There were 349 alumni added to this year's list, including two lawyers in the Top 10.
Seattle University School of Law continues to lead the way, with more lifetime graduates on the Washington Super Lawyers list than any other law school in the Pacific Northwest. With 1,031 alumni on the list over the years, Seattle U Law comes in ahead of the next school by more than 200 lawyers.
This year, 349 Seattle U Law alumni made it onto the Washington Super Lawyers list. Two alumni were named among the Top 10 Super Lawyers in the state of Washington this year. Another 17 can be found in the Top 100, which includes graduates of prominent law schools from across the nation.
“I am thrilled but not at all surprised that Seattle University School of Law graduates 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.”
Each year, Super Lawyers, which is owned by Thomson Reuters, publishes a list of whom it considers to be the best attorneys in each state. The selection process includes nominations by peers or the Super Lawyers team, research into the lawyers’ accomplishments based on certain criteria, and evaluation by a panel.
Super Lawyers considers law firms of all sizes and looks at more than 70 areas of practice. Only 5% of a state’s lawyers can be named to the list each year.
There were also 245 Seattle U Law alumni on this year’s Washington Rising Stars list, which includes attorneys who are either 40 years old or younger, or have been in practice for no longer than 10 years. The Rising Stars list is comprised of no more than 2.5% of a state’s lawyers.
“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.”
Ken Masters ’92, founder of Bainbridge Island’s Masters Law Group, PLLC, came in third on the Super Lawyers list. Lora Brown ’91, who founded Law Offices of Lora L. Brown in Seattle, also made the Top 10.
“I've proudly been named a Super Lawyer since 2000. But when I first made the Top 100 list in 2008, I was as surprised as I was honored. When I was first named to the Top 10 list in 2017, however, I was simply flabbergasted,” Masters said. “To have been placed in that prestigious company now for seven years running is nothing short of humbling.”
He credits his close colleagues, family members, and Seattle U Law education.
“I would not be on that list at all but for my two fellow Seattle U Law alums — and my personal Super Lawyers — my appellate law partner of more than 20 years, Shelby Frost Lemmel ’02, who was first named a Super Lawyer in 2018, and my wife of more than 30 years (and my practice manager) Kara Masters ’93, first named a Super Lawyer in 2022,” he said. “My legal education and my longstanding close connections to Seattle U Law have provided me with both the ability and the opportunity to excel in this great profession that I love. I am extremely thankful for that.”
The other Seattle U Law alumni named to the Top 100 include (in alphabetical order):
- Gina Auter ’92
- Jennifer Campbell ’01
- Kevin Coluccio ’86
- Kent Fandel ’86
- Brett Hill ’04
- Karen Koehler ’85
- Ken Lederman ’96
- Jennifer Payseno ’92
- Tara Richardson ’98
- Nate Roberts ’08
- Rebecca Roe ’77
- Vonda Sargent ’94
- Scott Sleight ’97
- David Starks ’98
- Roy Umlauf ’85
- Stephen VanDerhoef ’90
- Heather Young ’97