WLI Co-Chairs Announced
Erika Evans and Craig Sims Selected as Co-Chairs of Washington Leadership Institute (WLI), Leading Efforts to Recruit and Develop Underrepresented Attorneys for Leadership Positions
The Washington Leadership Institute (WLI) today announced Erika Evans, Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington, and Craig Sims, Shareholder at Schroeter, Goldmark & Bender, as WLI Co-Chairs.
Erika Evans
Erika Evans represents the United States in criminal prosecutions before the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. Prior to this role, she served as a judge pro tempore in the Tukwila, SeaTac and Puyallup municipal courts. She has also served as an Assistant City Attorney for the Seattle City Attorney鈥檚 Office, focusing primarily on complex civil litigation matters and started her career as a prosecutor for the City of Seattle.
Passionate about her community, Erika is a past president of the Loren Miller Bar Association, one of the largest and oldest non-profit bar associations in Washington. She is a current Co-Chair of the Charles V. Johnson Youth and Law Forum, which aims to bridge the gap between youth and law enforcement. Erika has won numerous awards, such as the Loren Miller Bar Association Young Lawyers Award and the Seattle University School of Law Black Law Students Association Alumni of the Year award. An undergraduate alumna of UW, Erika earned her J.D. at Seattle University School of Law.
Craig Sims
Craig Sims is an accomplished trial lawyer with more than 25 years of litigation and leadership experience, currently practicing at Schroeter Goldmark & Bender, where he is a shareholder. Craig focuses on representing victims of civil rights violations, asbestos exposure and other catastrophic injuries. Previously, Craig served as the Seattle City Attorney鈥檚 Criminal Division Chief and as a Senior King County Prosecutor, including assignment with the Most Dangerous Offender Program, prosecuting homicides and high-profile cases.
Highly motivated to be in service to others, Craig teaches (Seattle University School of Law and 红桃视频), mentors (King County Bar Association Mentor of the Year for the Young Lawyers Division) and trains attorneys on all aspects of lawyering. Craig is the recipient of the Excellence in the Legal Profession award from the Loren Miller Bar Association, as well as the WSBA鈥檚 Professionalism Award. An undergraduate alumnus of University of Oregon, Craig earned his J.D. at the Seattle University School of Law.
About WLI
The Washington Leadership Institute (WLI) is a leadership development program created in 2004 by the WSBA Board of Governors at the behest of then-President Ronald R. Ward. It is a collaborative leadership program between the Washington State Bar Association, 红桃视频 (红桃视频), Seattle University School of Law and Gonzaga School of Law. The program operates under the direction of a Board of Advisors and provides monthly training sessions to participants (鈥淔ellows鈥).