Vonda M. Sargent has practiced in Washington since 1994. She opened her practice The Law Offices of Vonda M. Sargent, PLLC in 2005. She earned her J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law in 1994. She clerked for Judge Gerry Alexander of the Court of Appeals then Chief Justice Gerry Alexander of the Washington State Supreme Court, before she started prosecuting cases in Thurston County where she was a member of their Domestic Violence team. She spent considerable time traiing law enforcement officers on the law and best pratcices in that area. She entered private practice after her stint in the public sector starting with State Farm Mutual Insurance Company, then Allstate Insurance before she opened her own buisness.
She served on the Young Lawyers Board of Trustees; presented a CLE during 2002 which was selected “The Best of the Best”; was appointed to the ABA’s Tort Insurance Practice group where she is a member of the Ethics Committee. Vonda was also the President of the Wm. Dwyer’s Inns of Court of which she is a founding member. She has presented at numerous CLE’s in state and around the country. Vonda also teaches Advocates and Judges in Africa with the non-profit organization Justice Advocacy Africa.
She has been hired as a trial consultant on numerous cases, including Florida v. Higgins where her client was accused of murder but was subsequently acquitted during a jury trial televised on Court TV. She has enjoyed teaching Pre-Trial Advocacy at Seattle University School of Law since 2007. She is also a 2007 graduate of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College and a proud F-Warrior. She has recently completed Judge Pro Tempore training with King County District Court. She was recently awarded the Carl Maxey Award and has been named a Super Lawyer for several years. Ms. Sargent volunteers her time speaking to high school students, college students and Judges Moot Court competitions at the law school and high school level.
Ms. Sargent’s practice emphasizes personal injury and civil rights litigation. When she’s not practicing law, you can find Vonda hunting, fishing, and playing with her miniature Schnauzer Murray.
Featured Articles:
My focus is on providing people with fairness in the court systems. Many of my cases have provided new rights for litigants:
In 2007, the Court established that DSHS may not overturn an ALJ’s findings based upon credibility of a witness, protecting litigants who are unfairly charged with abuse or neglect. Costanich v. Washington (DSHS), 156 P.3d 232, 138 Wn. App. 547 (2007).
In 2008, the Court established that the Equal Access to Justice Act provides attorney fees and costs for each level of review, tripling fees available to low-income litigants who prevail on challenges to unfair administrative decisions. Costanich v. Washington state DSHS, 194 P.3d 988 (2008).
In 2010, the Ninth Circuit established that DSHS social workers who fabricate evidence in child abuse investigations are not immune from lawsuits, but liable for civil rights violations. Costanich v. DSHS et. al., 627 F.3d 1101 (9th Cir. 2010).
In 2022, the Court established that litigants who are subjected to racism or bias in a legal proceeding are entitled to an evidentiary hearing in which the opposing party must prove its conduct was not an appeal to bias. Henderson v. Thompson, 518 P.3d 1011 (2022).
