Alanna E.
Peterson

PARTNER
P. 206.602.1211
Litigation, Municipal Law, and Nonprofit Attorney Alanna E. Peterson

PRACTICE AREAS

Alanna Peterson provides strategic and values-aligned advice to help clients navigate complex statutory, regulatory, and constitutional issues, including helping clients manage risk and advocating successfully for clients before various administrative bodies and state and federal courts.

Alanna Peterson focuses her practice on helping public, private, and nonprofit clients navigate complex statutory, regulatory, and constitutional issues. She provides strategic and values-aligned legal advice and represents clients in litigation involving a broad range of issues impacting our communities, including nonprofit governance and formation, municipal law, environmental and land use law, public policy and planning, and the political process. She also works with clients to draft, defend, and implement state and local initiatives, legislation, and public programs. Alanna serves as outside general counsel to several state and national nonprofit organizations working to ensure abortion access.

Alanna is committed to public service. She regularly provides pro bono counsel to various state and national nonprofit organizations advocating for issues related to reproductive, environmental, immigrant, and economic justice, including by filing amici curiae briefs in state and federal appellate courts and providing direct representation to people facing systemic barriers to justice. Alanna is also actively involved in land conservation and outdoor recreation efforts in this region, with a focus on promoting equitable, inclusive, and meaningful access to parks and open space. Alanna is a member of the Seattle Planning Commission and co-chair of its Land Use and Transportation committee.

Bar Admissions:
  • Washington
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Education:
  • University of Southern California, B.A., Gender Studies; English Literature, cum laude (Renaissance Scholar and NW Alumni Club, ISPC, and Jessie Ingram Endowed Scholarships)
  • University of Washington School of Law, J.D., cum laude (Moot Court Honor Board Executive Board, Innocence Project NW Clinic, Research Assistant to Professors Porter and Ainsworth, Philip J. Weiss Endowed Scholarship)
Honors:
  • Selected for Washington Rising Stars, 2018-2022
  • Selected for inclusion in the “Ones to Watch” list in The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation and Education Law, 2021-2023
Speaking:
  • Recreational Immunity in Washington: 2019 Update, Washington State Trails Coalition Annual Caucus Meeting, Presenter, October, 2019
  • The Changing Landscape of Recreational Immunity in Washington, Washington State Trails Coalition Conference, Presenter, October 2018
Publications:
  • “Integrating the Legalization of Recreational Marijuana into Local Land Use and Planning Schemes,” Municipal Research and Services Center, In Focus: Planning(September 2015) [also published in the Washington State Bar Association Environmental and Land Use Law Section Newsletter (August 2015)]
  • “Wind River Reservation May Shape Tribal CAA Jurisdiction,” Law360, Native American Law Section (July 2014)
  • “The Wind River Reservation Treatment-as-State Controversy: How Confusion Undermines Opportunities for Cooperative Governance,” Washington State Bar Association, Environmental and Land Use Law Section Newsletter(April 2014)
  • “General Evidence,” Sexual Offense Bench Guide, Washington State Supreme Court Gender and Justice Commission (2013)
Community Involvement:
  • Washington Trails Association, Board Member, 2023-Present
  • Seattle Planning Commission, Commissioner and co-chair of Land Use and Transportation committee, 2021-Present
  • Leadership Tomorrow, Class of 2020
  • Washington Recreation and Conservation Office, Land and Water Conservation Fund Advisory Committee, Member, 2016-Present
  • Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, Board of Directors, Executive Committee Member and Past Vice President, 2017-2022
  • Washington State Historic Preservation Plan 2021-2026, Steering Committee Member, 2018-2020
  • National Lawyers Guild, Legal Observer, 2020-2021
  • King County, Land Conservation and Preservation Plan Advisory Group, Member, 2016-2018
  • Forterra Regional Leadership Council, Central Sound, Member, 2016-2020
  • Legal Voice, Violence Against Women and Know Your Rights Workgroups, Member, 2013-2019