autobiography

Steven A Reisler, PLLC

attorney at law

Autobiography

I earned my juris doctor degree in 1979 from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C. I graduated from Berlin American High School in 1971. My draft board lottery number was 351. After high school, I attended college for three years in Munich, Germany – two years at the University of Maryland, Munich Campus and one year at the Ludwig Maximillian Universität under the auspices of Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. During this time, I received a Zellidja travel scholarship for study in Israel. In 1974 I returned to Penn State University where I received my BA degree in 1975 and my MA degree in 1976. Before attending law school, the focus of my education was literature, art and history, particularly of the Weimar Republic in Germany between the World Wars.

I came to Seattle sight unseen in 1979. I cut my trial lawyer's teeth under the tutelage of Washington 's senior state trial judge, the Hon. George H. Revelle. After that, I joined the Seattle law firm of Ogden Murphy Wallace where I practiced as a civil and commercial litigator, first as an associate and then as a partner/member, for 23 years. My practice over the years covered a range of issues from contract, business, real estate, and construction disputes to personal injury and probate litigation. I represent either plaintiffs or defendants.

As I practiced law, I also remained active in the bar. I was the youngest member elected to serve on the Washington State Bar Association Board of Governors and did so serve for three years. For four years I was editor in chief of the Washington State Bar News. I was a member of and chaired the Washington Commission on Judicial Conduct. I have participated in numerous panels, programs and symposiums related to the judiciary, bench-bar-press relations or the practice of law.

I have chaired four WSBA Mandatory Continuing Legal Education seminars and lectured at others, typically on the issues of contract litigation and ethics. During the preceding thirty years, I have published more than 60 articles in professional journals and many articles, commentaries, stories or works of fiction that have appeared in non-legal venues. A sample of some of my law-related writings are available at this site.

While practicing law, I have also served my local community. I was a trustee of the Montlake Community Club, a director, and later President of the Windermere Corporation neighborhood association, a director of the Fuhrman and Boyer Neighborhood Improvement Association, and an officer of the Sandpoint Tennis Center Association. I get involved in local and national political campaigns.

I am not a “techie”, but I speak “geek” and I am keenly interested in technology issues. I serve as Vice President of Monowave Corporation, a closely held neurotechnology company that is doing R&D in the area of machine speech recognition. I am a member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Free Software Foundation. My law firm computer systems run on Gnu/Linux.

There was a time when I spoke fluent German. Now, I would need some practice to regain my fluency. I also speak atrocious French and understand rudimentary Italian. For more than thirty years, I have played by ear a self-taught, personal style of finger-picked acoustic guitar. I play tennis much the same way. It's not always pretty, but it works.

I am married. I commute by bicycle. I am a voracious reader. I have been television-disconnected for years.



			`Springbrook Professional Center 4500 Sand Point Way N.E., Suite 250 Seattle, WA 98105-3941` mailto:sar@sarpllc.com ph. 206.522.7081
	The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation.
	Copyright © 2004 by Steven A. Reisler. All rights reserved. You may reproduce materials available at this site for your own personal use and for non-commercial distribution. All copies must include this copyright statement.