Janet M. Helson is a principal in the firm. She focuses her practice on family law. Her past practice includes twelve years of service as a staff attorney, then regional director, for Columbia Legal Services, where she also focused on family law issues. In addition to representing individual clients, Janet trained and supervised many other family law attorneys and was extensively involved in court committees and legislative work groups. She was actively involved in drafting Washington’s Child Relocation Act and also worked on legislative issues related to domestic violence, the Parenting Act, child support, and kinship care.

Janet is admitted to practice in the federal and state courts of Washington, the state courts of California, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Janet has been a frequent presenter on topics of interest to family law attorneys. She served on the Executive Committee of the Washington State Bar Association Family Law Section from 2001 to 2007 and was recognized in 2004 as the State Bar Family Law Section’s Attorney of the Year. Currently she serves on the National Family Law Advisory Council for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. She has served as a member and treasurer of the Executive Committee of the Washington State Bar Association Family Law Section and was recognized in 2004 as the State Bar Family Law Section’s Attorney of the Year.

Janet has volunteered with Legal Voice since 1998. She also volunteers as a mentor for the King County Bar Association Family Law Mentor Program and serves as a volunteer settlement conference mediator for King County family law cases. Previously Janet served as a pro tem court commissioner in the King County Superior court.

Publications

• Newsletter: Washington Domestic Partnership: Update for Family Law Practioners (August 2009) (with Raegen N. Rasnic)