Dawn Sydney

Prior to getting licensed as a lawyer in Washington State, I spent many years as a policy analyst and advocate for non-profit organizations in St. Louis and Washington DC. My main areas of focus were child abuse and neglect laws, domestic violence, working with congressional staff on the Violence Against Women Act, substance abuse and mental health issues as well as related family law issues.  As part of this work, I have published several reports for the different organizations for which I worked. 

I have provided written testimony, and testified in front of state and national congressional committees on matters related to my areas of focus above.  This experience allowed me to further develop my strong public speaking skills which results in clear, concise and cogent oral arguments on the family law motions calendar and in trials.   

My experience in DC, both helping to craft legislation and lobbying for reauthorization of laws and appropriations is critical to my understanding the importance and specificity of statutory language, legislative intent and other issues that are often part of my family law practice now.  I have local, state and national resources to use when seeking additional information regarding family law and domestic violence.  I understand the psychological issues resulting from domestic violence and the intensity of family law issues. Being aware of the psychological and legal issues involved in these cases allows me to be a strong advocate for my clients who are going through what is one of the most difficult times of their lives.