Tell us about your interest in appellate work and why you decided to join this Mentorship Program.

I decided to join this mentorship program because I have hopes of participating in the appellate sector during my legal career. I first became interested in appellate work when I learned about the impact of appeals in criminal cases. If a client feels that they were not given a fair trial, to have the opportunity to appeal can at times be what saves their life. I also know that appellate litigation requires very skilled writing and superior oral argument skills and these are the types of skills that make a truly impactful lawyer, which is what I hope to be. That is why I joined this program, so that I could learn more about how to be the best lawyer I can be and how to be a well rounded attorney for my future clients.

What has it been like working with your mentee/mentor? Is there an experience you particularly enjoyed, something significant you learned, etc.?

I have seriously enjoyed my relationship with Mrs. Cynthia Jones. During every interaction that my mentor and I have had so far I have walked away feeling better connected to the legal profession. I appreciate that Mrs. Jones works in my home community and has allowed me to meet more legal professions in the greater Seattle/ Tacoma area. I have had informational interviews with judges and attorneys alike who have vast experiences and backgrounds. I learn something new with each conversation, specifically that no one's law school or legal journey looks that same. I am grateful for this opportunity as someone who comes from a background and community that is often marginalized and therefore not able to enter the legal profession as easily. Mrs. Jones has also supported me in my application process for my 1L summer, helping me to land interviews and to improve my application materials.

What is something you will take with you from the experience? It could be appellate-related or more broad, such as something you realized about yourself, mentorship, etc.

What I will take away from this program is that networking is truly the key to success in this field. Even more importantly, having mentors is imperative for the success of young law school students and young professionals. I am the first in my family to attend law school so my family (though truly supportive in all aspects that they can!) cannot support me in the process of law school and networking. Having a mentor who has connections she is humbly sharing, who is also willing to coach and teach you is so invaluable. I will always be grateful for Mrs. Cynthia Jones choosing to help me and provide me guidance because it is something that I really needed. Each conversation I have with her leaves me filled up. I cannot wait to be a colleague of hers one day!

Tell us about your interest in appellate work and why you decided to join this Mentorship Program.

When I clerked at our Washington Supreme Court after law school, it opened up the appellate world and I knew I wanted to focus my practice on appeals. After my clerkship, I did begin my practice at a boutique plaintiff’s civil litigation firm, but I am happy to say that in 2010, I began my own firm and now focus about 80 percent of my practice on appeals both civil and criminal, with a large portion of my work dedicated to Criminal Justice Act work (I am on the CJA appellate panel and trial panel for the Western District of Washington).

I decided to join this mentoring program because I did not know any lawyers when I applied for and went to law school. If not for my strong mentors who guided me along the way, I would not be where I am today. I feel an obligation to pay that forward and I heard about your program on the podcast, Strict Scrutiny, and I immediately joined TAP.

What has it been like working with your mentee/mentor? Is there an experience you particularly enjoyed, something significant you learned, etc.?

I have so enjoyed working with Quenessa. She is a delight and has such energy and passion around the law and helping others. My most enjoyable moment was introducing her (via Zoom) to Judge Richard Jones, U.S. District Judge in the Western District of Washington. Seeing her face light up and witnessing how much Judge Jones enjoyed talking with her made my day. It has also been fun connecting her to others in our legal community, including my husband, who is a founding partner at a mid-sized law firm in Seattle. Quenessa is now going through the interview process as a potential candidate for their 1L summer program.

What is something you will take with you from the experience? It could be appellate-related or more broad, such as something you realized about yourself, mentorship, etc.

I think what I will take with me from this experience is how easy it is to help someone connect to people in the legal community that we all, as established practitioners, tend to take for granted. And how meaningful it is for mentees to have that space and opportunity opened up for them to experience making their own connections within a legal community where they hope to establish their own practice after law school. I certainly feel I gained more out of the experience in sheer joy of watching Quenessa respond to connections. It is such a good feeling to help others and especially when doing so is the simple act of introductions to people you already know in your network to someone who is trying to gain access to a new community. How easy yet how fulfilling is that?