Featured News Stories

Ates Serifsoy, right, and Connor Trapp

Students awarded prestigious labor law fellowships

Two Seattle University School of Law students have been awarded prestigious fellowships by the Peggy Browning Fund, a Philadelphia-based organization dedicated to educating the next generation of workplace justice advocates.

June 2, 2023


Lori K. Smith, chief judge of the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division One, administered the oath of office to Leonard J. Feldman. He will serve as one of 10 judges on the court.

Ceremony honors law professor appointed to state appeals court bench

Professor from Practice Leonard J. Feldman’s appointment to the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division One, was recognized and celebrated last week during a swearing-in and robing ceremony that was hosted by Seattle University School of Law, his professional home for the past three years.

May 22, 2023


Sullivan Hall statue artwork

Law student earns prestigious post-graduation fellowship

Charla Boley, who graduates this month from Seattle University School of Law, was awarded a prestigious Equal Justice Works (EJW) fellowship to continue her advocacy for economic justice and the legal rights of people with disabilities.

May 10, 2023


Move fast and build things

Seattle U Law prepares lawyers for opportunities, challenges in technology sector. (From the spring 2023 issue of Lawyer magazine.)

May 9, 2023


Going global

Dean Varona launches effort to internationalize Seattle U Law. (From the spring 2023 issue of Lawyer magazine.)

May 8, 2023


James Stafford and David Fernandez

Inslee signs bill championed by Seattle U Law Workers’ Rights Clinic

Assistant Professor Elizabeth Ford, the clinic’s director, called the bill “an incredibly important step forward.” The measure allows the Department of Labor and Industries to collect 12% interest on all meritorious claims of wage theft, which is when an employer illegally withholds or reduces the pay a worker is due.

May 4, 2023


Bree Black Horse addressing guests at Dean Varona's community brunch

Building belonging with brunch

Dean Anthony E. Varona hosts a series of gatherings to cultivate community for underrepresented law students.

April 24, 2023


Dean Tony Varona

Varona to lead national task force on Hispanic representation

HNBA President Mariana Bravo announced the formation of the National Task Force on Hispanic Law Faculty and Deans on Monday and will elaborate on the task force’s mission at a reception hosted by Seattle University School of Law on Tuesday, April 25.

April 24, 2023


Equal Justice Initiative

Six students join Calhoun racial justice fellowship

Six first-year law students committed to equal justice were selected for this year’s Calhoun Family Fellowship and will embark on a summer of advocacy, education, and inspiration. The students are Francis Argueta, Hallie Conyers-Tucker, Nora Gunning, Jeremiah Noonan, Laurissa Stokes, and Jane Thomas.

April 20, 2023


Sullivan Hall building exterior

Three law students selected as liaisons to state commission

Seattle University School of Law has chosen three outstanding law students to serve as student liaisons to the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission (MJC): Leslie L. Burnett Locke (2L), Stephanie Chavez (3L), and Mónica Mendoza-Castrejón.

April 14, 2023


Judge Janet Chung

Law school honors Judge Janet Chung as Woman of the Year

Judge Janet Chung reflected on what she called her “anti-resume” – opportunities missed, choices not made, offers rejected – encouraging the audience to embrace their full stories, not just their successes.

March 31, 2023 | Events


Seattle University campus

New campaign aims to help sexual assault/DV survivors

For the first time, campus community can obtain protection order filing assistance from Seattle U Law’s Family Law Center.

March 30, 2023 | Announcements


Twyla Carter

NYC Legal Aid Society CEO and alumna to deliver commencement address

Twyla Carter ’07, a nationally renowned public defender and advocate for bail reform and pretrial assistance to low-income clients, will address Seattle University School of Law’s Class of 2023 graduates at commencement on May 13.

March 1, 2023 | Announcements


Sullivan Hall (background) and blooming tree flower (foreground)

Professor, multiple alumni earn recognition at Pierce Co. awards banquet

Seattle University School of Law alumni and a longtime professor earned nearly every honor at the 115th Annual Lincoln Day Awards Banquet, held by the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association at the Tacoma Convention Center earlier this month.

February 22, 2023


Globe map

Seattle U Law recognized as top school for international law

Seattle University School of Law earned an “A” grade in international law from National Jurist’s preLaw magazine, as reported in the Winter 2023 issue.

February 9, 2023


Collage of new faculty photos

Law school welcomes five new teacher-scholars to career faculty

The new professors, whose positions begin July 1, 2023, are Erin Carr (legal writing), Jeremiah Chin (constitutional law), Elizabeth Ford (law clinic), Kip Hustace (civil procedure), and Luke Maher (tax law).

February 6, 2023


Sullivan Hall brick wall exterior with 'Seattle University School of Law' lettering.

Seattle U Law suspends participation in U.S. News law school rankings

Seattle University School of Law remains committed to providing prospective students with the information necessary to make an informed decision about where to undertake their law studies.

January 24, 2023


Law school faculty share expertise, insight at U.S. law schools meeting

Seattle University School of Law faculty scholars and administrators provided valuable leadership and academic insight at the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) annual meeting in San Diego, California, last week.

January 10, 2023


Law students condemn gender policing in solidarity with Iranians

In a show of solidarity with human rights protesters in Iran, Seattle University School of Law students issued a statement condemning gender policing and discrimination by the governing Islamic regime and are working to educate the law school community about the country’s laws and history.

November 28, 2022


Amazon GC emphasizes need for writing skills and pro bono engagement

Speaking at Seattle University School of Law as part of Dean Anthony E. Varona’s Luminaries in Law Lecture and Conversation Series, David Zapolsky said Amazon is notorious for banning PowerPoint presentations in its meetings.

October 24, 2022 | Events


A dynamic new dean: Anthony E. Varona

With abundant enthusiasm and a bold strategic vision, Anthony E. Varona looks to take Seattle U Law to new heights of achievement. (From fall 2022 Lawyer magazine)

October 11, 2022


Task force issues recommendations to combat racism in justice system

A statewide task force examining race and the criminal justice system in the state of Washington has developed a comprehensive set of 140 recommendations aimed at reducing or eliminating the disproportionate impact of the legal system on people of color.

October 10, 2022


Dean Anthony E. Varona of Seattle University School of Law and Vice-Chancellor Prof. C. Raj Kumar of O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) holds up signed partnership agreements during a virtual signing ceremony.

Seattle U Law partners with O.P. Jindal Global University in India

On September 22, 2022, Dean Anthony Varona, Seattle University School of Law, and Vice-Chancellor Prof. C. Raj Kumar, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), signed two key agreements creating new opportunities for law students in India and the United States to pursue a global education.

September 22, 2022


Workshop promotes diverse leaders in legal education

The workshop assembles law school deans and executive university leaders from across the country to serve as presenters and panelists, providing a venue for them to share advice, wisdom, and mentorship with the attendees. Workshop attendees are primarily current law faculty members and assistant or associate deans who aspire to apply for deanship positions in the future.

September 16, 2022


Sullivan Hall statue artwork

Five Gregoire Fellows welcome chance to diversify legal profession

The program, named in honor of former Washington Governor Christine Gregoire, recognizes students for their academic and professional achievements, unique perspectives, and leadership potential to diversify the legal profession in Washington. Five first-year students at Seattle University School of Law were named Gregoire Fellows: Kali Clark, Gabriela Dionisio, Ania Kamkar, Kalina Spasovska, and Sarah Yoon.

September 15, 2022


Brooke Coleman named Fredric C. Tausend professor

This professorship is named for Dean Tausend, who led the law school from 1980 to 1986 and is widely credited with strengthening the school’s commitment to social justice, academic excellence, and access to legal education, as well as diversity in education and the profession.

September 7, 2022


Law school welcomes diverse class of entering first-year students

There are 224 students in the class, with 178 full-time students and 46 in the hybrid online Flex JD program for part-time students. Students of color comprise 37 percent of the entering class, an increase from 35 percent last year. Thirty-two percent were the first in their family to attend college.

August 17, 2022


Calhoun Fellows from 2000-2022 visit Southern Poverty Law Center

Calhoun Fellows author amicus brief in support of jury diversity

Inspired by their visit to civil rights sites in Alabama earlier this summer, Seattle University School of Law’s Calhoun Fellows assisted in writing a moving and persuasive legal brief to encourage jury diversity. The case aims to strengthen the right of defendants to have a jury drawn from a jury pool that reflects a fair cross section of the community.

August 12, 2022


Jessica Pouley Deb Haaland

Student sees Native American legal history in the making as Udall intern

Jessica Pouley is one of only 11 students nationally who were selected for the prestigious Native American Congressional Internship, a program run by the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation and the Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy.

July 22, 2022


Isabel Freitas Peres and Lily Su

Bar Studies and ATJI receive grant to study bar exam interventions

Isabel Freitas Peres, director of Bar Studies, and Lily Su, associate director of the Access to Justice Institute, were awarded an 18-month grant to study the effectiveness of bar exam interventions as part of the Professionals in Legal Education Developing Greater Equity (PLEDGE) Fellowship.

July 20, 2022


Sullivan Hall brick wall exterior with 'Seattle University School of Law' lettering.

Acclaimed legal scholars and professors return to Seattle U Law

Acclaimed law professors Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic will return to Seattle University School of Law’s faculty as distinguished professors this year. As leading authors and theorists on race and social change in the United States, they have published numerous books and articles over their distinguished careers that have explored groundbreaking legal frameworks, including critical race theory.

June 21, 2022


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Recent News Stories

WA transgender youth bill targeted in national culture war

Crosscut

Professor Deirdre Bowen reflects on reaction to the bill as a "moral panic."

May 1, 2023 | In the News


New Task Force Aims to Increase Latinx Representation in Law

Law.com

Dean Anthony Varona says faculty role models will encourage Latinx law students.

April 28, 2023 | In the News


Jury deliberating seditious conspiracy case against Proud Boys

KING 5

Professor Danieli Evans says seditious conspiracy is rarely used and can be hard to prove.

April 27, 2023 | In the News


Fact check: False claims about Washington bill, gender surgery

USA Today

Professor Deirdre Bowen explains that parental custody rights remain intact.

April 26, 2023 | In the News


New Seattle University campaign hopes to help violence survivors

KING 5

Students, staff and community members can get help filing protection orders from the school's Family Law Center.

April 20, 2023 | In the News


Posts distort Washington estranged minors law

Associated Press

“It is not remotely what this bill says," according to Professor Deirdre Bowen.

April 20, 2023 | In the News


Fact Check: Bill Does NOT Allow Government To Take Minor Children Away

Lead Stories

The bill actually encourages family reunification, says Professor Deirdre Bowen.

April 18, 2023 | In the News


Dueling abortion-pill rulings show expanding role of judiciary

The Spokesman-Review

Professor Deirdre Bowen says courts are now "weaponized" in the abortion fight.

April 13, 2023 | In the News


Who is Thomas Rice, the Washington judge who ruled mifepristone is safe?

The Washington Post

Professor Deirdre Bowen explains contradictory federal court rulings.

April 8, 2023 | In the News


Police nearly beat him to death. Six years later, he’s being prosecuted.

The Seattle Times

Professor Robert Chang says the decision to prosecute is "startling."

April 2, 2023 | In the News


Ferry captain lost 'situational awareness' before vessel's landing

KING 5

Professor Elizabeth Ford comments on the likelihood of criminal charges.

March 30, 2023 | In the News


Trying to count unhoused people is 'like nailing water to the wall'

KUOW

Professor Sara Rankin says the counts miss thousands of people.

March 29, 2023 | In the News


Jury selection begins in trial for suspect in Everett police shooting

KING 5 News

Professor Deborah Ahrens comments on the challenges of defending someone charged with killing a police officer.

March 14, 2023 | In the News


Restraining orders can 'create a false sense of security'

KING 5 News

Professor Deirdre Bowen discusses the limitations of protection orders.

March 10, 2023 | In the News


Washington lawmakers are trying to protect abortion patients

The Spokesman-Review

Professor Deirdre Bowen discusses the legal challenges yet to come for out-of-state abortion care.

March 6, 2023 | In the News


Seattle City Council bans caste discrimination

KUOW

Professor Sital Kalantry offers legal analysis and important historical context to the issue of caste discrimination.

February 23, 2023 | In the News


UFOs and CRT: Republicans are in a constant state of panic

Salon

Essay includes excerpt from Professor Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic's article about "Space Traders."

February 17, 2023 | In the News


Families of 2 men killed by WA police wait years for officers’ trials

The Seattle Times

Professor Robert Boruchowitz says the outrage is real and understandable.

February 13, 2023 | In the News


The Wash. Labor Developments That Experts Are Watching

Law360

Professor Elizabeth Ford explains new and groundbreaking labor laws in Washington state.

February 9, 2023 | In the News


With rulings against racial bias, court starts 'hard discussions'

KUOW

Professor Robert Chang explains how unfair treatment due to race prevents due process.

February 7, 2023 | In the News


Washington Cases to Watch in 2023

Law360

Professor Deirdre Bowen says a pending sexual assault case could have massive implications for universities.

February 3, 2023 | In the News


Jeff Bezos wants the world to know he’s a philanthropist

Vox

Sara Rankin comments on the Amazon founder's charitable giving to end homelessness.

January 24, 2023 | In the News


Kohberger attorney represented parent of victim in Moscow homicides

Idaho Statesman

Robert Boruchowitz comments on how attorneys handle conflicts of interest.

January 23, 2023 | In the News


Want to understand L.G.B.T.Q. Life in America? Go to Alabama.

The New York Times

Professor Dean Spade is quoted about social movements against oppression.

January 6, 2023 | In the News


SCOTUS case from Washington could have implications for unions

Washington News Service

Professor Elizabeth Ford says the ruling could shift the cost of striking onto unions.

December 28, 2022 | In the News


Rail strike averted, but workers left without sick leave

KUOW

Professor Liz Ford explains what happened to the tentative agreement railway workers had reached with the Biden administration.

December 1, 2022 | In the News


Wage Recovery Funds

California Law Review

Hear Prof. Ford discuss Wage Recovery Funds at this podcast produced by the California Law Review.

November 29, 2022 | In the News


Top law schools rebel against U.S. News’ annual rankings

The National Jurist

Dean Anthony Varona's 2014 essay on the harms of law school rankings is quoted in this article.

November 29, 2022 | In the News


The Law School Promise

Law360

Dean Anthony E. Varona is featured in Episode 1: The Pipeline to the Legal Profession.

November 21, 2022 | In the News


Realty company offering cash after locking homeowners into deal

KIRO 7

Jesse Jones spoke with Professor Steven Bender in this investigation.

November 17, 2022 | In the News


Railway strike averted after tentative agreement reached

KOMO News

Railway strike averted after tentative agreement reached

September 15, 2022 | In the News


Seattle Pacific University trustees sued by students and faculty

KUOW

Seattle Pacific University trustees sued by students and faculty

September 13, 2022 | In the News


The invisible side of abuse: Inside the mind of a manipulator

Q13 FOX

The Spotlight goes inside the mind of a manipulator

September 6, 2022 | In the News


Seattle Children's nurses would get $10 per hour raise

KING 5

Seattle Children's nurses would get $10 per hour raise under proposed contract

August 30, 2022 | In the News


Criminalization of Homelessness

The Doorway Project

Criminalization of Homelessness: An Interview with Ashley Karlstad '21

August 22, 2022 | In the News


Starbucks says labor board helping pro-union workers in Seattle

The Seattle Times

Professor Elizabeth Ford explains the role of the National Labor Relations Board in union votes.

August 16, 2022 | In the News


Cities continue to pass homeless camping ordinances

OPB Think Out Loud

Professor Sara Rankin discusses the current legal framework for cities addressing homelessness.

August 11, 2022 | In the News


Anti-Abortion Leader Says a 10-Year-Old’s Abortion Wouldn’t Count

VICE

Professor Deborah Ahrens says the hope of a governor's pardon might not be enough to reassure abortion service providers.

July 14, 2022 | In the News


How Biden's executive order to protect abortion access impacts WA

KING 5

Professor Deirdre Bowen said Biden’s executive order is more of a policy statement.

July 10, 2022 | In the News


Law Schools Mull How to Address 'Dobbs' and a Changing Court

Law.com

Law schools must figure out how to teach as well as how to help students cope, says Professor Sital Kalantry.

July 5, 2022 | In the News


Prosecutor who asked jury about immigration committed misconduct

The Seattle Times

Prosecutor who asked jury about immigration committed misconduct

June 30, 2022 | In the News


What does Idaho's pending ban on abortion mean for Washington state?

KUOW

States will realize quickly they can't regulate travel for abortion care, says Professor Sital Kalantry.

June 29, 2022 | In the News


Will case of praying Bremerton coach affect other public employees?

KOMO News

Activities on an employee's personal time are protected, says Professor Andrew Siegel.

June 27, 2022 | In the News


Opponents say SCOTUS decision could impact more rights than abortion

KIRO 7

Professor Sital Kalantry describes the potential fallout on same-sex marriage, privacy, and contraception.

June 24, 2022 | In the News


Are juvenile records public? There's a movement to make changes

USA Today

Professor Paul Holland describes concerns about legal system's impact on children.

June 19, 2022 | In the News


SpaceX firings likely violate US labor law, experts say

The Verge

The employees have a strong case for retaliation claims, says Professor Charlotte Garden.

June 17, 2022 | In the News


Why is Starbucks’ union drive speeding ahead while Amazon’s stumbles?

The Guardian

Professor Charlotte Garden says one company isn't more pro-union than the other.

June 14, 2022 | In the News


Race must be considered in determining legality of stops and seizures

The Seattle Times

The question is whether the ruling will affect police behavior, says Professor Robert Chang.

June 9, 2022 | In the News


Race must be considered in determining legality of police stops

The Seattle Times

Whether the ruling affects police behavior remains to be seen, says Professor Robert Chang.

June 9, 2022 | In the News


Cargo loaders are exempt from the Federal Arbitration Act

SCOTUSblog

Professor Charlotte Garden's analysis of a workers' rights case at the U.S. Supreme Court.

June 7, 2022 | In the News