Attorney Profiles

Sophia M. Palmer graduated from law school in 2006. But she has already proven she's got guts.

Sophia handled domestic violence cases as a county attorney for the Pierce County Prosecutor's Office. In one memorable case, the defendant had prior domestic violence convictions and was accused of another horrific bout of abuse. The defendant claimed he had been at work at the time of the incident; he even got a colleague to say that in court. But Sophia was able to prove he couldn't possibly have been where he said he was. We got a conviction and substantial jail time, Sophia says. The victim was very grateful.

Now Sophia brings her natural gifts to the Federal Way office of Lutz Law as an associate attorney. She remembers wanting to be a lawyer as a young child. In kindergarten, she asked her mother for a briefcase. By age eight, she was drawing up contracts for her allowance. I'm very type A. I like order, and the law has order and organization, she says. The high emotions of family law and criminal law both appeal to me. Someone comes in and really needs your help. The way they feel once you're able to do your job is very satisfying.

Sophia understands the stakes involved in family law from personal experience. Her parents divorced when she was two. Other marriages followed, and between her two parents, there have been five divorces with their various spouses. I understand how divorce affects children, she says.

Lutz Law Founder David Lutz says Sophia combines strong research, organization, and courtroom skills with courage. She is unafraid and very passionate about this work, he says. Just watching her, it's obvious that seeing justice done far outweighs for her any kind of personal risk that might come from doing this work.

A native of Washington, Palmer graduated cum laude from Seattle University School of Law and earned her B.A. in Society and Justice from the University of Washington . She enjoys spending time with her husband and extended family, cooking Italian food, working out and watching football.