Leah Altaras was born in Los Angeles and raised in South King County. She is the second oldest of her parents' eight children. Her father worked as a janitor, and her mother worked as a full time parent. Ms. Altaras attended Seattle Christian School on scholarship, graduating in 1997. She then attended the University of Washington, graduating in 2002 with bachelor’s degrees in both Journalism and American Ethnic Studies. In 2004, she returned to her Alma Matterfor law school. During law school, she participated in moot court and was writer and editor for the Schidler Technology Law Journal as well as the Vice President of Student Programming for the Student Bar Association. She was involved in the Latino Law Student Association as well as the Jewish Law Student Association. She also served as a Rule 9 Intern for both the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the City of Seattle Attorney’s Office, and also worked as an Infraction Hearing Officer for the University of Washington Police Department. During her internship with King County, she worked in the Fraud Unit, prosecuting misdemeanor crimes with a focus on Unregistered Contractors and Department of Fish and Wildlife Offenses. She prosecuted all manner of civil infractions, including traffic and animal control offenses, for the City of Seattle.
Ms. Altaras graduated from the University of Washington School of Law and was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 2007. On admission to the bar, Ms. Altaras transitioned from intern to Prosecuting Attorney for King County, and worked as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney from 2007 through 2012. In that capacity, Ms. Altaras litigated hundreds of criminal cases from misdemeanors to serious violent felonies. In the course of her work, she prosecuted many jury trials in both District and Superior Courts. She also practiced appellate work in both King County Superior Court and Division I Washington Appellate Court. Since she began her practice in 2012, after leaving the Prosecutor's Office, Ms. Altaras has defended and resolved all levels of criminal offenses, from simple misdemeanors to third strike cases. She has expanded her practice to include civil rights defense in the employment and criminal justice arenas, and has sued the government for discrimination and excessive use of force. She also practices family law, specializing in high conflict child custody battles.
Ms. Altaras is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, and the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, who recently recognized Ms. Altaras as one of the Top 10 Family Law Attorneys in Washington State based upon client satisfaction. She is a former board member, chair of the Criminal Law Section, and member of the Judicial Evaluation Committee for the King County Washington Women Lawyers Association. She is dedicated to serving her community and has advised Seattle mayors Nickels and McGinn as a member of the Citizen’s Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Committee and the Technology Matching Fund Grant Review Committee. She has also served as a judge for Mock Trial Competitions at both the Seattle University School of Law and the University of Washington School of Law. Ms. Altaras volunteers at the Seattle Human Society and enjoys guest lecturing at local colleges during her spare time.
It is with great pride and passion for defending all citizens’ rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, that Ms. Altaras founded Altaras Law PLLC.