Sarah Mack

Sarah Mack

Direct: 206.462.6718
Email: ssm@pattersonbuchanan.com
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Associate

Admitted to practice in Washington and Oregon

Practice Area

Ms. Mack’s practice involves all aspects of civil defense work for both public entities and private clients, with an emphasis on federal trials and appeals.  Her clients have included counties, cities, school districts, and private entities in cases involving allegations of civil rights violations, including First Amendment free speech and free association claims, Fourth Amendment unlawful search and seizure claims, and procedural substantive due process claims; wrongful death; negligent supervision, negligent hiring and retention; employment discrimination, breach of contract, wrongful discharge, constructive discharge, sexual and racial discrimination and harassment, disability discrimination, retaliation, whistleblowing, violation of Title VII or Title IX; defamation and invasion of privacy; and insurance coverage.  She also has experience in counseling clients in implementing employer policies, collective bargaining grievances and public employee disciplinary procedures.

Before Patterson Buchanan, Ms. Mack held a prestigious Federal Law Clerk position with the Honorable Ricardo S. Martinez, United States District Judge in the Western District of Washington.  This position lasted three years, during which Ms. Mack assisted Judge Martinez with managing both civil and criminal caseloads by conducting legal research and drafting opinions on a variety of cases, including cases raising allegations of civil rights violations, violations of constitutional rights under the First Amendment, employment discrimination, securities fraud, environmental claims, contracts disputes, maritime issues, and many other federal and state law questions. 

While serving as a Federal Law Clerk, Ms. Mack also assisted with trial preparation, including the drafting of jury instructions, resolving motions in limine, and other trial-related issues.  When Judge Martinez served on panels of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Ms. Mack performed legal research and drafted legal memoranda for the panel judges on a wide range of issues including immigration and insurance contracts, and accompanied him to oral arguments. 

Before clerking exclusively for Judge Martinez, Ms. Mack was a law clerk for the Magistrate Judges of the Western District of Washington for two years.  In that capacity she assisted the judges with immigration cases that were filed before the court.  In addition, before attending law school, she interned in public relations at Warner Brothers Television in Paris, France, and was employed as a public relations executive at the GCI Group in New York City where in 1999 she was featured in Brandweek Magazine as a “key player” in the public relations industry.

Education

  • Brooklyn Law School, Juris Doctorate, cum laude, 2002
    • Sameuel W. Rover and Lewis Rover Award
    • Professor Philip K. Yonger Memorial Prize
    • Judge Doris A. Thompson and Judge Edward Thompson Award for Excellence in Professional Skills
    • Judge I. Leo Glasser Prize
    • Executive Notes and Comments Editor for the Journal of Law and Policy
    • Barry L. Zaretsky Fellowship
    • CALI Excellence for the Future Award
    • Edward V. Sparer Fellowship
  • Boston University College of Communication, B.S., Public Relations, summa cum laude, 1996

Admissions

  • United States District Court,for the Western District of Washington
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • United States Supreme Court

Professional Memberships

Publications / Presentations / Speaking Engagements

  • Note, Lock Them Up and Throw Away the Key: How Washington’s Violent Sexual Predator Law Will Shape the Balance Between Punishment and Prevention, 9 J. L. & Pol’y 879 (2001).
  • Information on some of Ms. Mack's recent and upcoming speaking engagements is available here.

Representative Cases


Published Opinions:

  • Nurre v. Whitehead, 580 F.3d 1087, (9th Cir. 2009) – Former student alleged violation of her First Amendment free speech rights, violation of the Establishment Clause and violation of her Equal Protection rights when District refused to allow a high school woodwind ensemble to play Ave Maria at graduation.  (Prevailed on summary judgment; Affirmed on appeal; U.S. Supreme Court declined to review.)

Other Cases:

  • Capo v. Port Angeles School District, at al. – Terminated teacher brought a petition for review of an administrative finding that probable cause had existed for termination of teacher; she also asserted that her First Amendment free speech rights had been violated. (Prevailed on summary judgment.) 
  • Hinkle, et al. v. Douglas County, et al. – Terminated sheriff deputy and his relative brought a retaliation/discrimination case, including allegations of employment discrimination, police and prosecutorial misconduct, false arrest, malicious prosecution, negligence, fraud, abuse of process, outrage, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, defamation, and alleged violations of the Fourth, Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and Article 1, § § 3 and 7 of the Washington State Constitution, and violations of 42 U.S.C. § § 1983, 1985 and 1986.  (Prevailed on summary judgment.)
  • Zandberg v. Edmonds School District, et al. – Former school district employee alleged constructive discharge in violation of Washington public policy and violation of his First Amendment free speech rights.  (Prevailed on summary judgment; Affirmed on appeal.)