Category Archives: Law

Alumna Runs for Tacoma Municipal Court Judge

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Dee Ann “Dee” Sonntag is the embodiment of grit and advocacy. A graduate of both the University of Washington Tacoma (UWT) and the University of Washington Seattle (UW Law School), Sonntag is currently pursuing a position as a Municipal Court Judge for the city of Tacoma. Born in Puyallup, Sonntag grew up around three older sisters. In fourth grade, her whole family moved to a small town called Roundup in the state of Montana but returned to Tacoma for her higher educational career; transferring from Tacoma Community College to the UWT.

Sonntag majored in Politics, Philosophy & Economics and minored in Human Rights. She was involved in multiple Student Organizations including Pre-Law Society, A.S.U.W.T., Politics, Philosophy & Economics Club, Public Relations Committee, and the Legislative Action Committee.  When asked if she had any advice for freshmen who are new to the U.W.T. campus, Sonntag suggested:

“I’ll pass on the good advice that I received, which was to remain open-minded and invest yourself as much as you can in your institution.” Continue reading →

Free LSAT Courses at UWT!

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Please join us for free LSAT prep workshops this fall! You do not need to buy materials, but should bring a laptop to the sessions. This event is open to all UWT students!

Register through the UWT Events Calendar links below for the days you plan to attend.
 
Sat Oct 13th 9am-Noon JOY 215 – Reading Comprehension
Sat Oct 27th 9am-Noon JOY 117 – Logical Reasoning
 
Sat Nov 10th 9am-Noon Joy 117 – Logic Games

Alumni Spotlight: Christopher Martinez, ’15

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Christopher Martinez, ’15

Christopher Martinez can confidently say that UW Tacoma was the right choice for him. “I made some lifelong friendships and met mentors that I still keep in touch with today,” he says. “My time at UW Tacoma had a huge impact on my career and education.” And his career and education are going far — currently, Christopher is in his third year at the University of Washington School of Law, and works in California with the Department of Justice’s Civil Division doing employment and labor litigation.

As a Politics, Philosophy, and Economics major with a minor in Human Rights, Christopher secured an internship through the Washington State Legislative Internship program at UW Tacoma, and he credits that experience with his subsequent job at the Attorney General’s Office. Continue reading →

Class of 2018 Heads to Law School!

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Now that the dust has settled from commencement, grad parties, and those first gorgeous days of summer… isn’t it time to think about going back to school??
Meet three of PPPA’s Class of 2018 who are heading to law school this fall.

Gabi Gutierrez, ’18

Gabi Gutierrez, a Law & Policy major with a minor in Human Rights, will be attending the University of Washington Law School, with a major focus in Public Service Law. “Although I am extremely grateful for the time I had at the University of Washington Tacoma, I feel like I have even more vigor to practice law. If you are interested in following a career in the legal field, I would highly recommend taking the time to explore the law through internships or volunteering. I’m extremely grateful to have interned for the Department of Assigned Counsel and to have developed supportive relationships with faculty members, because without my experience I would have never discover my true desire to practice criminal law.” Continue reading →

Intern Insights: Spring 2018

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PPPA students have been hard at work in the community through their internship placements this quarter. Here are six interns to share their experiences in administrative law, criminal justice, and politics:

Image

Phillip Ramirez (center).

Phillip Ramirez: “I’m interning with the Pierce County Prosecutors office and specifically assigned to the juvenile division at Remann Hall. This internship has been an amazing opportunity to see how juvenile court operates, opening my eyes to a system that is often overlooked when studying the law. Its been great to get hands on experience doing legal assistant work, witnessing court dockets, going out into Pierce County with probation officers, and discussing Washington State juvenile law with the prosecutors that work here.” Continue reading →

Funding Public Defenders: An Unfunded Mandate? Event Recap

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L to R: Senator Steve O’Ban, Kanani Palafox, Mary Kay High, Chancellor Mark Pagano, Dawn Farina, Councilman Derek Young, Judge Elizabeth Martin.

On Thursday, April 26, 2018, PPPA hosted a panel discussion to address the funding of public defense in Washington State.

How is public defense an unfunded mandate?
This year was the 55th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright, which extended the constitutional right of indigent defense (attorneys for criminal defendants unable to afford their own representation) to criminal trials at the state level. By extending this provision to state court trials, the decision required that states themselves fund public defenders. This is called an unfunded mandate, meaning the federal government has required state or local governments to provide a service, but has not also provided the money for them to do so.

In Washington State, the legislature funds just 4% of this mandatory public defense, leaving counties to incorporate the remaining 96% of the cost of public defense into their own budgets, regardless of their ability to do so. This puts public defense in jeopardy, and it also affects other vital county-level services, since there is less money left to go around. Continue reading →

Pam Nogueira Maneman (’12) Running for Pacific County Prosecutor

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Pam Nogueira Maneman, UWT ’12

Pam Nogueira Maneman, a graduate of UW Tacoma (’12) and the UW School of Law (’15), is running for prosecutor in Pacific County, WA. In the midst of her busy schedule working in a private law firm and serving on Grays Harbor County Drug Court, Pacific County Drug Court, and as a City Council member for the City of Raymond – in addition to running her campaign! – Pam was generous enough to answer some questions for us about her passion for law, her career ambitions, and her UW roots.  Continue reading →

Upcoming Panel at UWT on State Funding of Public Defenders

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UW Tacoma’s PPPA Division is hosting a panel discussion this month on Washington State’s funding of public defenders in the criminal justice system. The 6th Amendment to the United States Constitution, as well as the Supreme Court’s Gideon v. Wainwright decision, establish a right to legal representation for criminal defendants; however, according to a recent op-ed by Pierce County Councilman Derek Young, the Washington State Legislature funds just 4% of this public defense. Knowledgeable representatives from both local government and the criminal justice system will convene at UWT on April 26th to discuss.  Continue reading →

Intern Insights: Winter 2018 (2 of 2)

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This quarter, PPPA students have been hard at work in the community through their internship placements. In this final post, we share updates from three more of our interns.

Gabi Gutierrez (L) and Autumn Nguyen (R), pictured with Glenn Glover, Chief Investigator at the Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel.

Autumn Nguyen
Major: Law and Policy ’18
Placement: Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel

“Interning at the Department of Assigned Counsel has been an amazing experience for me. When I first became a part of this internship I did not know a lot about how our Criminal Justice System function daily; let alone ever even set foot in a courtroom! This internship allows me to see all types of career opportunities and the more I learn the more inspired I am to apply for law school. I have met a lot of people in this internship that has given me a lot of good advice and opportunities to better myself as an individual as well as a future law school student studying criminal law. Working at my internship I do see that our Criminal Justice System is very broken, but it only inspires me more to finish school and to be able to start making a difference in our community along with others who share the same passion.” Continue reading →

“GRE Creep” – What Does it Mean for Law Schools?

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Image: www.law.georgetown.edu

In a new trend known as “GRE creep,” a growing number of law school admissions offices are accepting the GRE as an alternative to the LSAT, including several Tier 1 law schools. According to the New York Times, this is motivated by the desire to make law school more appealing to a diverse body of candidates, including scientists, mathematicians, and engineers.

PPPA lecturer and pre-law coordinator Ernesto Chavez, J.D. has some thoughts to share on whether you should take the GRE or the LSAT: Continue reading →