CYNTHIA WHITAKER grew up on Oahu, Hawaii and came to the mainland after graduating from high school.  She started undergraduate school at the University of Redlands in California, majoring in drama, then finished undergraduate work at the University of Washington, majoring in journalism and political science.

She went on to law school at the University of Washington, where she was on the UW Law Review, and obtained her J.D. in 1976.  She opened up her own practice following admission to the bar in 1976 and has practiced family law exclusively since 1984.

Her professional activities include serving as Editor in Chief of the (then called) Seattle King County Bar Bulletin 1982-87.  She has served as Family Law Commissioner Pro Tem for King County Superior Court Law since 1988.  She has served as Chair for many Continuing Legal Education seminars, including the annual “Hot Topics in Family Law” seminar hosted by the King County Bar Association. 

Cynthia has been noted as a Washington Law and Politics Super Lawyer each year since 2002, Seattle Magazine Top Lawyer, and Seattle Met Magazine Top Lawyer.
 
She is AV peer review rated per Martindale Hubbell/Lexis Nexus.
 

Her favorite charities and non profits include Pike Place Market Foundation, People for Puget Sound, Ballard Food Bank, USO, Water 1st International, Friends of Cooper Island, and Habitat for Humanity.