Grads shine brightly on WA Super Lawyers, Rising Stars lists

August 28, 2024
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Seattle University School of Law graduates are well-represented on recently-published lists of Super Lawyers and Rising Stars in Washington state, as 671 total alumni made the cut. With 1,067 alumni included in these lists over the years, Seattle U Law has the most alumni, coming in ahead of the next best law school by more than 200 lawyers.

This year, 419 Seattle U Law alumni were included in the Washington Super Lawyers list, up from 349 last year, including two among the top 10. Another 18 can be found in the Top 100, which includes graduates of prominent law schools from across the nation.

Also this year, 13 graduates were named to the Top 50 Women Washington Super Lawyers.

“Seattle University School of Law graduates are leaders in law who continue to dominate the Super Lawyers rankings across the entire Pacific Northwest region,” said Anthony E. Varona, dean and professor of law. “Our students are educated by nationally renowned scholars and master teachers who are passionate about their success, so it’s no wonder that our alumni are regarded as leaders in their practice areas.”

Each year, Super Lawyers, owned by Thomson Reuters, publishes a list of attorneys that it considers the best in each state. According to its website, the publication describes itself as “a rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.” Only 5% of a state’s lawyers are named to the list each year.

Additionally, 253 alumni have been named to the Washington Rising Stars list, up slightly from last year’s tally of 245. Attorneys 40 or younger or who have been in practice for no longer than 10 years are eligible, and no more than 2.5% of a state’s eligible lawyers are selected.

“Our alumni are leading practitioners across all areas of practice, including private and corporate practice, government service, public interest advocacy, and the bench,” Varona said. “They are phenomenally well-rounded attorneys who care about excellence, justice, and service, and I could not be happier that they are getting the recognition they deserve.”

Lora L. Brown ’91, who founded the Law Offices of Lora L. Brown in Seattle, and Ken Masters ’92, founder of Bainbridge Island’s Masters Law Group, PLLC, made the Top 10 again this year.

In addition to Brown and Masters, Seattle U Law alumni named to the Top 100 include (in alphabetical order):

  • Gina M. Auter ’92
  • Jennifer Campbell ’01
  • Kevin Coluccio ’86
  • Shannon Ellmers ’06
  • Elizabeth A. Hershman-Greven ’04
  • Brett M. Hill ’04
  • Karen Koehler ’85
  • Ken Lederman ’96
  • Ken Masters ’92
  • Simeon Osborne ’84
  • Jennifer J. Payseno ’92
  • Tara K. Richardson ’98
  • Nathan P. Roberts ’08
  • Scott R. Sleight ’97
  • David B. Starks ’98
  • Rebecca Roe ’77
  • Vonda M. Sargent ’94
  • Roy Umlauf ’85
  • Stephen P. VanDerhoef ’90
  • Heather M. Young ’97

Alumni who were named to the Top 50 Women Lawyers list (in alphabetical order):

  • Gina M. Auter ’92
  • Lora L. Brown ’91
  • Jennifer G. Crisera ’04
  • Shannon Ellmers ‘ 06
  • Jennifer Campbell ’01
  • Elizabeth A. Hershman-Greven ’04
  • Karen Koehler ’85
  • Sophia M. Palmer ’06
  • Jennifer J. Payseno ’92
  • Tara K. Richardson ’98
  • Rebecca Roe ’77
  • Vonda M. Sargent ’94
  • Heather M. Young ’97

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