About Sean
Sean Downs combined an early interest in history with a turn toward the law. He earned a Bachelor of Science in History from Portland State University in 2003. Four years later he graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law with a J.D. in 2007. Those academic steps set the stage for a career that moved quickly into criminal defense and public service.
His first legal experiences were in the Pacific Northwest. While still in law school he served as a legal intern at Crary, Clark & Domanico in 2006. After passing the bar he joined the Spokane County Public Defender’s office as an assistant public defender in 2008. That role placed him in courtrooms handling a steady docket of misdemeanor and felony matters for clients who could not afford private counsel.
Downs also took on projects aimed at improving practice for fellow defenders. He founded the Spokane County Public Defender Advance Sheet Group in 2012 and ran it through 2013. A few years later he started a similar effort in Clark County, founding the Clark County Advance Sheet Group in 2015. The Clark County project has continued and serves local defense lawyers who track recent decisions and updates to criminal procedure.
In 2013 Downs entered private practice as a partner at Grecco Downs PLLC. At that firm he expanded the range of cases he handled, applying courtroom experience from public defense to representation in criminal matters in both state and municipal courts. He served as president of the Criminal Defense Lawyers of Clark County from 2017 to 2022, a role that involved organizing programs and representing the membership on local issues. He has also been a member of the Criminal Defense Lawyers of Clark County since 2015.
His professional memberships reach beyond the county level. He has belonged to the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Washington Defender Association since 2008. He joined the National College of DUI Defense as a member from 2015 to 2017. He also held membership in the Clark County Bar Association in 2014.
Downs is licensed to practice in Washington and Oregon and maintains office locations in Vancouver and Spokane. He continues to handle criminal defense matters, drawing on years of courtroom work as both a public defender and a private practitioner. His current practice concentrates on criminal defense in Washington and Oregon state courts.
