Contact: Mark Fefer, Marketing Communications, 206.757.8583 or markfefer@dwt.com
MARCH 5, 2020 – When Victoria (Vicky) Slade graduated from Seattle University School of Law, summa cum laude, at the age of 30, she wasted no time putting her skills to work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community. She swiftly got involved as a volunteer with Legal Voice, a nonprofit that protects and advocates for the rights of women and LGBTQ persons across the Northwest. Only a few years later, on the strength of her mentoring, advocacy, and inspiring leadership, she's now slated to take over as Legal Voice board president.
That passion and dedication—combined with outstanding lawyering on behalf of Vicky's employment law clients in private practice—has led the National LGBT Bar Association to name her to its 2020 class of the country's Forty Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40.
"Our firm recruited Vicky to join our team last year, based on her outstanding legal acumen and skills, leadership, and commitment to the broader community," said Mark Berry, chair of the 100-member Employment Services Group at Davis Wright Tremaine. "Since she joined us, we have seen firsthand an extraordinarily skilled lawyer, a thoughtful and committed citizen, and a true leader. She is eminently deserving of this recognition."
The annual Forty Under 40 awards honor practicing lawyers, law professors, corporate counsel, members of the judiciary, politicians, and other legal professionals who have distinguished themselves in their field and have demonstrated a profound commitment to LGBTQ+ equality. Vicky and the other honorees will be recognized in August at the LGBT Bar Association's 2020 Lavender Law® Conference and Career Fair in Washington, D.C.
Vicky began her legal career as an extern for Judge Mary Yu, who later became the first openly LGBT member of the Washington state supreme court. She then joined the firm formerly known as Garvey Schubert Barer, where she took an active role on the firm's diversity and inclusion committee and rose to be its chair, spearheading initiatives to ensure minority attorneys receive the same access and opportunities as their peers. Since joining Davis Wright Tremaine, Vicky has brought her diversity and inclusion expertise to bear in a number of areas, including as a member of the firm's hiring committee.
Vicky's deep sensitivity to diversity and inclusion directly informs her work as an employment attorney. She has extensive experience guiding clients through tricky personnel issues, including allegations of discrimination and harassment, employee misconduct, disability accommodations, and terminations, and she regularly advises employers on other matters of state and federal employment law. She has a particular focus on equity and inclusion, implicit bias, microaggressions, stereotypes, and LGBTQ issues.
"With her goal to infuse a diversity and inclusion lens into all areas of practice, I know that Vicky will be successful in promoting an equitable lens to her clients," said Berry.
"Vicky is an attorney I am grateful to be able to consult when I encounter legal problems outside my expertise," said Lisa Stone, executive director of Legal Voice. "Her supportive and well-reasoned advice always reassures me—even though I have been an attorney almost as long as she has been alive. Vicky truly exemplifies the best of our profession, and does so in a way that brings honor to all LGBT attorneys and allies. Our community and profession are very lucky to have a colleague like her."
Vicky is the second Davis Wright lawyer to receive this national recognition from the LGBT bar. Paul Southwick, a litigator in our Portland office, is a previous honoree.
About Davis Wright Tremaine
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is a national law firm with more than 550 lawyers representing clients based throughout the United States and around the world. For more information on the firm's diversity and inclusion efforts, visit diversity.dwt.com.