David W. Duce

David puts it this way:

“ My injured clients and their families pay a steep personal price when other people or institutions choose to do things that put people in harm’s way. Justice for my clients, means closure. It means making sure they are fully and fairly compensated for what was taken. Justice means doing something to prevent the same thing from happening to someone else. When a person gets a driver’s license he or she makes a promise, a commitment, to everyone else in our community that he or she will follow the rules of the road. We have a right to expect people will keep that promise. By keeping this promise we protect each other as a community. We have a right to expect that our doctors will truly listen to us and follow the policies and procedures developed over the years to keep us safe when we put our lives in their hands. Certainly, we have the right to expect that nursing homes, who are entrusted with the care of some of our most vulnerable family members, will have enough qualified staff on hand to protect residents from harm and abuse. As consumers, we have a right to expect that commercial businesses will keep their buildings and their products safe. When our trust is broken, and someone is hurt or killed as a result, justice requires that we hold the wrongdoers accountable. It doesn’t take long for people and corporations to stop following safety rules if we as a society stop holding them accountable. Preventing future harm through accountability is one of highest priorities of our civil justice system. ”

 

BIOGRAPHICAL OVERVIEW

David received his law degree, awarded Magna Cum Laude, from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1984. He graduated as the law school’s Terry M. Giles Honor Scholar. He was also awarded the American Jurisprudence Award for excellent achievement in the Study of Evidence and was published in the University’s Law Review. Following graduation from law school, David clerked for Judge Paul Hansen of the Snohomish County Superior Court. He began his private practice of law in May 1985.

David Joined the law firm of Duce Geheret & Duce in 1985, In 1991 he formed Duce Bastian Peterson where he worked for 29 years representing clients who suffered life changing injuries or the wrongful death of a family member. In July of 2020 David took a three year sabbatical to lead a group of fulltime missionaries in Lima Peru. In August 2023 David returned to the practice of injury law at the The Sullivan Law Group.

David is admitted to the Washington State Bar Association, the United States Federal District Court (Western District of Washington) and the United States Supreme Court Bar. He is a long time Eagle member of the Washington State Association for Justice and the former Chairman of the Professional Negligence Section of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association.

David Duce is an “AV Rated” attorney by Martindale-Hubbell. An “AV Rating” is awarded when a lawyer has reached the height of professional excellence. An attorney with this rating has usually practiced law for many years and is recognized by peers as possessing the highest levels of skill and integrity.