“As a young woman, you should know that you have a voice and people want to hear it, so don’t hang back.”
Sydney Codd got her B.A. from the University of Washington and her J.D. from Willamette University College of Law, graduating cum laude.
She currently practices law at Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala in Seattle, WA as an advocate for adult survivors of sexual abuse and emotional injuries at the hands of entities such as the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of America.
Liv Gooding:
Hi Sydney. Thank you for doing this. What made you want to be a lawyer?
Sydney Codd:
My dad was a lawyer and my grandfather, too. And so I was able to see firsthand how lawyers help people. My ultimate goal was to be able to advocate for people who cannot advocate for themselves.
Gooding:
That’s great. What kind of law do you practice, and why did you choose this area of law?
Codd:
I practice personal injury, and I mainly represent survivors of childhood sexual abuse, as well as people who have been injured, either in car accidents or other types of incidents like that. I chose this area because I want to help people who needed help against a large institution or someone who is in a position of power to help get them compensated for what they’ve been through.
Gooding:
What do you like about what you do? And is there anything you don’t like about it?
Codd:
What I like is that this job is very rewarding. I like when I get to work for people and I’m not working for some big corporation. And also, I’m not always sitting behind a desk because you get to go into the courtroom as well. I really like doing that.
What I don’t like is the losses. Sometimes things go wrong and you can’t help someone or you just can’t get justice for that person. That really hurts.
Gooding:
I hear you. What about this: Do you find that female attorneys get treated any differently by other lawyers or judges?
Codd:
Yeah, sometimes people used to think I was just an assistant. Or sometimes they’ll think I’m a paralegal. The combination of being young and being a female attorney is a tough combination. There are people who are great mentors and want to help young lawyers and young female lawyers. But then there are people who when they see a young female lawyer that they don’t treat them well. They take the opportunity to show off or be condescending. But to me, It’s actually pretty motivating.
Gooding:
I like that. Do you do any volunteer pro bono work for any certain causes?
Codd:
Yeah. I am on the board for the Legal Foundation of Washington which provides legal aid for people who cannot afford lawyers. I work on the Executive Committee, helping people who can’t afford housing or immigration services, things like that. And then I’m also on the general counsel for CHILD USA, which is responsible for all of the statutory reforms and other laws for childhood sexual abuse.
Gooding:
Wow. How’d you get into that?
Codd:
When I started working with the Legal Foundation of Washington and became one of the co-chairs, I reached out to the General Campaign Director and said, “I want to get involved.” And then I just found my way there.
Since our firm does so much childhood sexual abuse, we are very involved with some of these organizations like CHILD USA, where I am one of what’s called the “Junior Counsel”.
Gooding:
That’s great. Do you know of any good ways for young people to get involved with helping people who don’t have access to lawyers?
Codd:
Yes, there are various organizations like the Legal Foundation of Washington, like Teen Child, Columbia Legal Services, Housing Justice Project, all those areas. Then also any Public Defender’s office is always a great way to get experience. There is also Legal Counsel for Youth and Children. They provide representation for juveniles who have been in the criminal justice system or in the dependency system.
Gooding:
What effect do you think having Jackson on the Supreme Court will have?
Codd:
She will bring a much-needed new perspective and some better influence to the bench and her other colleagues on important policies that need to move forward rather than go backwards.
Gooding:
Right. Then the last question I have is, what advice would you have for a young woman who wants to get into law?
Codd:
Meet as many people as you can and take every opportunity that’s presented to you. Don’t close yourself off based on what you think you are or are not interested in. You don’t know what will lead you to the next thing. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and don’t wait for things to happen. I always say, create your own opportunities.
Also, as a young woman, you should know that you have a voice and people want to hear it, so don’t hang back.
Gooding:
Thank you so much. It’s been really great talking to you.