Thomas C Phelan

 

Thomas Phelan was born in Butte, Montana and moved to Portland at a young age.  He attended Central Catholic High School in Portland and then attended the University of Oregon. He thereafter graduated from the University of Puget Sound Law School and settled in the Portland-Vancouver area. He originally worked for a small Vancouver law firm for 5 years before opening up a successful solo practice in 1986. He has recently added an associate, Christina Phelan, who's primary practice and focus is juvenile and criminal law.  Mr. Phelan has handled virtually every type of criminal and personal injury case over the last three decades and is highly respected by peers, former clients, judges and even adversaries for his skilled and effective representation of his clients. He has handled, and tried to a jury, many high profile cases over the years. He has lectured and taught at seminars for other attorneys and has appeared in courts in throughout Oregon and Washington. Mr. Phelan has been a mentor to and advised other lawyers throughout his career. He is well respected by his peers , and they often come to for advice about how to handle their difficult cases. His legal reputation is such that he has represented other attorneys and police officers facing legal troubles. 

Areas of Practice

  • Personal Injury
  • Motor Vehicle Accidents
  • Criminal Law
  • DUI/DWI

Bar Admissions

  • Washington, 1980
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of Washington
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Washington
  • Oregon, 1989
  • U.S. District Court District of Oregon
  • U.S. Federal Courts, 1980
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1983
  • Supreme Court of the United States of America
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Education

  • University of Puget Sound School of Law, Tacoma, Washington
    • J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence - 1980
  • Seattle University, School of Law, Seattle, Washington
    • J.D.
  • University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
    • B.S., Bachelor of Science
    • Major: Political Science
    • Major: History

Representative Cases

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Member, 1983 - Present
  • Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Member, 1987 - Present
  • Washington Association of Justice, 1987 - Present
  • Clark County Bar Association
  • Member and Past President of the George and Donald Simpson Chapter, Inns of Court
  • AV Rated Martindale-Hubbell

Christina Phelan
Associate

Christina Phelan was born and raised in Vancouver, WA. She graduated from Central Catholic High School in Portland, Oregon in 2003. She received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Santa Clara University and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2007. Christina attended law school at Boston University School of Law, graduating cum laude in May 2012. At Boston University, Christina was a member of the Boston University Law Review, where she eventually served on the editorial board as Administrative Editor. She also participated in the Criminal Clinic where she served as a student attorney for both juvenile and adult defendants in Boston’s Municipal Court. 

Prior to law school, Christina worked as a legal assistant for a Portland firm where she focused on juvenile delinquency and dependency law. 

Christina has worked as an intern for the Honorable R. Gary Klausner, federal district court judge for the Central District of California and for the Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Practice in Brooklyn, NY. She has been with Phelan Law Office PLLC since 2012.

Still early in her career, Christina is well-recognized in the Clark County legal community for her hard work and dedication to her clients and cases. She was recently awarded the Clark County Bar Association's "Rising Star Attorney" of 2015.

Christina is licensed to practice law in Washington. As an associate of Tom Phelan, Christina focuses on Criminal Defense and Juvenile Law.