Christopher M.
Sanders

PRACTICE AREAS

• Litigation

• Pronouns:
  he, him, his
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Christopher Sanders’ practice focuses on representing public entity clients in various stages of civil litigation, including in trials, through investigations, and providing general counseling.

Prior to working at Pacifica, Christopher was an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington. He also worked as an attorney for the King County Department of Public Defense, and with the Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel. As a seasoned trial attorney, Christopher has experience representing clients charged with misdemeanors and felonies in city, state courts, and federal courts, and has case-management experience at all stages of the litigation process, including pre-trial, trial, and in appellate proceedings.

Before law school, Christopher worked for the United States House of Representatives, Oversight and Government Reform Committee, where he assisted members of Congress and their counsel on investigations on federal and corporate waste, fraud, and abuse. He also assisted on various legislative and governance matters, including advising members of Congress on the passage the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $787 billion stimulus bill designed to help the American economy recover from the Great Recession.

In addition to his work as a trial lawyer, Christopher is an active member of the legal community. He was appointed by the Washington State Supreme Court to the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission, where as a commissioner, he is tasked with identifying and addressing problems of race and bias in the state court systems. From 2023 to 2024, he was the Chair of the Washington State Bar Association Disciplinary Board, where he presided over lawyer disciplinary proceedings. Christopher was also proud to serve as President of the Loren Miller Bar Association in 2018, and as Co-Chair of the Charles V. Johnson Youth and Law Forum in 2022 and 2023.

In his free time, Christopher enjoys spending time with his partner and family, traveling, and enjoying the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Bar Admissions:

• Washington
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
• U. S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
• U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Education:

• Oberlin College, B.A., Politics
• Seattle University School of Law, J.D.

Honors:

• Selected for inclusion in the “Ones to Watch” list in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of Commercial Litigation, 2025
• Fellow and Graduate, University of Washington School of Law Washington Leadership Institute (“WLI”), 2019
• Leadership Award, Loren Miller Bar Association, 2018
• Leadership Award, Seattle University Black Law Students Association, 2013

Speaking:

• 2022 Washington Supreme Court Symposium: Reparations for African-Americans, Facilitator, Washington State Minority and Justice Commission, Seattle, Washington, June 1, 2022
• White Collar Crime, Privacy and Government Investigations, Panelist, National Black Law Students Association Regional Convention, Seattle, Washington, January 7, 2021
• Stories of police accountability, the use of force, and how communities can work together with businesses to find safety for all, Google, February 1, 2018

Professional Organizations:

• Washington State Minority and Justice Commission, Commissioner, 2019 – Present
• Washington State Bar Association, Disciplinary Board, 2021 – Present
• Northwest Community Bail Fund, Board Member,  Present
• Washington Coalition of Minority Legal Professionals, Co-Founder, 2018 – Present
• The Loren Miller Bar Association, President, 2018