Celeste M. Monroe

Celeste M. Monroe is a member of the firm’s Employment Relations and Litigation Groups. Her expansive practice includes litigation at the trial court level and on appeal, in state and federal courts throughout the Northwest. Ms. Monroe has successfully handled a wide variety of disputes including those concerning business transactions, insurance coverage, construction/real estate, hospitality, torts and first amendment issues.

Over the past several years, Ms. Monroe’s practice has expanded to include a significant number of employer clients for whom she provides employment counseling and litigation services. She advises her clients on all aspects of the employment relationship, including hiring, discipline, and termination, as well as disability accommodation and wage and hour compliance. In addition, Ms. Monroe helps her clients assess and refine their policies and procedures to help avoid future claims by employees. Ms. Monroe has significant experience conducting investigations for public and private employers on a variety of employment-related issues, including claims of harassment, discrimination and retaliation.

Ms. Monroe’s client base also includes numerous public school districts and private schools. In addition to counseling these clients on employment related issues, Ms. Monroe advises schools on all aspects of their operations. This includes special education, student discipline, accommodation and critical contracts.

Ms. Monroe earned her law degree from Willamette University College of Law in 2004, where she served as the Symposium Editor for the Willamette Law Review. During law school, Ms. Monroe clerked in the Appellate Division of the Oregon Department of Justice. She
received her B.A. in English from Barnard College of Columbia University in 1998. Prior to law school, Ms. Monroe was the Media and Marketing Manager for a large Northwest diesel-power distributor.

Ms. Monroe is an active member of the Oregon and Washington State Bars. She is also a member of the King County, Pierce County, and Snohomish County Bar Associations. She is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for Eastern and Western Districts of Washington as well as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and participates in the Ninth Circuit Pro Bono program. Ms. Monroe has been repeatedly recognized by Washington Law & Politics magazine as a “Rising Star” – a distinction bestowed on no more than 2.5 percent of lawyers practicing in the state.

Ms. Monroe also plays a critical role in the firm’s new Employer Partnership Program, which was designed to assist small businesses with their day-to-day employment counseling needs. Additional information about the program is available on the firm’s website.

• Labor and Employment
• Litigation
• Appellate

• American Bar Association
• Washington State Bar Association
• Oregon State Bar Association
• Pierce County Bar Association
• King County Bar Association
• Snohomish County Bar Association
• Washington Women Lawyers Association

• J.D., Willamette University, College of Law, 2004
• B.A., Barnard College/Columbia University, 1998

• Washington State Bar, 2004
• Oregon State Bar, 2010
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, 2008
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington, 2007
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 2012