Industry Lunch: WWU Alumni Attorney Panel

Moderator: Ceci Lopez, Associate Professor at Fairhaven College

Ceci Lopez graduated from Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Western Washington University ('08) where she wrote a concentration on Law, Diversity and Public Policy. Ceci holds a JD and an LLM in Taxation from the University of Washington School of Law ('11 & '12). After graduating law school, Ceci received the prestigious Christine Brunswick Public Service Fellowship from the American Bar Association Section of Taxation. This two-year fellowship allowed her to provide free legal assistance to low-income taxpayers and micro-entrepreneurs who had issues with the IRS. After the fellowship ended, Ceci began her own law firm, where she continues to work with low and moderate income individuals with tax and business matters. Her law firm provides services in a sliding fee scale and no one is turned down because of inability to pay. In addition all her services are provided in both English or Spanish. Ceci seeks to bring a social lens to the practice of law and into the classroom. In the classroom, Ceci enjoys guiding students through developing an understanding and making connections about the impact of legal language in the development of culture and also, how culture shapes the law. Students benefit from Ceci's experiences as a learner of English as a Second Language and a first generation immigrant to the U.S., her journey through education and the decisions that lead her to follow a career in law. Ceci is a Graduate Fellow at the Washington Leadership Institute.

Alejandra Cabrales, Whatcom Law Group, P.S.

Born and raised in Aberdeen, Washington, Alejandra moved to Bellingham in 2014 to attend Western Washington University. Alejandra graduated from Western in 2018 with an undergraduate degree, where she created her own area of focus at Fairhaven College in Law, Diversity, and Justice, focusing on Immigration Outreach and Cultural Studies. at Western, Alejandra coordinated legal aid clinics and a citizenship day during her senior year.

 After graduating, Alejandra worked as an immigration paralegal at a law firm in Mount Vernon for two years. There she worked on asylum cases, U-visa cases, cancellation of removal cases, VAWA cases, adjustment of status cases, family-based petitions, and L-1A visas. While working as an immigration paralegal, she was encouraged by her supervising attorney to go to law school.

 In 2020, Alejandra went to Idaho to pursue her law degree at the University of Idaho College of Law. While in law school, Alejandra served as the Chief Moscow Editor to the Idaho Law Review, the student representative to the Technology Committee, a Fellow for Academic Success in Property and Criminal law, a volunteer in the VITA Tax clinic, and as an interpreter for the Legal Aid Clinic. Alejandra was the President of the Latino/a Law Caucus during her third year in law school. As president, she helped organize the Othello Project, where students go to Othello, Washington, and provide a legal aid clinic to the farm workers. Alejandra collaborated with the NorthWest Immigration Rights Project and NorthWest Justice Project to provide information and resources to the farmworkers in Othello. Alejandra also worked in the Immigration Clinic as a legal intern, where she and a fellow student represented an asylum seeker at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

 After earning her Juris Doctorate, Alejandra and her husband moved back to Washington. She worked as a Rule 9 Intern with North County Public Defense, where she assisted clients with misdemeanor criminal offenses. Alejandra currently works at Whatcom Law Group, P.S. She does estate planning, immigration law, some civil cases, and is the deputy prosecutor for the City of Blaine.

Nathan Dwyer, Robinson and Kole Attorneys at Law

Nathan commits his entire practice to advocating for those who have suffered an injury or disability. He prides himself on distilling complex legal concepts and strategies into a language his clients can understand so they can make informed decisions about their case.

Nathan graduated from Western Washington University with degrees in Economics and Political Science. After WWU, Nathan graduated from the Pepperdine University School of Law, where he served as an Associate Editor of the Law Review, obtained a certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution, and spent a semester studying abroad in London.

Nathan has previously served on the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association of Western Washington University and the Interfaith Coalition of Whatcom County.

Carrie Blackwood, Barron Quinn Blackwood

As a Partner at the firm of Barron Quinn Blackwood, she brings 25+ years of experience and knowledge in employment law, organizational leadership, political advocacy, institutional representation, complex multi-party dispute resolution, labor negotiation and grievance management, mediation, arbitration, workplace investigation, equity at work, and labor relations. Representing governmental entities, labor unions, non-profits, elected officials, judges, businesses, and employees.

Her experience includes teaching labor studies at Western Washington University, running for state senate, acting as Senior Legal Counsel representing a professional aerospace union consisting of nearly twenty-three thousand professional aerospace workers, over a decade of Lead Labor Negotiator experience, and service as the Director of Training and Development for thousands of public sector professional and technical employees in Washington and Oregon.

Alexander Ransom, Law Offices of Alexander Ransom, PLLC.

Attorney Alex Ransom is a 1997 graduate of Fairhaven College’s Law and Diversity Program. He grew to deeply appreciate the beauty, charm and character of Bellingham (the burritos from Casa Que Pasa weren’t bad, either). In 1999, Alex was accepted into Seattle University School of Law. In 2003, he graduated law school and immediately relocated back to Whatcom County. Alex began his law career as a Public Defender for the City of Bellingham. Here, he gained vast experience defending citizens accused of DUI, Domestic Violence, Assault, and property crimes. In 2007, Alex entered private practice. After working for two mid-size criminal defense law firms, Alex opened his own law firm in 2015 and began solo practice. He handles serious felonies and misdemeanors in Whatcom and Skagit County’s Superior, District, and Municipal Courts. Alex enjoys morning walks, playing practical jokes on his daughter, watching horror movies and spending time with family.