Aaron D. Paker
Bar Number: 56331
I am a happy husband and proud father of two, who came to law later in life. I started my adulthood as an early education teacher, then transitioned to work as a paralegal after nearly 14 years of teaching. It only took a year or two of that to decide I wanted to be an attorney. Now I am an elder law attorney at Life Point Law in Federal Way. I run the Medicaid Planning, Probate, and Guardianship Departments.
Why did you decide to pursue a career in the legal field?
I needed a change from teaching and law seemed like my best opportunity to keep helping the most vulnerable members of society.
What is one memorable case you had recently? I had a case where a client’s father was denied benefits due to poor planning by another attorney and looked to be out of luck for at least the next 5 to 10 years. I was able to find a creative solution that got him onto benefits in under a month.
How has your career surprised you thus far? My career has surprised me by bringing me joy. I did not choose elder law to begin with (it was the only paralegal job I could find) and did not think I would enjoy it, but over the last seven-plus years I have learned to love all of it, especially the Medicaid work.
What is your best piece of advice for someone who’s just entered law school? The best advice I have for new lawyers is never lose sight of why you became a lawyer, unless you did it for the money. The clients you help and the good you do for them and the community as a whole is far more important than the accolades or the paychecks. So long as you keep that in front of you, you will find joy in your work.
What is one of your career goals? My long-term professional goal is to become a recognized authority on Medicaid planning and help educate the next generation of elder law attorneys on how to make the greatest positive impact for the most clients. This is an area of law that can go very wrong if done improperly and the negative impact on clients who desperately need help can be devastating.
What are a few of your hobbies or passions in life, outside of work? I love to spend time with my family, play golf, practice for my next career as a chef, and watch the Seahawks. Get on my good side and we could find ourselves on the links with a cooler full of 24-hour brisket in the back of the cart and the Hawks game on the radio.
Who do you look up to in life? Anyone who can look outside of the box: Children and elderly people who don’t care what you think of their latest outfit because it brings them joy; poets and artists who create what is meaningful to them whether anyone else gets it or not; authors who create whole universes that do not follow the rules we all expect from a genre. Creativity and being true to yourself is the most beautiful trait in anyone.
LIGHTNING ROUND
What is one new thing you want to try? Bladesmithing. During the pandemic I have become addicted to the show Forged in Fire and would love to set up a forge and make my own chef’s knives.
What is one thing you think other people should try? Cook a batch of chocolate chip cookies on a smoker.
What is your best recipe? Either my 24-hour brisket with homemade rub and barbecue sauce, my chipotle barbecue party wings, or my stuffed meatballs in scratch tomato sauce.
What is your favorite restaurant? The Herb Farm, but it is reserved for very special occasions because of the cost. On a more regular basis I would lean toward Katsu Burger, the Melting Pot, or Cooks Tavern.
What is one thing your colleagues may not know about you? I spent a semester in college taking ballet. It did not work out so well.
What is your favorite movie? Princess Bride, with Good Will Hunting coming in a close second.
Name one thing on your bucket list. I want to compete on Master Chef, Chopped, or
Cutthroat Kitchen.
. . .
> We’d like to learn about you! Email wabarnews@wsba.org to request a questionnaire and submit materials to be used for a hand-drawn portrait. Find past Beyond the Bar Number features here.