About Jakob Daniel
Jakob Daniel McGhie earned his law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law in 2014. He came through a Pacific Northwest legal education and began his professional life in Washington soon after graduation. His schooling at Gonzaga provided a start in courtroom practice and public service projects while he was still a student.
Early in his career he worked in prosecutorial offices and in private practice. In 2013 he volunteered with the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office, assisting with case preparation and courtroom support. The following year he served as an assistant prosecutor in the Law Office of Angelle Gerl and also worked as a lawyer at Althauser Rayan Abbarno, LLP. Those roles gave him exposure to charging decisions, trial preparation, and the day-to-day demands of courtroom calendars.
McGhie has been active in local and statewide professional groups. He joined the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and has served as co-chair of its Publications Committee since 2015. He has been a member of the Lewis County Law and Justice Council since 2017 and participated on the WSBA Young Lawyers Committee from 2015 through 2018. In 2017 he held the office of vice president of the Lewis County Bar Association. These memberships have kept him engaged with procedural developments and peer discussions on criminal law practice in Washington.
Colleagues describe him as pragmatic in handling cases and steady in court. He has experience from both sides of criminal proceedings, having worked in prosecutorial roles early on and since aligning with defense practitioners. That mix has informed his approach to plea discussions, evidentiary hearings, and trial strategy. He also contributes to written materials and committee projects through his work with the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ publications efforts.
He maintains offices in Centralia and Olympia, serving clients across the region. He practices in Washington and handles criminal defense and related criminal matters.
