Legal Assistant

Ryan Holman is a legal assistant at Elise Buie Family Law Group. He supports the firm’s attorneys, paralegals, and clients with organized, client-centered case support, bringing a background in civil litigation, appellate research and writing, state and federal e-filing, case-file organization, and emotionally intelligent communication.

Ryan’s path to family law is grounded in helping people navigate difficult systems with clarity, structure, and care. Before joining EBFLG, he worked as a legal assistant at Montgomery Purdue PLLC, where he drafted and proofread pleadings, discovery, correspondence, case summaries, exhibits, and hearing/trial materials, managed deadlines and calendars, maintained case files, and coordinated with attorneys, clients, courts, process servers, and vendors.

He also brings experience as a self-advocacy coach, educator, and legal researcher. Through Survivors Are Stronger, Ryan created The SAFE Voice Method™ (Self-Advocacy For Empowerment), a trauma-aware framework for helping survivors speak up, set boundaries, and move through difficult systems with clarity and calm. That background informs his steady, compassionate approach to supporting families during stressful transitions.

Philosophy and Background

Ryan believes strong legal support requires both precision and humanity. He values clear communication, careful organization, proactive follow-through, and polished work product that helps attorneys advocate effectively while helping clients feel informed and supported. His professional approach is shaped by a growth mindset, direct feedback, and the belief that well-run systems create more space for thoughtful client care.

Ryan’s legal background includes civil litigation support, freelance appellate paralegal work, and substantial independent litigation experience. As a self-represented plaintiff and appellant in complex civil litigation involving child-protection failures, he taught himself litigation and appellate procedure, conducted extensive legal research, drafted more than 700 pages of pleadings, discovery, appellate briefs, and case materials, and obtained two published unanimous appellate opinions. His recommendations highlight his quick learning, legal research and writing, attention to detail, organization, e-filing ability, calm under pressure, client service, and ability to connect with people.

Before entering the legal field, Ryan spent years in education and student support, including work as an AP English, Government, History, Math, SAT/ACT, and college-essay teacher at C2 Education, as an educational consultant and tutor, and in special education roles. Those experiences strengthened his ability to explain complex information clearly, build trust, and support people who are working through challenging transitions.

Ryan holds a Master of Jurisprudence from the University of Washington School of Law, where he earned a 3.91 GPA and studied Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Legal Research/Writing, and Contracts. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in English education from California State University, Chico.

Role in the Seattle Community / Volunteerism

Ryan is the founder of Survivors Are Stronger, a self-advocacy coaching practice for survivors of trauma. Through that work, he helps clients develop practical self-advocacy skills, speak with greater clarity, set boundaries, and navigate difficult personal and institutional systems with more confidence.

In his free time, Ryan enjoys golf, yoga, travel, reading, exploring Seattle, and spending time with his dogs, Leia and Cooper. He is especially drawn to travel, historic golf courses, and learning-rich experiences that combine nature, culture, and history.