Carrie Coppinger Carter, Attorney

CARRIE COPPINGER CARTER, Attorney is a principal of the litigation firm of Coppinger Carter P.S. established in 2006 in Whatcom County.  After starting with a Seattle-based insurance defense firm, she transitioned her skills to work for individuals in 2000 and never looked back.  She is primarily focused on personal injury, wrongful death, insurance coverage, contract disputes, employment matters, and the associated appeals.  She embraces the firm’s motto of ADVANCING JUSTICE BY EMPOWERING PEOPLE.

Areas of Practice: Employment Law · Personal Injury · Appellate Law

Community Involvement

In addition to her legal activities, she has served her community by mentoring students, coaching local youth basketball, sponsoring community events for those with disabilities, serving several local community boards, and supporting pro bono legal services locally and statewide.  She spent numerous years working to advance issues affecting teen parents through various non-profit organizations and is a frequent inspirational speaker on the issue of teenage pregnancy and parenting, and overcoming challenges in the pursuit of Big Audacious Goals.

Credentials

EDUCATION

• 1998 | Seattle University School of Law, Seattle, Washington, Juris Doctorate,
• 1997-98 | Externship with Justice Charles Johnson, Washington State Supreme Court, researched and drafted portions of law review article on search and seizure law;
• 1995-97 | Research Assistant to Professor Janet Ainsworth, researched and located authority relating to women and political asylum issue
• 1996 | Summer Semester in comparative legal studies in constitutional/charter, criminal and commercial law at University of British Columbia & Southwestern University, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
• 1991 | University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, Double B.A. in Society & Justice with honors, and in English with Writing Emphasis
• 1990-91 | Research Assistant to Professor Micheal Pendleton, researched and located authority and data on deaths in jails
• 1991 | Intern, Special Assault Unit, King County Police Department, reviewed and processed CPS referrals for investigation
• 1990 | Intern, King County Public Defenders Office, interviewed and obtained witness statements for public defenders

ADMITTED TO PRACTICE

• 2008 | Nooksack Tribal Court
• 2002 | Lummi Tribal Court for the Lummi Nation
• 1999 | United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
• 1999 | U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington
• 1999 | U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
• 1999 | Washington State Supreme Court

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & ACTIVITIES

• Washington State Association for Justice, formerly known as Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, 1999 to present
• Board of Governors, 2nd Congressional District, 2001-09
• Chair, Whatcom County Roundtable, 2001-04; 2006-07
• Founding Chair, New Members Committee, 2001-03
• Washington State Bar Association, 1999 to present
• Litigation Section Board, 2013-present
• Disciplinary Board, 2006-09
• Leadership Institute Advisory Board, 2007-09
• Committee Member, Professionalism Committee, 2006-07
• Fellow of Inaugural Leadership Institute, 2005
• YLD, Editorial Advisory Board, 1999-2001
• Panel member, Federal Magistrate Selection Committee, 2002-03
• Washington Employment Lawyers Association, 2005 to present
• Washington Women Lawyers & Whatcom Women Lawyers Associations, 2000 to present
• Whatcom County Bar Association, 2000 to present

PUBLICATIONS

• “Broad v Mannesmann: Tolling Washington’s Statute of Limitations for Foreign Service under the Hague Convention”, WSTLA Trial News, Nov. 2000
• “The Effects of Foreign Service under the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters on the Tolling of Washington’s Statute of Limitations”, Washington State Bar Association’s International News Letter, Jan. 1999

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

• 2012, Fellow of Inaugural Judicial Institute
• 2011 Graduate of Distinction in honor of Outstanding Service to School, Community and Career, Nooksack Valley School District and Nooksack Valley High School
• 2009, Recipient of Volunteer Lawyer Award for extraordinary giving and for service, LAW Advocates (Legal Assistance of Whatcom)
• 2005, Fellow of Inaugural Leadership Institute, Washington State Bar Association
• 2003, 2004 and 2006, Recognized as Rising Star by Washington Law and Politics
• 1998, Recipient of Warren R. Pederson Advocacy Award by Puget Sound Inn of Courts
• 1998, Top 15 Oral Advocates, Jessup International Law Competition, Washington, D.C.
• 1998, Team Member of Pacific Region Champions, Jessup International Law Competition
• 1997-98, Invited Member of the Order of Barristers, 1997-98

SPEAKING ACTIVITIES (Not a complete list of speaking activities)

• Speaker, “Getting into the Game: Informal Discovery”, Washington State Bar Association, Litigation Section Annual CLE, August 2015
• Guest Speaker, Martin Luther King Day Assembly, Nooksack Valley Middle School, 2012
• Speaker, “Time Management: A guide to defining your priorities so you can chart the course”, Washington State Bar Association, Leadership Institute, May 2011
• Speaker, “The Paperless Office – Is It Possible?”, The Cost Effective Small Office, Washington State Bar Association, March 2010
• Speaker, “A Mountain Guide to the Insurance Fair Conduct Act, RCW 48.30.015”, Washington State Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, March 2008
• Speaker, “The Unimpeachable Witness”, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, 2007
• Speaker, “Born to Run: What To Do When It’s Not Working – Tools For Transition: The Ethics Of Taking Clients With You”, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, Women of WSTLA and Seattle University, September 2006
• Panel Moderator, Federal Practice CLE sponsored by Federal Bar Association of the Western District, “Bankruptcy Reform, the Class Action Fairness Act, & the Schiavo Legislation: Where is Congress taking federal jurisdiction and practice?”, December 2005
• Speaker and Panel Member, Voir Dire, Whatcom County Bar Association, May 2005
• Speaker, “Maximizing Damages In A Soft Tissue Injury Case”, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, March 2005
• Speaker, “Controlling The Flow Of Information: When Should Releases Be Signed Or Resisted”, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, 2002
• Speaker, “Strategies For Multiple Plaintiffs And Multiple Defendants In Indivisible Claims”, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, 2002
• Speaker, “ The Pitfalls of Foreign Service under the Hague Convention & Tolling Washington’s Statute of Limitations”, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, Whistler, B.C., 2001.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

• Coach, Boy’s Basketball Teams for Boys and Girls Club League, 3-8th grades, 2014-present
• Team member for Divorcecare, North County Christ the King Church, 2014 – present
• Sponsor and Volunteer, Rascal Rodeo at NW Washington Fair, 2014 – present
• Volunteer Parent, Nooksack Valley School District, 2014 – present
• Participating Sponsor, Down’s Syndrome Outreach of Whatcom County/ARC of Whatcom County, Buddy Walk, Smiles of Life Calendar, Sprout Film Festival, 2010 – present
• Auction Sponsor/donor, volunteer parent for field trips and classroom, St. Paul’s Academy, 2008-2013
• Immanuel Lutheran Church: Deacon 2006-2009, Sunday School Teacher for Pre-K/K 2006-2010 and Ministerial Advisory Board Member, 2005 – 2009
• Board Member and pro bono legal work, Shalom Center Campus Outreach at Western Washington University, 2006-09
• Mentor for law students from University of Washington and Seattle University, 2005-08
• Coordinator, YWCA Back to Work Clothing Drive, Whatcom Women Lawyers, 2005-08
• Volunteer Lawyer and Contributor, Legal Advocates of Whatcom County, Street Law and Law Day, 2002 to present
• Coach, Nooksack Valley Teen Court Team, Whatcom County Teen Court Program and participation at Regional Conference on Juvenile Justice, 2000-2002
• Executive Board Member and Chair of Advancing Solutions to Adolescent Pregnancy (A.S.A.P.), 1996-2000