Our Practice Focuses on Representing People Accused of Crimes in Washington State and Federal Courts
“Professional and Compassionate.
Ms. Gause is that rare and necessary mix in an attorney: professional and compassionate. I hired her to address an outstanding warrant from my past. I was frightened, scared, and dealing with the trauma from being in an abused relationship, and Ms. Gause kindly walked me through the necessary steps we would take to address my warrant...”
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206-660-8775
emily M. gause, PARTNER
Recognized as an aggressive defender who gets impressive results in serious cases, Emily M. Gause is committed to compassionate representation, working with clients to devise an investigation plan and craft the most effective defense strategy. She has a passion for defending juveniles facing criminal charges, as well as adults charged with serious felonies in state and federal courts across the State of Washington. Ms. Gause has overturned convictions in the Washington State Court of Appeals and Washington State Supreme Court. She is especially proud of obtaining dismissals serious felony cases, and has an impressive not guilty verdict record.
Ms. Gause has carved an impressive reputation in the criminal defense legal community as a rising star. Since 2021, Ms. Gause has been named a Super Lawyer every year, a distinction awarded to less than five percent of attorneys in each state. The Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers has awarded Ms. Gause with the Anthony Savage Award in 2016 for her impressive dismissal of felony case in federal court due to a Brady v. Maryland violation. In 2020, Ms. Gause was awarded the President’s Award for her distinguished service to the highest traditions of the criminal defense bar.
After graduating with a degree in criminal justice from Washington State University, Ms. Gause dove into law school with the intent of becoming a criminal defense attorney. Her commitment to this path never wavered.
While attending Seattle University School of Law, Ms. Gause worked at Northwest Defenders Association, a public defender agency in King County. Prior to that, she was a Rule 9 Law Clerk with the Washington State Attorney General's Office where she focused on dependency cases and juvenile law.
For the formative years of her practice as a criminal defense attorney, Ms. Gause worked alongside renowned criminal defense attorney John Henry Browne and his partner Emma Scanlan. She learned from Mr. Browne's extensive trial experience and developed a practice of defending high-profile felonies throughout the State of Washington.
In November 2014, Ms. Gause launched her own firm. At Gause Law Offices, Ms. Gause and her team are committed to providing affordable, aggressive, and compassionate advocacy for their clients.
Ms. Gause has appeared in nearly every county in State Superior Courts across Washington state, and represented clients in all five federal United States District Courts in Washington. She has argued in front of all divisions of the Washington Court of Appeals as well as the Washington State Supreme Court. Ms. Gause has handled hundreds of felony cases and obtained impressive victories in a wide range of cases, from shoplifting to murder cases and everything in between.
In 2020, Ms. Gause won a landmark victory in the Washington State Supreme Court. Her case, In re PRP of Domingo-Cornelio, allows hundreds of people who were sentenced in adult court for crimes they committed as juveniles a second chance and a new sentencing hearing.
Emily Gause has developed particular expertise in Washington self-defense law and in presenting self-defense cases to juries. Through years of litigating homicide cases with significant trial victories in cases involving self-defense, she has earned a reputation as one of Washington’s leading criminal defense attorneys for self-defense cases.
Ms. Gause currently serves as President of the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL), a statewide organization representing more than 500 criminal defense attorneys across Washington.
CALL US Today!
206-660-8775
“I was so scared upon first meeting Emily, as I had never been charged with a crime before and I was completely clueless on what to do. Not only did she explain, in detail, regularly what was going to take place - but she worked HARD to get the results I wanted. As a client, Emily opens her doors. You can reach out to her at anytime and she is so professional and knowledgeable. You will feel reassured just knowing your case is in her hands. And today, because of Emily, I am happy to report that I am conviction-free! I would recommend her to anyone and everyone. She is the best of the best!”
Education
Seattle University School of Law - J.D.
Washington State University - B.A. Criminal Justice
Washington State University - B.A. Sociology
Bar Memberships
Washington State Bar Association
Western District of Washington
Eastern District of Washington
Professional Memberships
Washington Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys (WACDL)
Washington Women Lawyers (WWL)
Washington Defender Association (WDA)
King County Bar Association
Pierce County Bar Association
Washington State Bar Association
Snohomish County Bar Association
Awards
2021-2026 Super Lawyers Award
2021 Presidents Award from the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL)
2017-2020 Super Lawyers Rising Stars Award
2016 Anthony Savage Award from the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL)
2011 Recipient of National Order of Barristers Award
1st place, Seattle University School of Law Spring 2010 In-House Mock Trial Competition
2nd place, ABA Labor & Employment Law 7th Annual Trial Advocacy Regional Competition
2010 Recipient of the Washington State University Student Bar Association’s Outstanding Student Award
2006 Washington State University President's Award for Excellence in Leadership and Service
2005 Recipient of the Roberta Cline Frasier Anderson Scholarship
REVIEWS
IN THE PRESS
William Alvarez-Calo-Drug cartel murder charge
Emily Gause-House Safety Committee on Organized Retail Theft
Federal gun charges dismissed
Washington State Supreme Court
Destinee Turner, Lead Paralegal
Destinee is the lead paralegal and APR 6 Law Clerk at Gause Law Offices, PLLC, where she brings a deep commitment to criminal justice reform and civil rights to every case she touches. She chose criminal defense intentionally, to be a meaningful presence for people navigating one of the most difficult experiences of their lives.
Destinee holds a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Arizona (2022) and is currently pursuing bar admission through Washington’s APR 6 Law Clerk Program, an alternative pathway to law school that allows aspiring attorneys to develop legal knowledge and practical skills through structured study, mentorship, and supervised practice.
Her comprehensive understanding of court procedures, records gathering, and the practical realities of the criminal justice system makes her a genuine asset to the defense team.
At the heart of Destinee's practice is her ability to connect with clients. She approaches every interaction with empathy and patience, recognizing that legal proceedings carry an emotional weight that extends far beyond the courtroom, for clients and their families alike. She works to make sure people feel heard, informed, and supported throughout their case.
Destinee collaborates closely with the attorneys and staff at Gause Law Offices to build cohesive, well-prepared defenses focused on securing the best possible outcomes for every client. Her work is guided by the belief that everyone deserves a strong defense and someone in their corner who truly cares.
Abbey Santos, Paralegal
Abbey is a paralegal at Gause Law Offices, where she brings compassion, determination, and a strong commitment to client-centered criminal defense. She is drawn to this work by a belief in the importance of seeing the person behind the allegations and ensuring that people are not defined solely by the worst moment of their lives.
Abbey graduated from the University of Oregon in 2026 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a minor in Criminology, completing her degree a year early. During college, she balanced a demanding academic schedule with work as a resident assistant, political science research, and participation on the University of Oregon mock trial team. Her academic work included the study of criminal law, mass incarceration, white-collar crime, and the broader social systems that shape the criminal legal system.
Before joining Gause Law Offices, Abbey developed extensive experience working with people in difficult and high-pressure situations. As a resident assistant, she regularly navigated conflict, crisis situations, confidentiality concerns, and difficult conversations with students and families. Those experiences strengthened her ability to remain calm, communicate with empathy, and meet people where they are, skills she now brings to her interactions with clients and their families.
Abbey also brings strong research, writing, and organizational skills to the defense team. Her work as a political science research assistant required her to analyze large amounts of information, identify important details, work with complex data, and translate that information into clear and meaningful written work. She approaches every case with the same attention to detail and understanding that seemingly small pieces of information can have a significant impact on the larger picture.
Abbey plans to attend law school and become an attorney. She is particularly interested in criminal defense and criminal justice reform and hopes to build a career advocating for people whose voices are too often overlooked. At Gause Law Offices, she is gaining firsthand experience in that work while helping ensure that every client is treated with dignity, empathy, and respect.
Gideon S. Newmark, Of Counsel
Gideon S. Newmark is an appellate attorney whose practice focuses on civil and criminal appeals, family-law appeals, personal restraint petitions, and other postconviction proceedings. As Of Counsel to Gause Law Offices, Mr. Newmark brings extensive experience with Washington appellate practice and a career-long commitment to clear, persuasive, and client-centered advocacy.
Before entering private practice, Mr. Newmark served for approximately twelve years as the Appellate Program Managing Attorney at the Washington State Office of Public Defense. In that role, he oversaw appellate public defense throughout Washington, selected contract appellate attorneys, monitored the quality of representation, and trained lawyers in effective appellate advocacy. He led efforts to improve the quality of appellate writing, emphasizing storytelling and the importance of presenting clients as people rather than reducing their lives to dry recitations of law and fact.
Mr. Newmark also worked to improve the systems supporting appellate representation. He developed a case-weighting system to better measure attorney workloads, created a customized case-management database, implemented a new postconviction representation program under SB 5046, and helped develop numerous amendments to the Washington Rules of Appellate Procedure to facilitate effective criminal defense practice.
After graduating from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2009, Mr. Newmark clerked for approximately two and a half years for Chief Judge Lisa Worswick of Division II of the Washington Court of Appeals. His experience inside the Court gave him a practical understanding of how appellate judges approach the record, evaluate legal arguments, and distinguish persuasive briefs from those that merely recite the applicable law.
Mr. Newmark approaches every matter with careful record analysis, candid advice, and strong written advocacy. He understands that an appeal is both an exacting legal process and a profoundly important event in the life of the person he represents. His goal is to identify the issues that matter, explain them clearly, and tell the client’s story with accuracy and force.
Education
Case Western Reserve University School of Law — J.D., 2009
The Evergreen State College
Bar Admissions
Washington State Bar Association
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Professional Memberships
Washington State Association for Justice — Eagle Member
Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Appeals
Criminal Appeals
Personal Restraint Petitions
“Upon the recommendation of a third party, we engaged Emily Gause to help with a criminal matter. Without doubt, that was an excellent choice. She is personable and reassuring. Her fee structure seemed fair and reasonable, and she was forthright and clear in explaining it in detail. Ms. Gause was considerate in trying to schedule meetings and communications at our convenience. She described the best and worst possible outcomes, promised neither, but did estimate (accurately) the likelihood of events. She followed up on every pledge and informed us of developments in a timely manner. Her demeanor with the investigators and prosecutors was defensive, naturally, but seemed marked with an appropriately measured degree of cooperation. We would not hesitate to suggest the name of Emily Gause to anyone needing the services of a criminal attorney.”