About Selby
Selby Lighthill's academic path began at the University of Chicago, where they completed a B.A. in 1996. A decade later Lighthill earned a J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco in 2007. The two degrees frame a career that moves between private practice and local bar involvement. The education also reflects a gap between undergraduate study and law school that suggests varied early experience, though public records focus mainly on Lighthill’s legal training and subsequent work.
Lighthill entered private practice soon after law school. In 2008 they joined Paul & Hanley LLP as a partner. That role placed Lighthill in a firm setting where they worked on matters that are not detailed in the available record but would have included the types of litigation and advisory work common to mid-sized practices. Four years later Lighthill left that partnership to start a solo practice. In 2012 they founded Lighthill Law and have operated it since.
Admission to practice spans two states. Lighthill is licensed in California and Washington. That dual admission has influenced where they take cases and how they manage cross-border issues for clients who have matters tied to both states. The choice to maintain licenses in both places reflects a regional orientation rather than a single-jurisdiction focus.
Beyond firm work, Lighthill participates in local bar organizations. Since 2018 they have been active in both the San Juan County Bar Association and the Skagit County Bar Association. Those memberships point to professional connections in Washington’s local legal communities and suggest an investment in the civic and collegial aspects of practice there.
Colleagues describe Lighthill as pragmatic in handling casework. They favor straightforward legal analysis and careful file management. Court filings and client letters take precedence over rhetorical flourishes. That no-nonsense approach suits smaller firms and solo practice, where the lawyer often controls both strategy and day-to-day operations.
Lighthill divides professional time between the responsibilities of running a small firm and providing direct legal services. The practice has an emphasis on serving clients across two states and on maintaining ties to the legal communities in San Juan and Skagit counties. Lighthill currently practices at Lighthill Law, handling matters in California and Washington.
