Women of SU Connection Café: The Changing Landscape of Law and Politics

Once the 2016 elections conclude, join the Women of SU for the next Connection Café! This will be a relevant and needed dialogue on the “The Changing Landscape of Law & Politics”. Anita Crawford-Willis '82, '86, will moderate a panel on law, politics and diversity. The panelist will include dynamic graduates of SU School of Law: Andra Kranzler, '11, Synthia Melton '10, and Emily Gause '11.

Anita Crawford-Willis is Administrative Law Judge with the Office of Administrative Hearings in Seattle and a Protem Judge for Seattle Municipal Court. She has been an active member of the legal community in King County for more than 30 years. She received the Loren Miller Bar Scholarship and the Loren Miller Social Justice Award. In 2014, the Seattle University School of Law honored Judge Crawford-Willis as the Woman of the Year. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Seattle University Board of Regents.

Emily Gause owns her own firm – the Law Offices of Emily M. Gause PLLC, where she practices solely in felony criminal defense, both in federal courts and state courts across Washington State. While attending Seattle University School of Law, she worked at Northwest Defenders Association, a public defender agency in King County, and was a Rule 9 Law Clerk with the Washington State Attorney General's Office. After law school, Emily worked for John Henry Browne, a prominent private criminal defense attorney in Seattle, where she was counsel for several notable clients including Colton Harris-Moore (the “barefoot bandit”), Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, and other high-profile

Andra Kranzler is a Legislative Aide to City of Seattle Councilmember Lisa Herbold. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Eastern Washington University and a Juris Doctor Degree from Seattle University School of Law. Most recently, Andra was the Community Economic Development Manager for Skyway Solutions, managing the grassroots planning effort to update the subarea plan for unincorporated Skyway-West Hill. Prior to that, she was a Staff Attorney at Columbia Legal Services in the Institutions Project.

Synthia Melton is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Dimension Law Group. Synthia’s practice focuses on Business Law and Commercial and Residential Real Estate, including Landlord-Tenant law. Synthia received her Juris Doctorate degree from Seattle University School of Law and her Bachelor’s Degree in Law & Diversity from Western Washington University. Synthia’s background and experience as an investor, entrepreneur, and attorney allow her to bring a unique approach to understanding the needs of her clients and offer creative alternatives and solutions to navigate the complexities of our legal system. In 2016, Synthia was named a "Rising Star" for Business Law by Super Lawyers.