Andrew grew up in the Audubon Park neighborhood in Northwest Spokane. He graduated from Shadle Park High School with honors and concurrently graduated with honors from Spokane Falls Community College through the Running Start program. He finished his bachelor's degree, with honors, at the University of Washington. While attending Shadle, he fell in love with and learned to play the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe. Andrew continues to play bagpipes with Spokane's Angus Scott Pipe Band.
He became interested in the law during undergrad when he would take winters off to work in Olympia for one of Spokane's local state senators. It was while working at the capitol that Andrew received encouragement to apply to law school. He attended law school at the University of Washington School of Law where he also met his future wife, Lauren.
Following law school, Andrew and his new wife returned to Spokane. Andrew accepted a two-year clerkship with Judge Kevin Korsmo at the Washington State Court of Appeals. As a law clerk, Andrew helped Judge Korsmo decide a wide variety of cases. Court of Appeals judges review all the same cases superior court judges decide, including criminal law, divorce and child custody, business and contract disputes, personal injury, public records, and more.
In 2014, Andrew and Lauren moved to North Central Washington where Andrew accepted a position with Chelan County as a deputy prosecutor. Andrew served as a deputy prosecutor for 5 years, trying cases in district and superior court. As a small-county prosecutor, Andrew tried everything from noise complaints to brutal violent felonies, including homicide and everything in between. In addition to doing jury trials, Andrew also argued several cases at the Washington State Court of Appeals and the Washington State Supreme Court.
In 2016, Andrew worked closely with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute a long-running source of animal cruelty in Chelan County. The case led to the successful rescue and re-homing of almost 100 dogs and puppies. In 2017, Andrew was humbled to receive the 2016 Bucky Award for Excellence from Pasado's Safe Haven, a statewide animal rescue and welfare organization. Andrew shared the award with Wenatchee Valley Animal Control Sergeant Sandra Larsen, without whom the case would not have been possible.
Between 2018 and 2019, Andrew helped create a drug court for Chelan County Superior Court. This effort marked Chelan County’s first alternative court/therapeutic court at any court level. To help create this program, Andrew visited and researched existing therapeutic courts including Spokane County Superior Court's long-running drug court. The project was an immediate success and Andrew looks forward to continuing Spokane's legacy of effective therapeutic court programs.
In 2019, Andrew and Lauren returned to Spokane when Andrew accepted an offer to return to the Washington State Court of Appeals in a permanent capacity as a staff attorney. In his current role, Andrew works in-house for all of the judges at the Court of Appeals, helping them decide cases from throughout Central and Eastern Washington. The Court of Appeals reviews cases from all 20 counties East of the Cascades, including cases out of Spokane County Superior Court. In addition to helping the court's judges decide cases, Andrew is also responsible for training the judges' law clerks.
From 2021 through July 2024, Andrew also served part-time as a pro tem court commissioner in Spokane County Superior Court. A court commissioner performs many of the same functions as a judge. A pro tem is a lawyer who fills in for judges and court commissioners when they are sick or on vacation. As a pro tem, Andrew has presided over hundreds of hearings and bench trials, including divorces and child custody matters, juvenile dependencies, domestic violence and anti-harassment protection orders, truancy and run-away youth cases, and civil mental health commitments.
Sought After Teacher
Andrew is a regular presenter at continuing legal education courses throughout Washington. He has given trainings to the Washington State Judicial Conference, the Washington State Attorney General's Office, the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, the Washington State Office of Public Defense, the National Association of Legal Professionals Washington Chapter, the Spokane County Bar Association, the Benton-Franklin Counties Bar Association, the Chelan-Douglas Counties Bar Association, and the Yakima County Bar Association.
In addition to teaching lawyers, Andrew has also been a presenter at several law enforcement conferences, which have included Washington State Patrol Troopers, Department of Fish and Wildlife Officers, county sheriff's deputies, municipal police officers, and animal control officers from across the state.
Andrew is also the author of multiple guides and articles on Washington law. His most recent scholarly article was published this spring in the Gonzaga Law Review. His next article will be published this fall in the Seattle University Law Review.
Active Member of the Community
- Current Chair, Spokane County Regional Behavioral Health Advisory Board
- Current Member, Angus Scott Pipe Band
- Current Member, Washington State Bar Association Court Rules and Procedures Committee
- Volunteer Judge, Gonzaga University School of Law Appellate Moot Court Competition
- Past Member, Spokane County Juvenile Court Diversion Board
- Past Member, Spokane Regional Transportation Council: Transportation Advisory Committee
- Past Member, Washington State Supreme Court’s ad hoc Remote Jury Trials Workgroup
- Past President, Young Lawyers of Chelan & Douglas Counties
- Past Member, WSBA Criminal Law Section
- Past Member, WSBA Young Lawyers Committee
