Yasmeen Abdullah
Direct: 206.462.6772
Email: yma@pattersonbuchanan.com
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Associate
Admitted to practice in Washington
Practice Area
Ms. Abdullah’s practice includes general litigation defense, school law, premises liability, personal injury, and employment litigation.
Before joining the firm, Ms. Abdullah gained significant criminal litigation experience as a Deputy Prosecutor for Thurston County. As a prosecutor she handled thousands of criminal cases at both the trial and appeal level. Ms. Abdullah also served as a judge for the Thurston County Youth Court Diversion Program. With another deputy prosecutor, Ms. Abdullah formed an Animal Cruelty Unit in the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, the first such Sheriff’s unit in Washington State. She then conducted trainings for County Sheriff deputies in animal crimes. Ms. Abdullah also assisted in drafting and lobbying for Senate Bill 5402 (codified as RCW 16.52.011, 16.52.085, and 16.52.200) preventing animal cruelty, which Governor Gregoire signed into law in 2009. SB 5402 allows a court to permanently bar a person who has caused the death of an animal through cruelty from owning a similar animal in the future.
Before prosecuting, Ms. Abdullah completed two judicial clerkships at the Washington Court of Appeals Division II, clerking for Judge Joel Penoyar and Judge J. Robin Hunt. While there she gained considerable practical experience in civil, criminal, and appellate law. As a Judicial Clerk, she assisted in drafting numerous opinions, prepared bench memoranda for the judges’ use during oral argument, conducted legal research, as well as reviewed briefs, lower court records, and agency proceedings. She also served as an intern with the Chesterfield (Virginia) County Attorney’s Office, conducting legal research and drafting memoranda on employment law, parental rights, business and occupation taxes, and privacy rights.
Education
- University of Richmond, Juris Doctorate, cum laude, 2006
- Jean Tarpley Scholar
- Moot Court Board
- Carrico Moot Court Competition Quarterfinalist
- Trial Advocacy Board
- National Trial Competition Regional Semifinalist
- Admissions Minority Panel Speaker
- International Law Student Association Secretary
- Law Student Advisor
- Eastern Washington University, Bachelor of Arts, Government, magna cum laude, 2003
- National Dean’s List
- Thurston County Young Lawyers Scholar
- Asia University Scholarship
- Residential Hall Association President
- Mock Trial
- International Peer Advisor
- Study abroad at Mukogawa Women’s University in Nishinomiya, Japan
Professional Memberships
- Washington State Bar Association
- King County Bar Association
- Thurston County Bar Association
- Middle Eastern Legal Association
- King County Domestic Violence Revision Team
- Washington Council of School Attorneys
Publications / Presentations / Speaking Engagements
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Presentations to law enforcement officers regarding animal cruelty laws and effective investigations.
Representative Cases
Trial and Case Handling Experience:
Ms. Abdullah defends clients in cases involving alleged personal injury, discrimination, employment disputes, retaliation, public agency policies and procedures, and service contracts. As a prosecutor for Thurston County, Ms. Abdullah represented the State in thousands of cases, including a dozen jury trials involving driving under the influence, assault, hit and run, malicious mischief, and possession of marijuana charges.
Hearing and Motion Experience:
In 2009, Ms. Abdullah secured a domestic violence protection order for a mother and her two children after representing her in a motion for revision and an order petition hearing. As a prosecutor, Ms. Abdullah handled court hearings on a daily basis. She has briefed and presented oral argument in hundreds of hearings and motions. These hearings typically involved a wide variety of issues, including motions to suppress evidence, confession motions, joinder and severance motions, discovery motions, corpus delecti and knapstad motions, ER 404(b) motions, motions to exclude, motions to withdraw a plea, speedy trial motions, motions in limine, probation violations, failure to appear hearings, probable cause hearings, property and animal forfeiture hearings, sentencing hearings, deferred prosecution hearings, motions for reconsideration, restitution motions, witness competency hearings, and RALJ appeals.
Appellate Cases:
- State v. Jones, 2009 WL 449080, Washington State Court of Appeals, Div. II (February 2009) – Child molestation convictions.
- State v. Rhoden, 2009 WL 1124346, Washington State Court of Appeals, Div. II (April 2009) - Child rape and molestation convictions.