Areas of Practice Family Law Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Professional Ethics and Discipline
B.A., English, Queens College of the City University of New York, 1964; J.D., Rutgers University School of Law, 1968.
Rita is a principal in the firm. Rita is admitted to practice in the federal and state courts in Washington, as well as the United States Supreme Court and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Ninth and Third Circuits.
Rita’s practice focuses on family law, adoption and assisted reproduction, and ethics and professional discipline for attorneys and mental health professionals.
Rita's past practice includes service as a public defender in Seattle and Newark, NJ. She taught as a lecturer in law at Rutgers University School of Law, and also served as a member of the adjunct faculty of the University of Washington School of Law. Rita was the Seattle Regional Director of the Legal Services Corporation from 1977 to 1982.
Rita has lectured to groups of legal, medical, and mental health professionals on numerous topics including ethical issues of forensic practice; adoption and assisted reproductive technology; same sex adoption; financial aspects of adoption; negotiation in the practice of law; complex family law issues; and prenuptial and cohabitation agreements. In addition to Continuing Legal Education materials, Rita is the author of the chapters "Medical-Legal Issues" in Primary Care of Women, Appleton & Lange, 2nd ed. 2003; "Adoption" in Washington Civil Practice Deskbook, Bender & Hoague, 1993; and "Adoption Practice" in Washington Methods of Practice, Revised Volumes, 1989.
Rita's community and professional activities include her appointment by the Supreme Court of Washington to the Practice of Law Board; designation by the Washington Commission on Judicial Conduct to represent the Commission in the prosecution of judicial conduct complaints; past service on the American Bar Association Commission on Homelessness; and service as past President of the Board of Trustees of the Legal Foundation of Washington. Rita is a memeber of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, a former member of the Academy Board of Trustees, and former chair of its Board of Discipline. Rita has been a Fellow of the American Association of Assisted Reproduction Law Attorneys since 2008. She is also a member of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers.
Presentations Racial Disparity in Education and State Action, William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, University of Mississippi (March 2009). CLE Author and Presenter, On Being a Lawyer, Washington State Bar Association (December 2008). Searching for Restorative Justice: The Trial of Edgar Ray Killen, Combined Symposium—Northeastern University & Harvard Law School (April 2007). CLE Author and Presenter, ARTS — Assisted Reproductive Technologies and the Uniform Parentage Act, Washington State Bar Association (November 2006 & 2008). CLE Author and Presenter, Ethical Perplexities in the Brave New World: Hypotheticals on Ethics, Washington State Bar Association (February 2006).
Publications Washington State Legal Technican Rule: Myths and Facts, Washington State Bar News (July 2008) Legal Issues of Surrogacy, Artificial Insemination, Egg Donation and Embryo Donation (September 2007) (with Raegen N. Rasnic and Janet M. Helson) Adoption Law, King County Superior Court Family Law Benchbook (2005) (with Raegen N. Rasnic) FAQ: Surrogacy, Sperm Donation and Egg Donation in Washington for Prospective Gay and Lesbian Parents (with Raegen N. Rasnic and Janet M. Helson) Independent Adoption in Washington (May 2003) (with Raegen N. Rasnic)
