Leslie Ching Allen

I was born and raised in Hawaii, the fourth generation of Chinese immigrants. My father went to St. Louis High School and UH, and spent a career at the former Liberty Bank of Honolulu. My mother graduated from Leilehua High School and UH and went on to teach fifth and sixth grade at Queen Ka’ahumanu Elementary School. I graduated from Punahou in 1974, the University of Washington in 1978, and the University of Washington School of Law in 1981.  

After law school, I came home to Honolulu, and was sworn into the Hawaii Bar in 1982. I returned to Seattle to work for two years as a law clerk for the Washington State Court of Appeals, married a Seattleite in 1985, and then I spent ten years in private practice in Seattle engaged in complex commercial litigation and construction law.  

After I began raising my own family, I realized that the job demands of a commercial litigator would not permit me to be the participatory parent that I wanted to be--I wanted to attend as many of my children’s school functions and sports activities as possible. I took a position as disciplinary counsel for the Washington State Bar Association in 1995, when my son was 7 and my daughter was 18 months old. As disciplinary counsel, I directed the investigation of hundreds of complaints against attorneys, and prosecuted dozens of lawyers for violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct, all the while becoming familiar with the ins and outs of many areas of the law, including family law. As disciplinary counsel, I also had the opportunity to argue appeals before the Disciplinary Board and nine sitting justices of the Washington State Supreme Court.

After over fourteen years of marriage, I became a divorcee and single parent in 2000. I remained in Seattle so that my son and daughter could be raised by both parents, albeit in two different households. My ex kept the house, and I moved to a more manageable place in the same school district. We shared the children on a week on/week off basis. Being a single mom and a lawyer was tough, but the children did well. My son, Nicholas, graduated from college in 2009, and works as an SysOps for a major book publishing company. My daughter, Alexis is in her fifth year at the University of Washington majoring in computer science engineering and classics.  In 2012, when my youngest graduated from high school, I was able to move back to Honolulu to spend time with my elderly mother and my family members.  

On a personal note, I play on an Over-40s Women's soccer team and on a 7-Aside Makule (e.g., old) Co-Ed Soccer League team.  I love to hike Oahu's many trails. My quiet time is spent engaged in the needle arts of sewing, embroidering and knitting, and hanging out with my significant other Tom and our dog, Illy.  I also teach quilting part time at Hidden Yardage.