
Marsha Chien
BAR NUMBER: 47020
LAW SCHOOL: University of Pennsylvania Law School
I am a managing assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division of the Washington Attorney General’s Office. I can be reached at marsha.chien@atg.wa.gov.
. . .
Before law school, I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala.
My greatest talent as a lawyer is that I remember the reasons why I became a lawyer.
My greatest accomplishment as a lawyer is working to enjoin the first Muslim travel ban.
The best advice I have for new lawyers is to ask questions—some things don’t make sense and asking why is the only way to figure that out.
A funny story that happened to me while practicing: I was interviewed on camera by Univision about one of my cases when I worked in legal aid. Unfortunately, I only realized when I got home that my dress was on backward.
Technology has changed the practice of law by requiring me to know what metadata means.
The most memorable trip I ever took was to Montrose, Colorado, where I lived in a tent for the summer and worked on an organic farm owned by two chain-smoking sisters.
I enjoy reading People magazine; i.e., the New Yorker of tabloids.
My best recipe I make at home is fried rice.
My fitness routine is non-existent, but used to be my bike commute to work.
I worry about my to-do list.
I am happiest when dancing with my kids.
I grew up in Virginia.
Nobody would ever suspect that I once worked as a ramp agent, directing airplanes into gates, at Dulles International Airport.
I regret that third donut.
An item I will never throw out is leftovers.
My idea of misery is cleaning out the fridge.
My first car was a 1997 Honda Accord. In the 10 years that I owned it, it was stolen three times, but it came back to me every time.
You should give this a try: eggs and salsa in your oatmeal. It’s delicious, and I’m pretty sure it’s good for you.
I have been telling others not to miss Pamela Adlon’s Better Things. It’s about the highs and lows of raising daughters, and I just had my third, so I’ve been taking notes.

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