Professional Background

Mr. Carlson is a 1976 graduate of Seattle University School of Law. He is licensed to practice before all courts of this state, as well as before The United States District for the Western District of Washington and The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Judicial Circuit. He has argued successfully before The Washington State Supreme Court and The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Judicial Circuit.
 
He is an active member of the Washington State Bar Association and the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, where he is a past member of the Board of Governors.

He is a current member of the Washington State Bar Association Disciplinary Board.

He is a past president of the East King County Bar Association, where he served as a Board Member for several years as well.

He has served as Judge Pro Tem in both Bellevue and Northeast District Courts, where he presided over hundreds of civil and criminal trials. He regularly serves as a court-appointed arbitrator in King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties.

He regularly serves as a court-appointed Guardian Ad Litem for persons legally disabled by virtue of age or cognitive deficit.
 
Mr. Carlson is a member of the Martindale Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Attorneys. Mr. Carlson is proud to hold an "A-V" rating by that organization, a peer reviewed and highly respected national lawyer rating organization. The "A-V" designation is available only to those attorneys whose legal abilities and ethical standards are deemed exceptional by their peers.

Personal Background

Mr. Carlson was born in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, attended the University of Michigan, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

He is a Commissioned Officer in the United States Army. In 1969 he served as a rifle platoon leader in the 25th Infantry Division in South Viet Nam, where he was awarded the Combat Infantryman's Badge and Purple Heart.

He is married and the father of three young men. For many years he has been active in Eastside youth sports, most prominently baseball and soccer. For the past several years he has been active in youth sports at the high school level, serving as both a board member and President of the Seattle Preparatory School Athletic Board.