Jason P. Amala

Jason P. Amala has dedicated his law practice to representing people and businesses who have been victimized by others. The majority of his work is on behalf of survivors of childhood sexual abuse, but he continues to help people who have been severely injured and need an attorney and law firm who can navigate the most complex of cases and the most difficult of defense attorneys and insurance companies.

Jason began helping survivors of childhood sexual abuse after the clergy sexual abuse scandal came to light in Boston. At the time, Washington state was one of the only states in the country that had meaningfully reformed its statute of limitations so that adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse could bring civil claims for the abuse they suffered as children. Jason has represented hundreds of sexual abuse survivors in Washington state, including clients with claims against the Archdiocese of Seattle, the Boy Scouts of America, the Mormon Church, the State of Washington (foster system), Backpage.com, various schools, and many other youth-serving organizations.

Given his experience in Washington, Jason is often asked to help law firms in other states when their state’s statute of limitations is reformed so that abuse survivors can seek justice. He has co-counseled with law firms around the country, including in California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, North Carolina, and Oregon.

In 2018, Jason’s work led to the seizure and shut-down of Backpage.com, the largest online source of child sex trafficking in the country. He is featured in the documentary “I Am Jane Doe,” which chronicles his clients’ legal battle against Backpage.com that ultimately led to its demise.

Jason is frequently interviewed regarding his legal work and his efforts to fight on behalf of abuse survivors. He has been interviewed by the AP, Reuters, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, The Seattle Times, and many others. Most recently, Jason has been an outspoken critic of the proposed bankruptcy settlement by the Boy Scouts of America.

Jason is first and foremost a trial lawyer, a point underscored by the number of cases that our firm has taken to trial on behalf of survivors of child sexual abuse. However, he generally does his own appellate work and he has been one of the lead appellate lawyers on a number of important issues that have expanded the rights of his clients and others.

For more than a decade, Jason has been annually recognized as a “Rising Star” or “Super Lawyer” by Washington Law and Politics. He has an “AV Preeminent” peer-review rating by Martindale, which is the highest rating a lawyer can receive from his peers.

Jason grew up in Salem, Oregon, but moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington Honors College. After graduating with distinction, he enrolled in the Seattle University School of Law, where he graduated second in his class, earned top honors in ten courses, and received the Faculty Scholar Award at graduation.

When not at work, Jason and his family can be found camping in the summer and skiing in the winter.