Kari Petrasek is currently a solo practitioner, having started her own firm, Petrasek Law, PLLC, in January 2015. Prior to opening her own firm, she spent thirteen years working in several small firms in Everett, Washington. Her practice is focused on civil litigation with significant experience in the area of juvenile law, guardianships, estate planning, elder law, and family law. Kari is also a dedicated advocate for children, having served as a Volunteer and Attorney Guardian ad Litem for dependent children and has been one of the Snohomish County CASA Program attorneys for over 16 years. She is also the District 2 Governor on the Washington State Bar Association Board Of Governors, the Treasurer of Washington Women Lawyers, a past president of the Snohomish County Bar Association, a member of Washington State CASA, and a leader in the ABA GPSolo Division.
Q: What does being an ABF Fellow mean to you?
It means supporting the wonderful and important work and research that’s being done by the ABF researchers and also having the opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and network with colleagues from the U.S. and around the world.
Q: Where do you consider your hometown and what is your favorite thing about it?
I have lived in the Seattle area since the age of 3. I went to college in Minnesota but came back home to go to law school. I can’t imagine a more beautiful and perfect place to live. It rarely gets unbearably hot and/or humid, or super cold and snowy. I love looking at the mountains all around us, particularly in the winter when they are covered with fresh snow. It’s one of the only places where you can fish in the morning, golf in the afternoon, and ski in the evening.
Q: Why did you decide to pursue a career in law?
I have always been a person who enjoys helping others and “detective work” interested me in high school and college, however, I did not want to go into law enforcement. I took a jurisprudence and business law class while in college and really enjoyed those classes. It was then that I decided to go to law school. I was very interested in criminal justice and business law, so my plan was to become a lawyer where I could help others in one of those areas of practice.
Q: If you hadn’t pursued a career in law, what would you have done?
I would have become a Secret Service agent. I actually applied and went through the entire interview process while I was in law school. I was offered a job as an agent around the same time I took the bar exam but decided I would rather be a lawyer.
Q: What do you do in your free time?
I have been a lifelong Seattle Mariners fan and season ticket holder for over 20 years, so attending games during the spring and summer takes up a lot of my free time. I also love to watch Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Kraken games. My husband and I enjoy traveling, hiking, fishing, and golfing together and I love going horseback riding on our annual trips to Montana. I also really enjoy reading and have been part of a book group with my lawyer friends since 2005.
Q: What has been your favorite Fellows event?
One of my favorite Fellows events was the 2016 Fellows Awards Banquet at the San Diego Natural History Museum. This was a wonderful event not only because of the amazing keynote given by Linda Hirshman (author of “Sisters In Law: How Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World”) and great venue but Washington’s own Llew Pritchard was given the prestigious and greatly deserved Outstanding Service Award.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share with us?
I am thrilled to serve as co-chair of the Washington Fellows with the Hon. Dean Lum (Ret). We have plans in the works to change/add a few events and have lots of fun.