Attorney Profile: Jamie Clausen
Jamie founded Phinney Estate Law in 2007 as a way of addressing a need she saw in the community for affordable, values-based estate planning and as a way to develop a legal practice that was consistent with her own values and legal philosophy. Jamie works with our clients to develop their estate plans and heads our probate and dispute resolution practices. A leader in the alternative dispute resolution community she acts a a mediator and collaborative attorney in probates and elder law disputes.
Before founding Phinney Estate Law Jamie worked as a litigation associate at Cozen O’Connor, as an attorney advisor for the U.S. Department of Justice, and as legal intern for Northwest Immigration Rights Project and Northwest Justice Project. Jamie began her work in estate law in 2005 as a pro bono attorney with King County Volunteer Attorneys for Persons with HIV/AIDS (VAPWA). She found that she enjoyed the opportunity to help clients with the planning process and the chance to think creatively with these clients to address the unique needs of their situations. She also appreciated the opportunity to work with clients to avoid conflicts. In addition to her work with VAPWA, Jamie also did pro bono work and/or worked for non-profits providing clients with assistance with immigration petitions, naturalization, applications for public benefits, and family law cases. She continues to devote 25% of her practice to pro bono work and free community education. As part of that service, Jamie serves as a volunteer attorney facilitator for the ex-party probate and guardianship calendar in King County. Since founding Phinney Estate Law, Jamie has had the opportunity to work with individuals and families in a variety of situations. She has worked with newlyweds, young families, single business owners, blending families, the terminally ill, and unmarried couple. It is her experience that each family, no matter how traditional or non-traditional, is truly unique and, once you get to know them, have unique needs. When she is not working, Jamie volunteers her time to a number of local community groups including the Phinney Neighborhood Association and Aurora Commons. She is a practicing Quaker with the Salmon Bay Friends Meeting. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends and loves spending a much time as possible outdoors. She is always looking for a good book. She also carves and prints block prints which can occasionally be seen in shops and coffee houses in the Phinneywood neighborhood. Jamie is a member of the Washington State Bar Association sections on Probate and Elder Law. She is also a member of the King County Bar Association sections on Probate and Elder Law. She currently serves as the Treasurer and was the former Chair of the King County Bar Association Collaborative Law Section. Jamie is a former professor at Edmonds Community College where she taught classes on Probate, Estate Planning, and Elder Law. Education University of Washington School of Law, JD 2001 University of Washington, Jackson School of International Studies, MA 2001 Oxford University, Post Graduate Certificate in International Human Rights Law, 1998 University of Washington, Jackson School of International Studies, International Studies, BA 1997 Honors & Awards Law & Politics Rising Star Award 2010 NWIRP Amicus Award 2005 Washington State Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award 2004-2015 Cozen O’Connor Pro Bono Honor Roll, 2003-2006 Goldmark Fellowship for Public Interest Law, 1999 Henry M. Jackson Leadership Award, 1997 Phi Beta Kappa, 1997 Washington Scholar, 1993 |
