Stephen H. Carpenter, Jr.

For 15 years, Stephen H. Carpenter, JR., (stephen@mscarpenter.net) has dedicated his efforts to providing outstanding legal representation to hundreds of clients. He is an expert in military law, having served as a military officer in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps. He is a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and is listed with The National Institute of Military Justice.  He has handled cases in Kosovo, Macedonia, Iraq, Germany, Italy, and at many other major installations, bases and stations around the United States.

His nationally and internationally focused firm exclusively represents men and women in uniform. He has appeared in Navy, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard courts-martial and has defended servicemembers accused of a host of crimes, including, but not limited to, murder, manslaughter, rape, child abuse, conduct unbecoming offenses, indecent acts, fraternization, larceny, fraudulent enlistment and drug related offenses.

When not appearing before military courts and administrative boards, Mr. Carpenter often lectures about military justice. Most recently, Stephen was invited to speak at the 2010 Western United States Military Defense Conference which focused on the Defense of Military Sexual Assault Cases. He will also teach trial advocacy for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy in August 2010.

Mr. Carpenter has published several articles on military justice, including: Federal Criminal Practice: A Military Justice Primer; Resolving the Torture Memo Conundrum by Court-Martial; Guantanamo 101: Rejecting Cruel, Unusual and Degrading Justice; Military Commissions: Justice Guantanamo Style; Defending Gay Soldiers Who Defend America; and Blessed are the Peacemakers: Remembering Kosovo.

Stephen has served as an adjunct professor in trial advocacy at the University of Washington, School of Law. He has also taught effective oral advocacy techniques for the Attorney General’s Office, National Institute for Trial Advocacy, American Bar Association and Seattle Academy.

In 2004, the U.S. Department of Justice certified Mr. Carpenter in criminal trial advocacy, at its National Advocacy Center in South Carolina.

When not zealously advocating for clients, Mr. Carpenter dedicates time to a myriad of legislative issues associated with the legal rights of servicemembers. For instance, he currently serves as Treasurer of the Washington State Bar Section’s Legal Assistance to Military Personnel (LAMP).  He is likewise a member of the American Bar Association, Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Criminal and International Law Sections of the Washington State Bar Association. 

Mr. Carpenter formerly served as an Assistant Attorney General (AAG), primarily prosecuting medical and dental professional licensing cases. His duties generally required familiarization with medical standards of care and an acumen for the effective use and cross-examination of medical expert witnesses. During this period Mr. Carpenter prevailed in each of the 12 contested cases that he litigated before medical and dental health care boards.  This background has proven invaluable in litigating military disability cases.

Stephen was honored with a selection in 2009, as a Seattle Pro Tempore Municipal Judge.