Jennifer’s practice focuses on the defense of public agencies, including K–12 school districts and higher education institutions. She represents clients in federal and state courts in matters involving employment and civil rights claims, constitutional and statutory issues, and other complex disputes affecting public entities. Drawing on her extensive background in educational administration, she brings practical insight into institutional decision-making, personnel management, student matters, and regulatory compliance.

 

Prior to joining the firm, Jennifer practiced at Kutak Rock LLP, where she represented clients in a broad range of civil litigation matters across Washington and Idaho, including premises liability, product liability, commercial real estate disputes, debt recovery, and contractual conflicts. She previously practiced at Paine Hamblen, where she focused on defending clients against personal injury claims. She began her legal career as a law clerk with the Washington State Office of the Attorney General, supporting Labor & Personnel and Education Division attorneys in advising and defending state agencies.

 

Before entering the legal profession, Jennifer held senior leadership roles in higher education administration, including serving as Dean at Highline College. In these roles, she oversaw advising, enrollment, dual credit, and student support functions, supervised personnel, and led institution-wide initiatives affecting student success and operational effectiveness. This executive leadership experience provides a deep understanding of the operational, personnel, and policy challenges facing public entities and business organizations.

 

Jennifer earned her J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law through the Executive 2-year accelerated program, with a focus in leadership, business, and corporate law. She also holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin.

 

Earlier in her career, Jennifer served as a Russian linguist and non-commissioned officer in the United States Army with the 4th Infantry Division 104th Military Intelligence Battalion. She excelled as a top graduate at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, advanced signal intelligence training and leadership courses.  Her military service, combined with executive leadership and litigation experience, shapes her disciplined, strategic, and solutions-oriented approach to representing her clients.