of Law is pleased to announce it has hired eight outstanding new faculty members, one of the largest cohorts in recent memory, who will begin their tenures on July 1. All are respected and gifted leaders in law and legal academia with significant expertise and scholarship in their respective areas. They are also committed teachers and mentors who share a passion for educating law students and advancing Seattle U Law’s Jesuit Catholic social justice mission.

“I AM THRILLED TO WELCOME THESE ACCOMPLISHED PROFESSORS TO OUR LAW SCHOOL. WITH THEIR DEDICATION TO EXCELLENCE AND TEACHING AND SCHOLARSHIP, AND THEIR LEADERSHIP ACROSS MANY AREAS, THEIR PRESENCE WILL MAKE OUR ALREADY STRONG FACULTY EVEN MORE EXCEPTIONAL.”

DEAN ANTHONY E. VARONA

BY N ICO LE J ENNI NGS

MEET

Elizabeth Baldwin ’04 Assistant Professor of Lawyering Skills

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Chryssa Deliganis Assistant Professor of Law

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As a Seattle U Law graduate, Baldwin is no stranger to Sullivan Hall. She is a longtime teacher and educator, having spent the first part of her career teaching English to immigrants and refugees, and more than a decade teaching writing and research, mainly to international students at the University of Washington School of Law. “I have a long history of working with writers and English language learners, which is what got me here teaching legal writing,” she said. “I originally wanted to become a lawyer to continue to serve those same families I’d been serving as a teacher.”

Throughout her career, Baldwin has advocated for immigrant families and their children through organizations such as Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Kids in Need of Defense, both of which she continues to work with as a pro bono attorney and clinic volunteer. As she moves into a career faculty position, Baldwin will continue to teach legal writing and immigration law, two of her areas of expertise.

“My entire career has been focused on public service,” Baldwin said. “It matters to me to be attached to an organization like Seattle University that is aligned with me on those kinds of values.”

A native Washingtonian, Deliganis always knew that she wanted to teach law and long admired Seattle U Law for “its Jesuit Catholic mission, the way it embeds itself within the community, and its many experiential law opportunities, coupled with top-flight faculty.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in rhetoric from the University of California, Berkeley, and a JD from Harvard Law School, she took “a more circuitous route” back to academia, with positions in private practice and legal consulting, and as a clerk for Judge Richard Tallman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Four years ago, Deliganis accepted a position as a visiting assistant professor at Seattle U Law, teaching courses including Health Law, Food and Drug Law, and Civil Procedure. Now Deliganis, who specializes in property law, health law, and ethics, will assume a permanent, tenure-track position.

“I’m tickled to be able to have this opportunity to stay on here. It’s my top choice of any place to work,” Deliganis said. “I love the other faculty, I love the students — they are just fantastic — as well as the alumni network. I’ve enjoyed increasing our bonds with the community and getting to know them. This school is rich with people.”

MEET

Erin Lovell Assistant Professor of Lawyering Skills Associate Director, Externship Program

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Jeffrey Omari Associate Professor of Law

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Philipp Renninger Visiting Assistant Professor of Law Assistant Director for Global Engagement

Lovell’s strong public interest background will feature heavily in her new role as assistant professor of Lawyering Skills and associate director of the Externship Program. The founding executive director of Legal Counsel for Youth and Children (LCYC), she grew the organization to provide legal representation to more than 850 youth annually around Washington in the areas of homelessness, juvenile defense, child welfare, and immigration, partnering with other nonprofits to provide additional wraparound support.

Before launching LCYC, she worked as a public defender representing parents and children in the child welfare system. As a student at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, she sought out experiential

learning opportunities, such as a juvenile defense clinic, judicial externships, and a trip to study the juvenile justice systems of Namibia and Botswana. It was at LCYC, however, where she became acquainted with many alumni and interns from Seattle U Law, the most common law school among LCYC team members.

“Part of why I applied for this position was because of my positive experiences working with Seattle U Law alumni and students at LCYC,” said Lovell, who will teach externship seminars. “They embody a commitment to social justice, so it was easy for me to believe that Seattle U was committed to encouraging the development of lawyers who are going to make big changes.”

Omari, currently on the faculty at Gonzaga University School of Law, is eager to cross the Cascades to join the state’s other Jesuit Catholic law school.

A longtime music industry lawyer, Omari interned for an Atlanta-based record label in law school, then worked at a boutique music law firm and music publishing company, both in Atlanta, after graduation. He later worked in legal affairs at the ABC Cable Networks Group (a Disney subsidiary) and MGM Studios, Inc. in Los Angeles. After working as a transactional music lawyer for a decade, he returned to academia and earned a doctorate in anthropology, examining internet governance in Brazil.

“The research I do sits at this intersection of law, technology, social sciences, and

democracy,” he said. “Digital rights are communication rights.”

Omari, who will teach in the law school’s Technology, Innovation Law, and Ethics (TILE) Program, has already taken part in a TILE panel on intellectual property (IP) careers held in November. He also wrote a blog post for the university’s Technology and Ethics Initiative.

“There are so many synergies between my research and what’s happening at Seattle U Law,” he said. “I will be teaching constitutional law and administrative law, as well as a media law course, which I’m really excited about because I feel like that’s in perfect alignment with my background, research, and experience as a music lawyer.”

Seattle U Law establish relationships with As Seattle U Law expands its international foreign law schools. reach, Renninger, currently a University “Seattle is in a great position to do that,” of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law Renninger said. “It’s an attractive city professor of practice, brings expertise in with a large Asian American population, several foreign legal systems. Originally international companies headquartered from Germany, Renninger has spent the past there, and is historically the gateway to two years teaching American law to Chinese Pacific trade.” students at Arizona’s satellite campus in This fall, Renninger will teach civil Qingdao, China. procedure to Flex JD Program students, Renninger, who earned his law degree as well as continue his research on how and dual Ph.D. in Germany, Switzerland, and authoritarian leaders manipulate the law China, has also taught and researched law in the U.S. (Harvard University), Germany, and control the legal academy to further their goals. the U.K. (Oxford University and King’s “It’s the people who make a law school. I College), and Singapore. He specializes felt immediately welcome,” Renninger said. in constit utional and administrative law, jurisprudence, comparative law, and “Everyone is so supportive in Seattle; it’s a great step to take.” international law. Renninger hopes to help

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Kellye Testy Distinguished Professor of Law

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Francisco Valdes Distinguished Professor of Law

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Mark Verstraete Assistant Professor of Law

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Testy will return to the faculty she first joined in 1992, when she was just one year out of law school. Her 17-year tenure at Seattle U Law included five years as dean and more than a decade teaching business and commercial law, as well as law and equality.

“I am really honored and excited to come back because Seattle U Law is where I launched my entire career,” she said. “It’s always meant so much to me.”

Since leaving the law school, Testy gained valuable leadership experience as dean of the University of Washington School of Law, president and CEO of the

Law School Admission Council (LSAC), and now CEO and executive director of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), a role she will still hold while teaching a course — titled Law and Leadership — each year. She plans to use her national network to help the law school expand its lineup of leadership courses.

“Over the past decade, I’ve been honored to gain so much more experience in law and in leadership, including working with every law school around the country at LSAC and now at AALS,” she said. “It’s given me a perspective on American education as a whole that will be really helpful.”

After 30 years on the University of Miami School of Law faculty, Valdes is returning to the West Coast, where he began his teaching career at Stanford Law School. In the current political climate, Valdes said that Seattle is “a bright spot” and a hub for intellectual debate.

“Knowledge and freedom of knowledge are under attack in this country,” Valdes said. “Seattle U Law is part of the network of larger Jesuit Catholic institutions and a place that systemically and historically has become a hub for things that are under attack and really threatened. Seattle U Law is very well-positioned to be part of what

helps this country withstand that attack in the long run.”

Valdes is developing an advanced course in constitutional law focused on equal protection and due process, especially relating to race, sex, and sexual orientation. He also plans to introduce a book series translated into Spanish in partnership with Jesuit Catholic universities in South America, while supporting events that are organized by the law school’s Critical Justice Initiative.

“I am looking forward to being a resource for mentorship for junior faculty and students,” Valdes said.

The TILE Program initially drew Mark Verstraete to Seattle U Law. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to help expand the TILE Program and lend my expertise in technology law to the law school,” he said.

The program was a natural fit for Verstraete given his research focus at the intersection of technology and ethics.

“I’m excited to be at a place emphasizing technology law and making it a core area of teaching,” said Verstraete, who is currently an affiliate fellow at New York University School of Law’s Information Law Institute.

His previous research experience includes positions on the faculty at Arizona

Law and the University of California, Los Angeles’ Institute for Technology, Law, and Policy. In each position, he researched emerging issues in law and in technology, often using methods from philosophy to derive new insights and policy recommendations.

In addition to teaching property law, privacy law, and commercial law, Verstraete plans to organize a junior scholars’ law and tech workshop through TILE. “I like the community and the social justice focus of the school,” Verstraete said.

“I’m looking forward to being in Seattle, a place at the center of the technology industry.”

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PROFESSORS CREATE BAR PREP MODULES FOR NATIONAL NEXTGEN EXAM

Professors Jeffrey Minneti (left) and Paul Holland.

Two Seattle University School of Law faculty members — Professor Jeffrey Minneti and Professor Paul Holland — have been chosen by AccessLex Institute to write a series of modules based on evidence law to help prepare students across the nation for the NextGen Bar Exam.

“Jeff and Paul are nationally recognized leaders in academic support and bar success whose expertise will be critical to shaping the bar exam into a next-generation assessment that more accurately replicates the practice of law,” said Dean Anthony E. Varona.

The new exam — which Washington state will adopt next year — is intended

to create an assessment that more closely resembles the actual work new lawyers will engage in. The modules that Minneti and Holland, who are, respectively, assistant dean for Academic Excellence and Bar Success and assistant dean for Experiential Learning, are creating center on evidence, with integrated question sets about a client scenario involving a car accident. After Minneti and Holland evaluate the modules’ effectiveness and adjust as needed, those modules will be shared with law faculty around the country by June.

AccessLex is a national nonprofit committed to helping students succeed in law school and on the bar exam.

FACULTY, STAFF IMPRESS AT AALS ANNUAL MEETING

From left: Dean Anthony E. Varona; Seattle U Law Professor Ron Slye; Stefanie Young '19; Assistant Dean for Development and Alumni Relations Feven Teklu; and host John S. Worden '89.

Seattle University School of Law concluded one of its most successful showings ever at the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Annual Meeting, held in San Francisco in early January. A large contingent of faculty, staff, and administrators presented on a variety of topics, met with area alumni at a special reception, and showcased the breadth of innovation and scholarship taking place at the law school.

“This was a banner year for Seattle U Law at the annual meeting of the learned society for legal educators,” said Dean Anthony E. Varona. “Our efforts reminded our colleagues from across the country about how Seattle U Law is a center of activity and innovation around legal education and scholarship. I kept hearing from attendees that our law school is the place to be.”

For the first time ever, all 14 of the nation’s Jesuit Catholic law schools held a joint reception, which was initially conceived of and then organized by Varona and Seattle U Law. “The reception was amazingly successful, drawing hundreds of our colleagues from across the country,” Varona said. “We used it as an opportunity to collaboratively and collectively showcase the uniqueness of Jesuit Catholic legal education and how each law school embodies the powerful themes of access to justice, diversifying the legal field through access to law school, bridging innovation with an ethical approach, and much more.”

Seattle U Law also organized a reception for alumni currently living and practicing in the Bay Area, hosted by John Worden '89, partner and trial lawyer at Venable LLP in San Francisco.

“It was an excellent opportunity to strengthen our community by connecting with our graduates in a meaningful way and learn more about the incredible careers they are building,” said Feven Teklu, assistant dean for Development and Alumni Relations.

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THE BRIEFCASE DECEMBER GRADUATES CELEBRATE MILESTONE It was a jubilant day in Seattle University's Campion Ballroom in late December, as Seattle U Law students walked across the stage to receive their JD, LLM, and MLS degrees. Forty-two December candidates, 31 of whom are in the first graduating class of the Flex JD Program (see story on pg. 16), received a JD, three received an MLS degree, and 10 received an LLM degree. August graduates, who may also walk in December Commencement, included five JD grads and seven MLS grads.

SEATTLE U LAW, SKAGIT LEGAL AID SECURE GRANT TO STRENGTHEN TRIBAL LEGAL SERVICES Tribal communities throughout Northwest Washington will have greater access to legal aid thanks to an innovative partnership between Skagit Legal Aid (SLA) and Seattle University School of Law’s Northwest Center for Indigenous Law (NCIL), previously known as the Center for Indian Law and Policy (see story on pg.

20). Made possible by a recently awarded grant from the Legal Foundation of Washington, the two organizations have formulated a three-year plan to significantly enhance and sustain tribal legal aid infrastructure.

“There is a huge need for legal services among tribal members that is not being met,” said Brooke Pinkham, director of NCIL. “The goal is to create a visible, reliable, and supportive presence in

Native communities, helping to transform the historical role that attorneys have played in colonization.”

The primary objective is to bolster existing legal services within the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in Skagit County by providing comprehensive civil legal representation in Swinomish Tribal Court.

With grant funding totaling $600,000 over three years, the initiative will increase overall capacity to provide free legal services by supporting and expanding clinical work with the Makah Tribe on the Olympic Peninsula, creating a Coast Salish Tribal Court Practice Clinic, hiring a director of tribal legal services, and engaging in additional efforts.

LAW SCHOOL GRAD NAMED SEATTLE UNIVERSITY ALUMNA OF THE YEAR Kim Shirley '91 has been named Seattle University’s 2025 Alumna of the Year for her lifelong dedication to advancing Seattle’s art community and embodying the university’s mission.

Shirley has spent her legal career dedicated to advocacy for nonprofit and startup organizations and is a member of several art committees, councils, and boards. Most notably, she was appointed

by President Joe Biden in 2023 to serve on the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities.

She and her husband, Jon Shirley, are committed art collectors and were supporters of the creation of the specialized art collection at the Sinegal Center for Science and Innovation. In 2023, the Shirleys gained national attention by making one of the most significant gifts in history to the Seattle Art Museum through the

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establishment of the Shirley Family Calder Collection, which provides funding for educational programming to make art more accessible to the public.

One of Shirley’s nominators for Alumna of the Year said, “It is difficult to imagine anyone more deserving or whose life's work is more closely aligned with the university’s strategic vision and values, particularly as we prepare to establish a campus art museum to serve our students, community, and surrounding schools.”

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BELOVED, RENOWNED FORMER PROFESSOR REMEMBERED Professor Emeritus David Boerner, a celebrated faculty member who faithfully served the law school and the legal profession with distinction during his long career, passed away peacefully on March 9, 2025, on Mercer Island. A gifted lawyer and dedicated professor who was passionate about justice and education, he was 85 years old.

Boerner leaves behind his three children and six grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Barbara, who passed in December of 2024, and his parents and sister.

“We extend our most sincere and heartfelt condolences to Professor Boerner’s family in their time of grief,” said Dean Anthony E. Varona. “While losing a colleague, a friend, and a loved one is heartbreaking, we can find comfort in celebrating his extraordinary legacy of significant contributions to the many students he taught and mentored over the years, our law school, legal education, and the practice of law during his career.”

After earning bachelor's and law degrees at the University of Illinois, Boerner and his family moved to Seattle, where he began his legal career with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO).

During his 18-year tenure, he rose to become the office's chief criminal deputy. In his role, Boerner helped to shape the Community Protection Act and the Sexually Violent Predators Statute, and spearheaded the Sentencing Guidelines Commission.

In 1981, Boerner joined the faculty of the University of Puget Sound School of Law (which later became Seattle University School of Law), beginning a second career devoted to teaching, scholarship, and service that lasted for nearly a quarter of a century. He was a

renowned expert in administrative law, criminal law, and professional responsibility.

One of Boerner’s singular and lasting achievements was co-founding the law school’s Access Admission Program, an innovative initiative that has provided a pathway to a law degree for students from disadvantaged and underrepresented communities over the past 30 years.

Upon Boerner’s retirement in 2005, Seattle University conferred emeritus status in recognition of his long service, dedication, and accomplishments.

A memorial service has been scheduled for July. In lieu of flowers, Boerner’s family has requested that donations be made to the Native American Rights Fund or the Seattle Clemency Project.

The law school is collecting individual remembrances from Boerner’s former students, faculty and staff colleagues, and other friends and loved ones for an "In Memoriam" page on its website. To participate, please send 1-3 paragraphs to: ProfBoernerMemories@seattleu.edu.

IN MEMORY OF GEORGE L. PRIEST George L. Priest, one of the original faculty members of Seattle University School of Law, died on Dec. 17, 2024, at the age of 77.

Priest served from 1973 to 1977, when the school was known as the University of Puget Sound School of Law in Tacoma.

Priest, the Edward J. Phelps Professor of Law and Economics at Yale Law School, received his bachelor's degree from Yale in 1969 and his JD in 1973 from the University of Chicago Law School.

In addition to Seattle U Law and Yale, he held positions at the University of Chicago, the State University of New York at Buffalo, and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

He co-founded the American Law and Economics Association with Steven Shavell of Harvard University and A. Mitchell Polinsky of Stanford University, serving as the association’s first president from 1991 to 1992.

His 1984 article (with UCLA economist Benjamin Klein), “The Selection of Disputes for Litigation,” presented what became

known as the “Priest-Klein hypothesis” and introduced the concept of selection bias into legal literature.

Priest served on the A merica n Enterprise I n st it ute ’s Cou nci l of Academic Advisers from 1994 to 2015. In 2014, Priest was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, one of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies and an independent research center.

Priest is survived by his wife, Kathy, his children — including Simeon E. Baldwin Professor at Yale Law School Claire Priest — as well as 14 grandchildren.

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THE BRIEFCASE PROFESSOR LEADS EFFORT TO IMPLEMENT RECENT BAR LICENSURE REFORMS

Professor Zaida Rivera

Seattle University School of Law Professor Zaida Rivera is leading the effort to implement new pathways to bar licensure as chair of a newly formed statewide steering committee, after Washington last year became just the third U.S. state to allow licensure alternatives to the traditional bar exam for aspiring attorneys.

Under the reforms, graduates, law students, and APR 6 law clerks will be able to waive the exam by completing certain experiential learning opportunities and work requirements, such as apprenticeships, internships, courses, and demonstrations of legal skills. The Pathways to Licensure Implementation Steering Committee is responsible for establishing the policies and requirements for each alternative.

“The reason I am interested in this issue is knowing there are so many ‘legal deserts’ in Washington, especially in rural communities. I think this will open a lot of doors for individuals,” said Rivera, who also directs the school’s Immigrant Justice Clinic. “As an educator in experiential learning, to be able to provide guidance on what works with students and how they benefit from hands-on practice is very meaningful.”

In addition to Rivera, Dean Anthony E. Varona and 3L student Greg Crowder serve on the committee.

“What makes Zaida ideal for the role of chair is that she has strong ties to each of the state’s law schools and she is a wellknown expert in experiential education,” Varona said.

ALUMS NAMED TO PUGET SOUND BUSINESS JOURNAL’S PRESTIGIOUS ‘40 UNDER 40’ LIST Michelle Pham ’11

Derek Red Arrow Frank ’18

Christopher Sanders ’13

Three Seattle University School of Law alumni have been named to the Puget Sound Business Journal’s 2025 “40 under 40” list, compiled annually for the last 27 years, which highlights young leaders across the state who excel in a variety of fields — including business, law, the arts, technology, and more — while giving back to their communities.

A panel of judges selected Michelle Pham ’11, Derek Red Arrow Frank ’18, and Christopher Sanders ’13 to receive the honor.

Pham is a shareholder at Buchalter, where she practices intellectual property, entertainment, and commercial litigation. At her previous firm, Helsell Fetterman, Pham became the first Asian American partner. She also served as a judicial clerk for Judge Janice E. Ellis of the Snohomish County Superior Court and as a pro bono attorney for the Seattle Art Museum’s Office of General Counsel.

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An enrolled member of the Nez Perce (Nimiipuu) Tribe, Red Arrow is litigation of counsel in Kilpatrick Townsend’s nationally ranked Native American Practice Group. Last year, Red Arrow was named to the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development's "40 under 40" list, which recognizes emerging Native Americans from across Indian Country who have demonstrated leadership, initiative, and dedication, and made significant contributions in business and/or in their community.

Sanders represents clients in matters such as reproductive rights, gun safety, and equal access to justice as an attorney with Pacifica’s Litigation Group. Previously, he worked as a public defender for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, as well as for King and Pierce counties. Prior to becoming a lawyer, he worked for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

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DEDICATED LEGAL WRITING PROFESSORS SET TO RETIRE Two faculty members who have devoted the majority of their careers to teaching the craft of legal writing to generations of law students are set to retire at the end of the academic year in June.

Janet K.G. Dickson ’88 and Mimi Samuel are talented and dedicated educators and innovators whose contributions have helped to elevate the Legal Writing Program into one of the nation’s best.

“Professor Dickson and Professor Samuel have been stellar colleagues and members of our faculty community for many years, and we will miss them deeply,” Dean Anthony E. Varona said.

Since her first day on the job in 1989, Dickson’s passion for her work has only grown. That is due primarily to the bonds she has created with the many students who have passed through her classroom on their way to successful legal careers.

“I feel honored, from the bottom of my heart, to have had the gift of such a rewarding career,” Dickson said. “Even on my worst days, when I walk into the classroom and see my students’ faces, I smile, and my day suddenly has meaning. And when a student is struggling but keeps working with me until the light comes on, my effort is well spent. That’s what made me come back year after year.”

After starting her career in private practice, Dickson was drawn to teaching legal writing because its unique style came naturally to her, and she values its utility as a form of legal thinking.

Dickson also appreciates the small class sizes of legal writing, which afforded her the opportunity to work directly with students to help them develop their voices, find their confidence, and communicate authentically.

“Whenever you write, you are putting a piece of yourself onto the page. With this in mind, I knew my criticism needed to be constructive and nonjudgmental,” Dickson

Professor Janet K.G. Dickson '88

Professor Mimi Samuel

led her to begin teaching as an adjunct said. “My job is to help them become better and more educated versions of themselves.” professor at a law school in San Francisco.

“I chose to teach legal writing because In addition to the many students she it’s critical to give students practical has taught, Dickson will remember her skills. I enjoy watching their progress colleagues in the Legal Writing Program and witnessing their passion, both for the and across the law school and university. subject matter and for social justice,” she “I have become close with many people I said. work with here,” she said. “They have been In 1999, Samuel joined the faculty at incredibly supportive over the years, and it Seattle University School of Law, which by has been an absolute honor to be a part of then had already developed a strong Legal this community.”

Writing Program.

For a beloved faculty member who has “I really lucked out in getting this job been a fixture at the law school for more in a place that has consistently been so than a quarter of a century, it may be well-regarded for legal writing,” she said. surprising to learn that Samuel initially “The community within the program and arrived with every intention of leaving. the entire law school was a big reason I “That didn’t happen, and I couldn’t be stayed.” happier about that.” she said.

Samuel is particularly proud of her Her presence has also worked out tenure as the program’s co-director, with wonderfully for the many students she Dickson, which concluded last year. has taught, and for the law school, where “Janet and I were able to build on the she has cultivated a successful career in academia. It was set in motion after gradu- program’s foundation that was handed off to us and lead it through a turbulent time. ating from college, when she briefly taught high school civics before enrolling in law And now we’re passing it onto the next generation of faculty and leadership, who school at Georgetown. are a passionate and dedicated group of After practicing business litigation, she teachers and scholars," she said. wanted to return to the classroom, which

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FACULT Y SHOWCA SE

RECLAIMING "WE THE PEOPLE" INDIGENOUS VOICES AND THE CONSTITUTION

BY NAZUNE ME NKA

"Dene" means "people" in Professor Nazune Menka's Indigenous language, Denaakk'e (Koyukon Athabaskan).

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Until fairly recently, the United States Constitution, its framers, and the words “We the People” evoked images of quills, parchment paper, cursive, white wigs, and white men. As an Indigenous woman, this imagery used to spur feelings of exclusion, but over time my feelings about the founding have shifted toward inclusion and belonging.

The shift likely began through interactions with a mentor, Professor Robert Williams, a citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, whose scholarship and class on Indigenous law inspired me to leave my environmental chemistry doctoral program and attend law school.

Or the shift may have occurred when I decided to leave my position at a law firm to return to public interest work at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where I was afforded the opportunity to devote time to reading and writing legal scholarship.

I do, however, recall a specific moment where I thought, “This is the first time the words ‘We the People’ aren’t making me feel invisible.” I was attending a workshop at Yale Law School led by Professors Maggie and Ned Blackhawk titled, “Native Peoples, American Colonialism, and the U.S. Constitution,” where a group of interdisciplinary scholars explored how centering Native peoples allows for a rethinking of U.S. constitutional history and American public law.

As this workshop recognized, over the last several decades, an Indigenous reclamation of the nation’s founding, the Constitutional Convention, and the Constitution has been unfolding. This is due in large part to the arrival of Indigenous scholars, like me, who are engaging in research and scholarship to write (and “right”) history in the academy.

This reclamation has been made possible by an increasing number of diverse voices entering the academy and has had an inordinate impact on the jurisprudence of the U.S. Supreme Court. By entering the legal academy and being given the time and opportunity to engage in research and scholarship with Indigenous faculty and allies in the field of Indigenous Peoples

the law is not just about visibility; it is law, I’ve been able to join my colleagues about power and ensuring that the phrase on a journey to reclaim and re-Indigenize “We the People” includes all of us, both in history and the law. theory and in practice.

Reclaiming the Constitution, as my The Constitution has always been colleagues and I endeavor to do, also shaped by those who push its boundaries. requires reimagining how we deliver legal education. As one of the handful of Indige- Now, it is our turn. Our institutions must do more than acknowledge this history— nous law professors in the country with the they must actively support Indigenous privilege to teach constitutional law, I am scholarship, elevate Indigenous voices, adamant about ensuring that my students and commit to the work of truth-telling learn about all three governments in the U.S.: Native Nations; the federal govern- and justice.

Reclaiming the Constitution is fundament; and state governments.

Native Nations were critically import- mentally a call to action for all of us to ensure that the next generation of legal ant to the founding of this country, which minds understands the full story of our is reflected in the language and structure of the Constitution, including the Suprem- nation and their role in writing its future. acy Clause and the “Indian” Commerce Clause, among others. The legal academy and law profession must recognize these early diplomatic relationships, and the enduring government-to-government relationship Native Nations have with the federal government, as central to American democracy and law.

My goals as a law professor include reducing the erasure of Native Nations from the law, providing our students with an honest understanding of our systems of governance, and equipping them with the critical skills necessary to become successful attorney advocates and thought leaders.

Seattle University School of Law is uniquely situated to do this work. Located in a region with a large number of Native Nations, we are one of only a few law schools in the country with a center dedicated to Indigenous law, and one of just four law schools nationally with a law review or journal focusing exclusively on Indigenous legal issues. Considering Seattle University is a Jesuit Catholic educational institution with a mission to support leaders for justice, Nazune Menka is a Denaakk’e (Koyukon and given the Catholic Church’s compli- Athabaskan) and Lumbee assistant professor of law and faculty director of the law school's cated history with Indigenous Peoples Northwest Center for Indigenous Law. and Native Nations, I believe that we have She teaches and writes about Indigenous a duty to serve this community.

Peoples and Native Nations, constitutional History has shown that diverse voices law, legal history, and environmental law and are critical and must be fostered and policy. Her scholarship and research aim to supported. Indigenous scholars, lawyers, support the self-determination of Native and students continue to reclaim our right- Nations and Indigenous Peoples forcibly ful place in legal education and constitu- removed to, or otherwise incorporated within, tional discourse. The work of reshaping what is now known as the United States.

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F E ATU RE

A VISION BECOMES REALITY Seattle University School of Law recently celebrated the firstever graduating class of the hybrid-online Flex JD Program, a significant milestone in making legal education more accessible.

BY N ICO LE J ENNI NGS

Bradley Buchanan ’24 did not grow up around lawyers and never considered a career in law — that is, until a few years ago, when he and his husband fostered and adopted their five children, and he experienced the legal system up close for the first time.

Buchanan was struck by the immense responsibility and power his lawyer wielded, which ultimately enabled the creation of his family.

“I thought, ‘I want to do that, I want to make these huge impacts on people’s lives,’” he said.

At the time, Buchanan was working full-time as an accountant in Kentucky, unable to find a law school nearby that would allow him to balance his career and fatherhood.

“I wasn’t in a position to quit my job and go to law school fulltime,” Buchanan said.

Then he discovered the answer on the opposite side of the country. That solution is Flex JD, an innovative, hybrid-online program in which students can attend class and complete most coursework virtually, with just a few required weekend visits to Sullivan Hall each year of the 3.5-year program.

After launching the program in fall of 2021, the law school marked a momenBradley Buchanan '24 tous milestone this past December — the

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graduation of the first-ever class of 31 Flex JD students (not including eight students who finished one semester early).

“The Flex JD Program is at the center of our Jesuit Catholic mission of promoting access to legal education and the legal profession,” said Dean Anthony E. Varona. “As the practice of law has become more hybridized, with courts and law practices using both in-person and virtual modalities to conduct business, many more prospective students seek to study law in a way that replicates practice. It’s a big reason why our program is becoming increasingly popular, with the number of applications growing significantly each year.”

Just recently, U.S. News & World Report ranked Flex JD as the 16th-best part-time program in the nation.

A core goal and founding principle of the Flex JD Program is to make legal education more accessible to aspiring lawyers from all backgrounds. This includes students who cannot attend traditional JD programs during weekdays due to having full-time jobs and family commitments, or living physically distant from a law school.

Unlike Buchanan, Nicholas Briggs ’24 of Spokane had dreamt of attending law school since childhood. After 20 years Nicholas Briggs '24 working as a firefighter and a police officer,

(Left) In December, the first Flex JD Program cohort of students posed for a picture during their last in-person weekend of classes before Commencement.

however, his dream did not seem realistic.

When he found Seattle U Law’s program, “it seemed like a match made in heaven,” he said. “I thought, ‘This is meant to be.’”

The same areas of the country without convenient access to law schools — often rural — are also where lawyers and legal services are in short supply. Flex JD aims Heather Malcolm '24 to educate aspiring lawyers to eventually practice law in these communities, where they have significant roots.

This is the plan of Heather Malcolm ’24, who lives 60 miles north of Seattle in Skagit County.

“I love Skagit Valley and hope to stay here. People say Skagit and Whatcom counties (which borders Skagit County to the north) are ‘legal deserts,’” she said. “I want to do something related to public interest, so I like the idea of entering an area without as many resources.”

Flex JD classes are held virtually Mondays through Thursdays (including summers). This was ideal for Seattle resident Georgia Burns ’24, who gave birth to her first son just a few months before classes began and needed to be home with him during the day, while her husband is at work.

“I wasn’t prepared to have to leave my son as soon as he was born,” said Burns, who delivered a second son since starting the program. “A lot of us are parents. It fit Georgia Burns '24 my lifestyle well.”

Mary Palmer ’24, who lives in Shoreline and works in aviation insurance, noted that classes can fall during evening commute hours for those with a 9-5 schedule, but she and her peers got resourceful by attending classes on their phones while parked.

“The flexibility made it easier,” Palmer said. “We could have class wherever we were.”

Seattle U Law established the program in the middle of the COVD-19 pandemic, which had necessitated a shift to online-only classes. However, faculty and staff first considered transforming the school’s part-time evening program into a hybrid-online program in 2018, said Professor Brooke Coleman, vice dean for Academic Affairs. Like students, faculty quickly adjusted to the new normal of online classes.

“It’s been rewarding to see folks stepping up, enjoying the experience, and passing it on to their colleagues,” she said.

Professors work to stay accessible to students just as if they were in a classroom.

They often remain logged in after class to provide impromptu office hours and make themselves available at other times to fit students’ non-traditional schedules.

Mary Palmer '24 “The program provides f lexibility but also makes sure people are learning,

FE AT URE

keeping up with other law students,” Burns said.

Chris Johnson ’24 of Snohomish, formerly a Snohomish County Sheriff’s deputy, was on-call 24/7 with the department’s bomb squad. If there was an emergency involving explosives, he needed to Chris Johnson '24 respond at a moment’s notice.

“Professors were very willing to work with me and make sure I could get the pieces I needed from a missed portion of a class,” he said.

Even though students do not gather regularly in a traditional classroom environment, they formed close bonds with one another.

Through group chats, they share words of support and personal news about marriages, births, and even losses.

“I have made lifelong friends,” Buchanan said, while Palmer described the group as “tight-knit.”

Five in-person weekends per year provide opportunities to socialize over shared meals and evening receptions.

“Our program is different than those at other schools because we require these in-person weekends,” said Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs Kelli Rodriguez. “It’s really impactful in creating community.”

Despite the remote nature of the program, students have found ways to get involved on campus. Malcolm co-chairs the Planning Committee for the 2025 Access to Justice Conference and served as a member of the Seattle Journal for Social Justice and Moot Court Board. Burns traveled to Utah last year for a Moot Court Board competition, winning best oralist in her round.

“The curriculum is the same as the traditional daytime students,” Briggs said. “You really are getting the same education.”

As the program has grown rapidly — by 60% in the first year alone — faculty and staff have identified ways to improve the structure and curriculum. Changes under consideration include adding more electives and remote experiential learning opportunities.

“We are working hard to integrate as much of students’ feedback as we can,” Rodriguez said.

With her newly-earned law degree, Burns, who previously worked as a case manager for King County’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program, has returned to work for the county, now as a public defender.

“My previous role was more of a social work role, but I’m more interested in legal advocacy,” Burns said. “Being a public defender still lets me help clients. My hope is that I will be able to make the difference I want to make.”

Following graduation, Johnson returned to the military to practice law as an officer for the highly selective Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps with the U.S. Air Force.

“The Flex JD Program allowed me to be full-time at work and have all these other experiences. Doing all of that while going to school, with the challenges that presented, along with writing samples from a great legal writing school, really helped in the small window of getting selected for JAG,” Johnson said. “Absent the program, that wouldn’t have been possible.”

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OUT & ABOUT

A

Highlights from recent events

A. Diversity Week in January featured film screenings, panel discussions, special guests, and games, all representing cultures from around the world and diverse points of view. Karaoke Night, organized by the Asian Law Students Association, kicked off the week of fun. From left: 2L Isabell Murray, 2L Owen Leupold, 3L Roger Robertson, and 2L Matthew Lui showcase their singing talents.

B. University of Alabama School of Law Professor Ronald Krotoszynski headlined the January installment of the Dean's Luminaries in Law Lecture and Conversation Series, delivering a thought-provoking lecture based on his new Oxford University Press book, "Free Speech as Civic Structure: A Comparative Analysis of How Courts and Culture Shape the Freedom of Speech,” a copy of which he is holding.

C. The law school celebrated Veterans Day in November by honoring the many veterans in our community with a special ceremony. Fabio Dworschak '15, special counsel at Miller Nash LLP (left), asked those in attendance to remember to help veterans when they practice law and spoke of his service as a U.S. Army medic in Iraq and Afghanistan. Military and Veterans Law Society Treasurer/2L Ricardo Franco, who also served in the Army, presented Dworschak with a plaque to honor his service.

B

C

D. In March, Seattle U Law welcomed the renowned Yale Law School and Yale School of the Environment Professor Gerald Torres, who delivered the Annual Richard Delgado & Jean Stefancic Distinguished Lecture. His intriguing talk focused on the consequences of large-scale population migrations caused by climate change-related disasters, such as wildfires, floods, and droughts.

E. The 40th Annual Goldmark Award Luncheon in February recognized outstanding contributions to public interest law. Clockwise from right: Seattle U Law Scholars for Justice Abril Aznar '27; Tomo Duke '27; and Jamie Eymann '26.

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D

E

F

G

F. In February, Yale Law School Professor Harold Hongju Koh, who previously served as a senior advisor to former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and as the 22nd legal advisor to the U.S. Department of State under President Barack Obama, gave the inaugural Annual Distinguished Lecture in International Law, titled, "The President as a National Security Threat?" His talk included a history of the executive office and its foreign policy powers, as well as an outlook for the future if the president's control of this area goes unchecked.

H

G. Professor Andrew Siegel used his constitutional law and historical expertise to help FOX 13 Seattle's "Good Day Seattle" viewers better understand President Donald Trump's address to Congress in March. Siegel discussed presidential powers in relation to several recent actions taken by the Trump administration.

H. Students and staff flexed their creativity and holiday spirit by making ornaments to decorate the law school's Christmas tree in early December. From left: Associate Dean of Student Life, Diversity, and Inclusion Kristin DiBiase; 3L Breaker Chittenden; 3L Brendan O'Neill (aka Santa); Student Life Program Manager Jacqueline Pham; and 3L Natalie Wilkins.

I

J

I. In late October, the Seattle U Law community celebrated a beautiful Red Mass, a tradition that began in 1245 in Paris to pray that all who work in law will be blessed with God's guidance.

Faculty and members of the legal and legislative communities processed from Sullivan Hall to the Chapel of St. Ignatius to hear Mass, where, from left (crossing coat of arms), Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu delivered the First Reading, and Michele Radosevich '94, senior counsel at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, spoke about incorporating Jesuit Catholic values into the practice of law. Professor Paul Holland and Seattle University President Eduardo Peñalver process to their right.

J. Seattle U Law, in partnership with the Womxn's Law Caucus and Womxn of Color Coalition, named Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) President Sunitha Anjilvel the 2025 Woman of the Year during a celebration in April. In her keynote, she spoke of her efforts at WSBA to diversify the legal profession, offered words of wisdom for new lawyers, and honored all women, in particular her late daughter, Alice, on whose behalf she accepted the award.

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COV E R STORY

FOSTERING FUTURE INDIGENOUS ATTORNEYS

Assistant Professor of Law Nazune Menka (left), faculty director of the Northwest Center for Indigenous Law, with Brooke Pinkham, the center’s director.

W IT H IN DIGENOUS PEOPL E S CR ITIC A L LY U N DE R R E PR E SENT ED IN L AW, T H E R ENA M ED NORT H W E ST CENT ER FOR IN DIGENOUS L AW L AU NCH E S A N EW PL A N T O INCR E A SE ACCE SS.

BY DAV I D SANDLE R

In a profession with few Indigenous practitioners, the field of law urgently needs more people like Justin Mack.

A member of the Agdaagux Tribe of King Cove, Alaska, who lives in Anchorage, Mack aspires to become a lawyer so he can serve as a powerful advocate on behalf of his fellow Alaska Natives. Like many Indigenous peoples, he faced a host of barriers – including where he lived and the overall

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cost – which made attending law school seem impossible.

Fortunately, Mack was able to overcome these challenges with crucial support from Seattle University School of Law, and he is now a student in its hybrid-online Flex JD Program, bringing him within reach of achieving his goal.

Using his path as a blueprint, the law school’s Northwest Center for Indigenous Law, formerly known as the Center for

Indian Law and Policy (CILP), has forged a strong vision and comprehensive plan that it hopes will pave the way for many more Indigenous students to enter the field.

“This is really important because Native lawyers are necessary to do the work of serving tribal nations, and the need is so great,” said Brooke Pinkham, who has served as the center’s director for nearly a decade and who is Nez Perce.

DEVELOPING A VISION Last year, the law school hired Nazune Menka, an Alaska Native (Koyukon Athabaskan) and Lumbee assistant professor, whose expertise includes Indigenous law, tribal law, constitutional law, and environmental law.

Menka also became the center’s new faculty director. Upon arrival, she initiated a process to chart its future direction.

After consulting with key stakeholders and CILP’s founders to gather input, she and Pinkham developed a strategic plan that articulates a clear vision: that Seattle U Law will become the leading law school for Indigenous law in the Pacific Northwest.

“Our law school’s location makes this a natural goal to pursue,” she said, given that the states of Washington and Alaska span the ancestral homelands of 258 federally recognized tribes, amounting to nearly half of all tribal nations in the United States.

Further, the center’s plan spells out a mission to emphasize Indigenous law in the curriculum, projects, and elsewhere, provide unique opportunities for law students to learn about Tribal Nations, and conduct research in and increase awareness of Indigenous legal issues.

“Our goal is to build a stronger Indigenous Law Program that can become the foundation to attract many more Indigenous students, offering them the best possible education and preparation for a

Justin Mack

rewarding career by practicing in this area,” Menka said.

“This strategic plan will serve the needs of our next generation of tribal leaders and members,” said Bree R. Black Horse ’13, who serves as the first Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington and who is also an enrolled member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. “It will equip students who go on to advocate for Indian tribes.”

To become more inclusive and appeal to as many potential students as possible, Menka and Pinkham are broadening the center’s focus by adopting the phrase “Indigenous law” in place of “Indian law,” which is a legal term that dates to an earlier era. This was part of the impetus for renaming the center.

“I like the idea of Indigeneity being broad enough to include everyone across the U.S. and beyond, inclusive of Canada and Mexico, Alaska and Hawaii, or American Samoa, Guam, and Puerto Rico, for example,” Menka said.

BARRIERS TO ENTRY

The field of law’s longstanding representation problem is particularly acute among Indigenous peoples.

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the Indigenous population grew to its largest size in generations, with 9.7 million people identifying as Native American or Alaska Native, either alone or in combination with another race. This is a 160% increase f rom 2010, a nd some tribal advocates believe that Bree R. Black Horse '13 it’s an undercount.

Overall, they make up nearly 3% of the total U.S. population.

Yet this group is woefully underrepresented in the field of law. According to 2022 data from the American Bar Association, just 0.5% of the country’s approximately 1.3 million active lawyers identify as Native American, a ratio virtually unchanged over the past decade. Only 0.4% of law students nationally identify as such.

Indigenous students face several barriers that explain these low numbers.

The cost of legal education is a gigantic hurdle. High poverty rates among Indigenous communities mean students and their families may struggle to make ends meet, let alone devote scarce funds to professional education. Borrowing a substantial amount of money may be their only option.

“Being straddled with that much debt when you are just getting started is a difficult realization,” said Gina Steiner ’04, a member of and administrative director of judicial services for the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. She is still paying off her student loans after 20 years of practice.

Location also limits access. Mack lives and works in Alaska, the only U.S. state without a law school.

“As a firefighter with a wife and two young daughters, leaving the state for several years to earn a law degree — and uprooting my family in the process — just wasn’t feasible,” he said.

Even tribal members in the lower 48 find that distance is often a barrier. For Steiner, who grew up on her reservation on the Kitsap Peninsula, leaving her tribal community and the support it provided, even temporarily, was a non-starter.

Instead, she commuted daily via ferry and bus to campus — a grueling two hours each way — to attend classes.

“Even though Seattle is not that far away, I would be gone 14 hours or more a day,” she said. “As a single mom raising two young kids, it was one of the most difficult things.

I felt very alone.”

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Port Gamble S’Klallam member Gina Steiner ’04 wears her tribe’s ceremonial regalia composed of traditional materials, including a hat made of cedar and a hide drum used when visiting other tribes and territories. She is the first tribal member to earn a law degree and practice law.

COV E R STORY

strengthen the high school to college to law school pipeline, they will make frequent visits to tribal schools to introduce the idea of becoming a lawyer, a longer-term strategy.

A model for this outreach is a program that Seattle U Law — in partnership with the University of Washington and Gonzaga law schools and the Law School Admission Council — launched several years ago to demystify the law school admission process for Indigenous and Latinx students in the Yakima Valley.

OPENING DOORS

“Indigenous communities also have the highest high school dropout rates of any racial or ethnic group,” Black Horse added, which equates to fewer Indigenous students who attend and complete college, a requirement to enter law school. Additionally, many students are the first in their families to attend college, which means they may need to navigate, on their own, an often-confusing labyrinth of applications, testing, financial aid, and more.

STRENGTHENING OUTREACH Over the last 10 years, the percentage of Indigenous students comprising Seattle U Law’s incoming first year classes ranged from a high of 6% in 2015, representing 12

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students out of a total class of 201, to just 1.5% last year, only three of 203 students.

Menka and Pinkham plan to boost these numbers through proactive outreach. The fact that they are both Indigenous will help them establish new relationships with tribes throughout the region.

“As someone who grew up in a tribal community in the state, that goes a long way,” said Pinkham, who was raised within the community of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation in Eastern Washington. “We know the importance of outreach and being with those communities and representatives and just listening.”

In the short-term, they will connect with Indigenous student organizations at area colleges and universities to build awareness of Seattle U Law’s programs. To

Awareness is one element, but enrolling and graduating substantially more Indigenous students requires addressing systemic challenges.

The law school awards the full-tuition Douglas R. Nash Scholarship to promising Indigenous incoming law students. Mack is a recipient who said the scholarship has substantially decreased the financial burden of his legal education to his family.

“As helpful as this scholarship is, we only have the resources to help at most one student each year and we know that the need is so much greater,” Menka said. To create more scholarships, the center plans to strengthen its fundraising efforts.

Given his location and position in life, Mack thought his window to attend law school had closed for good. Then he heard about the law school’s Flex JD Program, with a hybrid-online structure that would enable him to complete most of his coursework from his home in Alaska. He would only need to travel to Seattle a few weekends per year for required in-person class sessions.

“It was the difference between going to law school and not going,” Mack said of the 3.5-year program.

Mack's experience aligns with the law school's vision of accessibility for Flex JD, allowing anyone — including Indigenous students — regardless of their location to earn a law degree while remaining in their communities and with their families and

support systems. This means students can continue working to support themselves while in law school, which dramatically lowers the overall cost of their education.

Menka is currently developing an Indigenous Law Certificate for JD students as another strategy to boost enrollment.

“The accomplishment of completing this certificate will increase the interest of students who come from or seek to serve tribal nations and enhance our school’s ability to recruit prospective students,” she wrote.

Black Horse believes the certificate is a tool for future graduates to easily demonstrate their expertise, providing “tangible, marketable skills they can use to pursue careers serving tribes and tribal communities.”

Other initiatives provide students with real-world experience in Indigenous law.

This ranges from a long-running partnership with the Tulalip Tribes, located in Marysville, where students clerk for tribal court judges, to a recent grant secured in concert with Skagit Legal Aid that will enable students to participate in clinics serving the Swinomish Tribe, in Skagit County, and the Makah Nation, on the Olympic Peninsula (see pg. 10 for more details). A multitude of externship opportunities with tribes are also available, and Menka and Pinkham hope to develop more.

Cultivating a sense of community is vital to helping Indigenous students succeed in law school. Since its creation in 2009, the center has been instrumental in supporting Indigenous students.

“The center really served as my home base,” said Black Horse, who was the only Indigenous student in her 1L class. “I knew that the people in the center understood my lived experience as a Native student and what I wanted to do serving tribal communities.”

Additionally, the law school hosts an active chapter of the Native American Law Student Association (NALSA), which organizes a variety of events and activities to foster a sense of community and advocate for their interests. The American Indian Law Journal, started by Black Horse when

“No one can care for our people better than us.”

— GINA STEINER ’04

she was a student, is one of just four accredited student-run publications in the nation solely dedicated to Indian law.

Menka and Pinkham believe that as more Indigenous students enroll, the community within the law school will become even stronger.

FULFILLING THE VISION The paths of both Mack and Steiner are emblematic of the center’s vision to enroll and educate many more Indigenous students.

Mack will soon begin an externship with the Aleut Corporation, one of 13 regional entities created to settle land and financial claims made by Alaska Natives and provide economic opportunities for

their shareholders. The experience will serve as a key element of his legal education, and a possible preview of his post-graduation career.

“Alaska is short on attorneys, and even shorter on attorneys who get into Indian and tribal law,” said Mack, who is an Aleut shareholder. “In a way, I am coming full-circle with my Native background and bringing that to the corporation. They are building me up by establishing a new externship with the law school, which is incredibly rewarding.

Steiner overcame barriers to become the first Port Gamble S’Klallam member to graduate from law school and practice law.

For many years, she served as its in-house general counsel.

“As a tribal member and an attorney representing my own tribe, I feel like I understand the values of my community and am able to make recommendations and give advice that others may not be able to,” Steiner said. “No one can care for our people better than us.”

If you are interested in supporting the Northwest Center for Indigenous Law, please contact Feven Teklu, assistant dean for Development and Alumni Relations, at fteklu@seattleu.edu.

Justin Mack ’26, an Alaska Native who is a member of the Agdaagux Tribe, subsistence fishes on Prince William Sound with his 3-yearold daughter Ava. He is a student in the law school’s hybrid-online Flex JD Program, which allows him to earn his law degree while remaining in his home state to continue working as a firefighter and care for his family.

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COV E R STORY ALUMNI PROFILE

AS ONE DOOR CLOSES, ANOTHER OPENS A severe workplace injury inspired Greg Colburn ’08 to help others in the same position.

BY NICOLE JE NNING S

Greg Colburn’s life changed forever during his senior year of college. The standout University of Washington (UW) baseball player, who was balancing his sports career with pre-med studies, was on the verge of fulfilling his lifelong dream to play professionally, having just signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

But that dream literally came crashing down when Colburn fell from a three-story roof while working his construction job. He suffered a severe injury called a Chopart fracture dislocation; the main weightbearing joint in both feet collapsed, while the ligaments and tendons that support the joint ruptured. Learning that he would never play baseball professionally, however, was the most painful blow.

“It was almost a grieving process,” Colburn said. “I felt reduced — and somewhat lost. I wondered if I’d even be able to play catch with my future children someday.”

Colburn’s recovery was long and arduous. He underwent two surgeries and spent two years in a wheelchair. Nearly

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every aspect of his day, from cooking dinner to traversing UW’s hilly campus, became much more challenging.

"I went from being wholly independent to being at the mercy of everyone around me," he said. “I went from feeling like Superman to nothing.”

To obtain justice for his immense pain and suffering, Colburn pursued a personal injury lawsuit against a party whose negligence, he alleged, caused the accident. Finding a lawyer to take his case, however, proved exceedingly difficult, requiring inquiries with 80 law firms.

Although Colburn eventually found an attorney, his experience inspired him to shift his focus from medicine to law.

“I got frustrated and felt like there was this opportunity to be of help to people who would find themselves in the situation I was in,” Colburn said.

During his second year at Seattle University School of Law, Colburn was able to translate his classroom learning into real-world lawyering by working directly on his own case, finally winning a settlement after two years of work, and nearly five years after the injury.

“I spent significant hours working on my case, hundreds of hours. Everything about law school helped me. Learning how to think like a lawyer, breaking down issues, and problem-solving helped my case and helped me personally deal with

the emotions of my case,” Colburn said.

“Legal writing and evidence prepared me for drafting discovery motions and summary judgment motions. All of the law school preparation helped me successfully complete my nearly seven-hour discovery deposition. Without law school, my case probably doesn't end as successfully.”

After eight years working for other personal injury firms, he launched his own in 2017. Based in Issaquah, Colburn Law has helped thousands of clients receive compensation for a variety of injuries, including in workplaces. He takes pride in his ability to empathize with his clients, which comes from having been in a similar position.

“When clients call us, a lot of times they find themselves in one of the scariest or worst moments of their lives, and we have the opportunity to help them out, even if it’s just taking the time to listen to them,” Colburn said. “Most people want stability and calm in life, and being able to restore that, and bring hope, it’s a big deal, particularly with what happened to me.”

Two decades after his accident, Colburn has never played professionally on the ballfield, but with the flexibility from running his own law firm, he can coach his kids’ Little League teams. He is at peace with the twists and turns in his career journey.

“In this instance, it really worked itself out. I have fully accepted my new path,” he said. “Being a lawyer is a difficult job.

But for me, it’s an unbelievably rewarding career.”

A LUM NI PRO FILE

VALUING PUBLIC SERVICE In becoming a judge, Nikole Hecklinger ’95 finds a new way to work in the public interest.

BY DAVI D SANDLER

Growing up in Federal Way, Nikole Hecklinger viewed her mother — a nurse at Western State Hospital, a state-run psychiatric facility — as a role model and exemplar of her family’s values.

“I was taught to contribute to the community and to help other people," she said.

Using those values as a foundation, Hecklinger has built a fulfilling public interest legal career that recently culminated in her becoming a King County Superior Court judge in January.

Until this point, Hecklinger filled a different role in the courtroom, having spent the bulk of her career as a public defender in Seattle and Bellingham. For nearly 25 years, she defended the rights of vulnerable individuals and communities, including juveniles.

“I really loved working on the youth cases, especially teens,” she said. “It gave me the opportunity to support them, such as in child welfare cases where they didn’t have parents. Some of my fondest memories were getting to know them, making sure they were getting the support services they needed to transition to adulthood.”

She first realized law was the ideal avenue to fulfill her public service ambition after completing a work study with the Federal Aviation Administration’s legal department and taking a class on sex discrimination law, both as a University of Washington undergraduate student.

This led Hecklinger to Seattle University School of Law, enabling her to stay close to home. As a law student, she

was given opportunities to engage in meaningful work.

Recalling a particularly m e m or a ble e x p e r ie nc e serving as a research assistant for Professor Emerita Julie Shapiro, who died last year, Hecklinger said, “She trusted me to conduct research on issues that were important and treated me like a peer.”

Hecklinger presides over a variety of criminal and civil cases and trials from her position on the bench.

Although she no longer advocates for safety, and accountability. These are also any one client or party, Hecklinger uses my values.”

As a judge, Hecklinger must constantly her public defense background to ensure everyone who appears in her courtroom is balance her mandate to protect the community with the laudable goal of treated fairly under the law.

Serving as a judge, she said, “makes me providing a path to rehabilitation and think about due process, making sure that redemption for those who have violated peoples’ rights are protected in the judicial the law.

“I know I am not going to please system.

"Having represented defendants and everyone,” Hecklinger said of her decisions. respondents helps me explain the legal “What I do is look at the big picture for process to unrepresented litigants in plain every situation that comes before me and language, which I believe benefits all try to understand the context, what is really happening.” parties involved,” she continued.

Although the duties of her judgeship Hecklinger is similarly mindful of the are demanding, in large part because the importance of remaining neutral.

“Being a defender required that I stakes are significant, Hecklinger finds the advocate the best that I could for my clients, work just as rewarding as her previous role.

“I value the opportunity to look at but that doesn’t mean I’m unsympathetic to the concerns of prosecutors, victims, the legal issues before me from a variety and the community,” she said. “I can of perspectives and engage with my be impartial, because I also understand colleagues and those who appear in court,” the importance of victims’ rights, public she said.

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CLASS NOTES

Updates that keep us connected STAY UP TO DATE! Submit your class note online: law.seattleu.edu/classnotes

1988 Patrick Lamb was elected president and managing partner at Carney Badley Spellman PS. He is also chair of Carney's Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group.

Lamb’s practice focuses on corporate transactions and business matters, and involves significant work in mergers and acquisitions of businesses, commercial loan transactions, preparation and negotiation of complex corporate business agreements, limited liability company agreements, supply and service agreements, and licensing and distribution agreements.

1991 Kim Shirley has been named Seattle University’s 2025 Alumna of the Year for her lifelong dedication to advancing Seattle’s art community and embodying 26

LAWYER MAGAZINE Spring 2025

the university’s mission. (Read more about her on pg. 10.)

1993 Nancy Norton was appointed chief legal officer at marketing technology company Banzai International, Inc. She was previously vice president of Legal at Novartis and has held senior positions at Kymeta, Ingram Micro Cloud, and Avanade, where she contributed to their growth and expansion.

1995 Randy Duckworth was named executive director of the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA). Duckworth has specialized in agricultural association management, international food marketing, and food assistance programs during his career, overseeing marketing, promotion, and research activities in more than 75 countries. He most recently served as chief executive officer of the Global

Pulse Federation, based in Dubai.

Mark Lindquist's firm, Mark Lindquist Law, was voted "Best Personal Injury Firm" in The Tacoma News Tribune’s “2024 Best of Pierce County.”

His firm's notable successes in 2024 included several high-profile cases in aviation, a shooting involving police, and negligence against the City of Tacoma that was resolved for $14.9 million.

Rebecca Reeder was elected to the Pierce County Superior Court for Department 4, filling the seat of retiring Judge Bryan Chushcoff '77. Reeder has been in private practice since 1995, most recently at Alliance Law Group in University Place, where she has been the managing partner since 2010. She has served as a pro tem court commissioner since 2002 and an arbitrator since 2008. She has extensive community service experience, including as a Junior League of Tacoma member, Clover Park Technical College Foundation board member, Tacoma Pro Bono Community Lawyers volunteer, coach, and school volunteer.

Government and Community Affairs at the airline. She joined Alaska in 2005 as director of Government Affairs, based in Washington, D.C. Previously, she worked in the U.S. Congress, managing air transportation and homeland security issues.

2004 James Brown was elected Montana’s commissioner of Securities and Insurance with the Office of the Montana State Auditor. His career experience includes working as a policy aide, a legislative director, and owning and operating the James Brown Law Office.

Matt Hansen joined Nossaman’s Eminent Domain and Inverse Condemnation Group as partner in the firm’s Seattle office. The group handles some of the nation’s largest such cases and leads some of the highest-profile public works projects that shape infrastructure across the U.S. He previously served as the leader of Miller Nash's Condemnation/Eminent Domain Practice and has spent his career focusing on eminent domain law.

2001

2005

Megan Ouellette has been named vice president of Public and Government Affairs for Alaska Airlines. Prior to her promotion, Ouellette served as managing director of

Matthew Burnett was named director of Research and Programs for the Access to Justice Research Initiative at the American Bar Foundation.

In addition to his new role,

Burnett is an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center and a visiting scholar with the Justice Futures Project at Arizona State University.

Kristen Fisher was named a shareholder at Stokes Lawrence, P.S., which has offices in Seattle and Yakima.

Dustin Till has joined Troutman Pepper Locke as a partner in the firm’s nationally leading Hydropower Practice, where he will provide support to the firm’s Environmental and Energy Transactions groups. Till has more than a decade of in-house counsel experience at PacifiCorp, where he provided strategic guidance on complex energy regulatory and environmental matters, including the historic Klamath Dam removal and federal and state catastrophic wildfire policy issues. Till’s practice spans a wide range of areas, including regulatory, policy, and tribal issues, with a particular focus on relicensing and compliance challenges related to hydroelectric assets.

SARAH PENDLETON '13

JOYCE BRUCE '17

has been elevated to the position of clerk of the Washington Supreme Court after serving as acting clerk.

She is only the 12th clerk in state history and, as an Asian American, is the first person of color to serve in the role.

The clerk maintains the court’s records, including thousands of case files and documents, and manages the court’s case flow, mandated filing timelines, calendars, and dockets.

was named legislative director and a member of the leadership team for newly elected Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson. She previously worked in the state’s Office of the Attorney General when Ferguson was attorney general.

2006 Natalie WaltonAnderson has been named Seattle’s chief public safety officer by Mayor Bruce Harrell, a member of the mayor’s Executive Team, and the portfolio manager overseeing the Seattle Police Department, the Community Assisted Response and Engagement Department, and the Office of Emergency Management. She joined the Seattle Mayor’s Office in June of 2024 as director of Public Safety.

Walton-Anderson previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington.

2007 Ian Adams became a shareholder at Schwabe’s Seattle office. His comprehensive practice spans multiple facets of the real estate and lending industry,

primarily focusing on loan transactions involving lenders and borrowers. He also specializes in Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured mortgage transactions and advises assisted living and senior housing providers.

He previously served as an attorney-advisor for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

2010 Maureen McKeeman was appointed a Poulsbo Municipal Court judge by Mayor Becky Erickson. She was previously a partner at Tolman, Grossman & McKeeman in Poulsbo. Her criminal law experience includes serving as a pro tem judge in Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island's municipal courts since 2022 and working as a prosecutor with Bremerton's Office of the City Attorney. She has also worked as a criminal defense attorney in private practice.

2011 Ingrid McLeod was elected to the Pierce County Superior Court for Department 15, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Gretchen Leanderson '87. McLeod has served on the Pierce County Superior Court bench as a commissioner and on multiple committees for more than three years. Before joining the bench, McLeod was a civil litigator at Tacoma’s Davies Pearson, P.C. Benjamin Robinson joined Chalos & Co. P.C. During his two decades as an active duty officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, Robinson served in both prosecution and defense roles, and handled matters from the earliest stages of investigation through the appellate level.

Notably, he served as the Coast Guard’s deputy chief of the Environmental Law Division, where he was the service’s subject matter expert in maritime environmental crimes,

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JESSICA ROBERTS '20

DARRIAS SIME '21

was named to the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s "40 Under 40" list. Roberts, who is a member of the Cherokee Nation, is an attorney at Davis Wright Tremaine and president of the Northwest Indian Bar Association. As a student, she was editorin-chief of the American Indian Law Journal.

has joined Foster Garvey as an associate in the firm's Seattle-based Investment Management Group. Sime has significant experience in both business transactions and corporate finance, having advised a diverse range of clients on complex financial transactions, corporate governance, and regulatory compliance. He previously worked for Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt.

maritime pollution liability, and environmental regulatory matters. Immediately before joining Chalos & Co., Robinson was an attorney advisor with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, the federal agency charged with the economic regulation of rail, motor carrier, pipeline, and domestic ocean shipping transportation.

Sara Stephens Visbeek is now general counsel at Bellevuebased software company Nintex. Visbeek has 15 years of industry experience in technology, mobile gaming, entertainment, and health and well-being. She was previously at Limeade (which was acquired by WebMD in 2023), where she held the roles of vice president of Legal, general counsel, and corporate secretary.

2013 Alexis DeLaCruz has joined the Tulalip Office of Civil Legal Aid as its first-ever education attorney. In this role, she

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brings a decade of tribal, state, and federal education, civil, and disability rights litigation experience to serve the children and families of the Tulalip community.

Sperry & Ebberson in Seattle.

She practices family law, including divorce, child custody, parenting, child support, legal separation, and more.

2014

2016

Sean Badgley joined Structure Law Group in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Badgley began his legal career in Washington's cannabis industry in 2013, where he played a key role in interpreting emerging cannabis laws and advocating for regulatory developments through administrative channels. He has represented some of Washington's most high-value cannabis retailers.

While at Seattle U Law, he was a member of the Cannabis Law Society. His pro bono work includes advocacy litigation against city governments and the state of Washington.

2015 Desirée Good has been named partner at Lasher Holzapfel

Washington Editorial Advisory Board, providing feedback on news coverage and insight on how best to shape future coverage of Washington issues.

2019 Loni Hinton has joined Dorsey & Whitney LLP as of counsel in

the Seattle office’s Construction and Design Group. She represents public and private owners, developers, contractors, design professionals, and product manufacturers in legal matters involving risk mitigation and insurance, contract drafting and negotiation, construction liens and payment bond claims, design disputes, construction defects, and delay and impact claims. Hinton joined Dorsey from Davis Wright Tremaine.

2018 Ashley Langley, an attorney at Miller Nash LLP, has been appointed to serve as a member of Law360’s 2025

Beverly Tsai of the Washington Appellate Project won the President’s Award at this year’s Washington Defender Association Conference.

2024 Sam Coren has joined Perkins Coie LLP as an associate in the Trademark, Copyright, Internet, and Advertising Group. As a law student, Coren was a summer associate with the firm and worked as a judicial intern for King County Superior Court Judge Michael Scott.

In Memoriam

James Barnecut ’77 James "Jim" Barnecut is resting in peace after a courageous battle against pancreatic cancer. He and his wife, Jamie, worked side by side in their West Seattle "mom and pop" law office for four decades, and he frequently commented that "she wasn't bad to work for." Barnecut enjoyed outdoor activities, particularly hiking and climbing, summitting most of the major peaks in this area. He was blessed with his loving wife and has always said that his proudest accomplishment and legacy are his two children, Nicholas and Rachel, whom he adored and revered with pride.

Thomas Braun ’03 Thomas Braun's life was a testament to adventure, exploration, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge and experience. Still making plans for his next adventure, Braun passed away on Jan. 13, 2025, at his home. After earning his law degree, in 2008 he was named a Rising Star, a designation as a top-rated attorney as recognized by his peers. When not working, Braun liked to travel, climb mountains, golf, ski, or ride his bicycle. His journeys took him all over Asia, Europe, and Mexico. As his skiing often took him places most people feared to go, Braun also earned a certificate to assist in avalanche search and rescue. When not exploring new landscapes, Braun could often be found immersed in books.

Ralph Hua ’09 Ralph Hua died peacefully at home on Bainbridge Island, surrounded by his loving family, on Nov. 14, 2024, at age 42, after a two-year battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. He was a dedicated father, husband, and immigration attorney. In 2010, Hua began his career in immigration law at Gibbs Houston Pauw, and in 2018, he started working at Fisher Phillips, where he became a partner in 2021. He also served as a volunteer immigration attorney at Seattle’s Neighborhood Law Clinic. As a true believer in freedom and democracy, Hua relished the opportunity to help others achieve their American dreams. Hua is survived by his parents, Yaping Zhou and Yixing Hua, of Wuxi, China, his wife, Marie Baraldi, and sons, Sawyer and Orion, of Bainbridge Island.

James McGuire ’98 James Christopher McGuire, a lawyer with a 25-year career in family law in Seattle, died peacefully on the morning of Nov. 20, 2024, after a long illness. He was 67. As a law student, he won numerous moot court competitions and graduated magna cum laude. Driven by a profound sense of service, he co-founded the Capital Case Project, advocating for the wrongfully convicted and defending the constitutional rights of those facing the death penalty.

Later, McGuire rose through the ranks of various Seattle law firms before founding his own firm, McGuire Law & Mediation. As a family law attorney, he navigated the complex emotional and legal landscapes of his practice for more than two decades, helping families make difficult decisions, endure difficult consequences, and move on in their lives with confidence.

Donald Miller ’90 Donald "Don" Miller passed away on Feb. 17, 2024, after a valiant battle with heart complications following surgery. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in criminology, he was placed in Seattle at King County Juvenile Court as a probation counselor.

During Miller's time in King County, he met his soul mate and best friend, Karen Winston. After 16 years at juvenile court, Miller made the decision to attend law school, graduating cum laude.

Immediately after graduation, Miller moved to Spokane to work at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. He became licensed to practice law in Washington and Idaho, and then gained a contract with the Washington State Department of Corrections as an attorney, providing services to incarcerated individuals. He served his clients well with his deep knowledge of criminal and constitutional law and analytical abilities.

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BRING YOUR LEGACY TO LIFE As a respected member of our community, you appreciate the importance of Seattle University School of Law’s vital mission to prepare future generations for the practice of law. As you explore the best avenues to fulfill your charitable goals, both today and for decades to come, please consider the law school in your legacy plans.

How your generosity can make a difference • • • •

Endow scholarships to make legal education more accessible to promising students Enhance academic programs to ensure our curriculum remains relevant in an evolving legal landscape Support experiential learning to provide hands-on legal experience for students and crucial legal services to underserved populations Invest in faculty scholarship and research to address critical legal issues

GIVING OPTIONS Give Today with an IRA Rollover Gift

Give Tomorrow with a Beneficiary Gift

If you are 70.5 and older, and/or required to take a required minimum distribution, this can be a simple and direct way to give that may provide valuable tax benefits.

By designating our law school as a beneficiary of your IRA (all or percentage), you can provide tax-free support while potentially reducing your estate’s total taxable value.

These are just two of the many ways to donate. Please contact us to discuss your legacy ideas and next steps: Valerie Norwood, Director of Gift Planning vnorwood@seattleu.edu (206) 296-2190 For educational purposes only. Please consult an attorney or trusted advisor to discuss your individual situation and goals.

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Thanks to your generosity, Seattle U Law can fulfill its vision to provide opportunities for students to become powerful public interest advocates. This year's event raised more than $216,000 to support these efforts.