This webinar covers the fundamentals of how to read a case, particularly for litigating attorneys. We’ll go through the anatomy of a typical appellate opinion, cover the various standards of review, and talk about specifically what to look for when either using or distinguishing a case in motions practice
Elizabeth
Hanley
Senior Partner
Phone
206.448.1777 Pronouns
she/her
About Elizabeth Hanley
I grew up in Montana, the granddaughter of homesteaders and the oldest of five.
We spent our summers in a remote ghost town — no telephone, no television, life pared down to what was in front of us. The rest of the year we lived in Billings. Two major events helped to shape me.
One year during Hanukkah, a violent antisemitic group threw bricks through the windows of families displaying menorahs. One landed in the bedroom of a little boy — a classmate of my youngest sister. My mother pushed until the Billings Gazette printed a full-page menorah. Our family went out into the neighborhoods. Rang doorbells and asked people to hang that page on their window. To this day I stand by this logic: if you are going to throw a brick through one window, you are going to have to throw it through all of ours.
When I was still small my 18 month old baby sister lost most of her fingers due to a dangerous defective product. Over four decades I have seen her navigate the world while our family has been beside her. She learned how to play the violin and became a wonderful classical musician. The rest of us picked up string instruments so she would not be playing alone. We toured nursing homes as children. Since then I have played in chamber orchestras and symphonies. But my favorite moments are when all my siblings still play together as a string quintet.
A recurring theme in my life has involved standing up for myself as a female. I married right after college and was pregnant by the time I had decided on law school. I was nearly eight months pregnant during my first semester and was told to withdraw. I did not. I gave birth on a Friday in the middle of that semester, to the first of my two daughters, and was back in class the following Tuesday. Even as I have risen to the top of my profession I have experienced discrimination in a legal profession that still has a long way to go in terms of gender equality.
I am keenly empathetic to those who have been sexually abused, discriminated against, or wrongfully injured. It is my mission to hold wrongdoers accountable. I work to make sure my clients feel heard and supported through a process that is rarely easy. I am currently leading a multi-plaintiff lawsuit on behalf of nearly one hundred women who allege they were sexually abused by Tri-Cities OB-GYN Mark Mulholland under the guise of legitimate medical care.
My clients have been physicians bringing gender discrimination claims and hourly workers bringing class actions. They have spoken many different languages and held every kind of immigration status. Some arrived with advanced degrees and some with no formal education at all. They have been children and adults, families who lost someone to a preventable death, and vulnerable elderly people injured or killed inside the very facilities that were supposed to be caring for them.
I am highly involved in plaintiff bar association groups that seek to keep our courtrooms fair and open. These leadership skills and positions add to my reputation and directly benefit my clients. The highlights include being President of the Washington State Association for Justice from 2024-2025. And President elect of the American Association for Justice Council of Presidents (nationwide).
Outside
the Office
I climb some of the most iconic peaks in Washington and beyond, including Mount Rainier and 4,000m peakers in the Alps. Still play classical piano and string instruments. Run long triathlons. And take on the occasional unusual challenge, like swimming from Alcatraz to shore across San Francisco Bay. I am driven, competitive, and disciplined by nature. My mindset is always centered on conquering the next obstacle whether it be on a mountain or fighting for my clients.
Both of my daughters are grown and accomplished now, and share my commitment to advocacy and to helping other people.
Both of my daughters are grown and accomplished now, and share my commitment to advocacy and to helping other people.
Awards & Recognitions
- The Best Lawyers in America©, Employment Law and Personal Injury Litigation (2021 – present)
- Top 50 Women Attorneys, Washington Super Lawyers® (2021 – present)
- Washington Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers® (2017 – present)
- Washington Rising Stars, Super Lawyers® (2010, 2012, 2014 – 2016)
Leadership & Affiliations
CIVIC AND PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP
- Washington Supreme Court appointee, Washington Pattern Jury Instructions Committee (2018 – present)
- Washington State Governor Ferguson appointee, Tort Study Commission (current)
- American Association for Justice, Council of Presidents — President Elect (current)
- American Association for Justice, Board of Governors (current)
- Injury Board (current)
- Washington State Association for Justice, President (2024 – 2025)
- Washington State Association for Justice, Board of Governors (2017 – present)
- Washington State Association for Justice, Legislative Steering Committee (2013 – present)
- Washington State Association for Justice, Chair, Employment Law Section (2014 – 2016)
- Justice for All PAC, Co-Treasurer (2017 – present); Board Member (2015 – present)
- Damages Attorneys Roundtable (DART), Member
- Washington State Bar Association, Rules Committee (2014 – 2016)
- Washington State Bar Association, MCLE Task Force (2013 – 2015)
- Faculty, Washington State Bar Association Ethics Program (2025, 2026)
- Faculty, Western Trial Lawyers (February 2025; March 2026; May 2026)
LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY
- Testified before the Washington State Legislature in opposition to SB 6239, advocating for a survivor-centered approach to historical abuse claims that preserves meaningful access to justice (February 2026)
- Testified before the Washington State Legislature in support of HB 1496, advocating to remove financial barriers that prevent patients from accessing their own medical records (January 2026)
Publications & Presentations
PUBLICATIONS
- “Tilling the Soil: Why DEIBA Requires Crucial Conversations First,” Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2025)
- “Two Paths, One Commitment,” Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2025)
- “Walking Through the Valley,” Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2025)
- “Court Funding and You,” Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2025)
- “Championing Justice for Washington’s Vulnerable Seniors,” Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2025)
- “DEI: Not So Controversial for Plaintiffs’ Lawyers,” Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2024)
- “Reflections on Insurance Law Past, Present, and Future,” Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2024)
- “A Call to Action,” Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2024)
- “Trying the Employment Case in Times of Mass Layoffs,” Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2023)
- “Employment Law,” Washington Civil Rights Law Desk Book (2017)
- “Evidentiary Issues,” Washington Employment Law Desk Book (2017)
- “Evidentiary Issues,” Washington Employment Law Desk Book (2013)
- “The Amendments to the Federal Rules of Discovery: The Effect on the Employment Case,” Trial News, Vol. 52-1
- “Ashcroft v. Iqbal’s Limited Application to Employment Discrimination Claims,” Employment Rights Quarterly, American Association for Justice
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- Orego
- “Ethical Issues That Arise in Employment Cases,” WSBA Ethics in Civil Litigation Seminar, Washington State Bar Association (2019)
- “When Cancer Comes to Work: Navigating Employment Law Issues,” Cancer Pathways (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
- “#MeToo Lawyering,” Annual CLE, Federal Bar Association, Western District of Washington (2018)
- “Protecting the Problem Plaintiff,” Washington Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference (2018)
- “Discovery Sanctions,” WSAJ Pierce County Roundtable (2018)
- Speaker and CLE Co-Chair, “Employment Law CLE — Tips, Tactics, Trends and Desk Book Update” (2017)
- “Social Media Admissions in Litigation,” WSAJ (2017)
- “Trial In Action: Voir Dire,” WSAJ (2016)
- “What All Trial Lawyers Need to Know,” WSAJ 38th Annual Insurance Law Seminar, Employment Practices Insurance (2016)
- “Exempt or Non-Exempt: That is the Question,” WSAJ, The Business of Practicing Law (2015)
- “Attorney Fee Awards Update Under Washington’s Wage Statute,” WSAJ (2015)
- “Proving From Beginning to End: Anatomy of a Recent Victory,” Washington Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference (2015)
- “Americans with Disabilities Act: 25th Anniversary,” WSAJ (2015)
- Moderator, Judicial Panel, WELA Annual Seminar (2014)
- “Employment Law for Plaintiff’s Attorneys: WLAD and Title VII,” WELA Annual Conference (2013)
- “Your Case Has Been Removed to Federal Court: Now What?” WSAJ Automobile Cases Seminar (2011)
- “Getting Out of Arbitration — What You Don’t Know: Thinking Outside the Box in Employment Law” (2011)
- “Securing a Jury Trial: Defeating Arbitration Agreements,” WELA (2011)
- “Spoliation of Evidence in the Employment Case,” Luvera Seminar, WSAJ (2011)
- “Legal Issues for Freelance Editors,” Writers Guild (2011)
- “Avoiding Dismissal After the Iqbal Case,” WELA (2010)
- “Balancing the Practice of Law with Parenting,” University of Washington School of Law (2010)
- “Getting Evidence Into the Computer & Beyond,” WSAJ (2009)
Education
- University of San Diego School of Law, J.D., 2006 (Lead Articles Editor San Diego International Law Journal)
- Gonzaga University, B.A., Honors Program, 2002
- Trinity College, Oxford University — British Literature (undergraduate study abroad)
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