Chris Nielsen, M.A., J.D.

Principal

Chris earned his BA in psychology with high honors from the University of Washington in 2002. He graduated with an MA in political science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship at Syracuse University and a JD, with honors, from the Syracuse College of Law in the spring of 2005.

Before transitioning to a career in law enforcement, Chris spent several years litigating civil and criminal matters at one of the largest prosecuting agencies in the Pacific Northwest. He has over a decade of experience as a hearing examiner overseeing complex asset and civil forfeiture litigation. He has instructional experience at Syracuse University, the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center (Washington State's basic police academy), the Washington State Tactical Officer's Association, the Washington State Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and has numerous local, regional and national professional presentations to his credit. 

 In addition to his legal experience, he is currently a full-time commissioned police officer assigned to one of the largest regional tactical teams on the west coast. He is perhaps the only licensed attorney and police officer in the United States to be directly involved in multiple officer-involved critical incidents. He is an instructor in numerous police disciplines and a recognized subject matter expert in criminal procedure, police use of force, training and policy review.

Between professional obligations Chris operates a successful CrossFit affiliate and is a USPA rated skydiving coach. Chris also enjoys mountaineering, mountain biking and spending time with his family.