Atty. Adam Phillip Karp
Mr. Karp is a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent-rated and AVVO 10.0 Superb-rated Superlawyer (2020-2024) who exclusively practices animal law throughout the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Hawai’i.
Animal Law & More Attorney · Serving Bellingham, WA · 28+ Years Experience
Profile Summary
About Adam Phillip Karp at a Glance
Adam Phillip Karp is a Member based in Bellingham, Washington, practicing at Animal Law Offices of Adam P. Karp. They have 28+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 1998. Their practice focuses on medical malpractice, dog bites, civil rights, consumer, and appellate. Admitted to practice in Washington (1998), Oregon (2001), Idaho (2012), and Hawaii (2022). Educated at University of Washington (J.D., 1998) and Gonzaga University (B.A., 1995). Recognitions include AV Preeminent. Active member of CHAIR, Animal Law Section Executive Committee. Serves clients in Bellingham, WA and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About Adam Phillip Karp
- Mr. Karp is a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent-rated and AVVO 10.0 Superb-rated Superlawyer (2020-2024) who exclusively practices animal law throughout the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Hawai’i
- Having graduated from Gonzaga University with a B.A
- Honors and University of Washington with a J.D. and M.S. in statistics, this is his twenty-sixth (26th) year actively practicing law
- He estimates having evaluated and/or handled over 9000 animal law cases to date and has authored Understanding Animal Law, published by Carolina Academic Press in October 2016
- Mr. Karp founded and served as first chair of the Washington State Bar Association’s Animal Law Section in 2002 and has held executive committee positions since its formation
- He founded the Idaho State Bar Association’s Animal Law Practice Section in 2012 and continues to serve on its executive committee
- He was also a vice chair of the American Bar Association’s (“ABA”) Animal Law Committee since its creation in 2004 through 2022
- Mr. Karp served six years as a contributing editor of the Animal Legal Report, produced by Animal Legal Reports Services, regularly writes on the topic of animal law, and routinely speaks around the nation about animal law, including at Yale, Harvard, Vanderbilt, and Vermont Law School
- He has taught animal law as an adjunct professor at the University of Washington School of Law, Seattle University School of Law, and a lecturer at Edmonds Community College
- He has been quoted in TIME, the National Law Journal, the ABA Journal, and other periodicals, including dedicated articles on his practice in the Seattle Times, Seattle Weekly, Pacific NW Magazine, and Seattle Magazine
- The American Bar Association’s Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section’s Animal Law Committee’s annual Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award recognizes exceptional work by an Animal Law Committee member who, through commitment and leadership, has advanced the humane treatment of animals through the law
- Mr. Karp received this award in 2012
- In 2019, Mr. Karp received a SEEDS Award from the International Society for Animal Rights (“ISAR”)
- Mr. Karp has been elected to the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation as part of the 2020 class of Fellows in Washington
- The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation is a global honorary society of attorneys, judges, law faculty and legal scholars whose public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the highest principles of the legal profession and to the welfare of their communities
- Fellows are recommended by their peers and elected by the Board of the American Bar Foundation, and is limited to one percent of lawyers in each jurisdiction
- Mr. Karp co-authored the ABA Tort and Insurance Practice Section’s Survey on Animal Tort and Insurance Law for over a decade, published three articles in Thomson West’s Causes of Action series (pertaining to injuries to animals by animals, intentional injuries to animals by humans, and Section 1983 claims involving injury to an animal)
- two annotations in American Legal Reports (pertaining to preconviction and postconviction forfeiture of animals and private prosecution of crimes)
- eight articles in the legal encyclopedia American Jurisprudence Trials (pertaining to veterinary malpractice litigation, use of force against and by animals, assistance animal access, litigating actions under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Bald and Gold Eagle Protection Act, cadaver dog evidence, animal fighting contests, litigating the Lacey Act, improper or inaccurate food preparation by food server resulting in allergic or offended reaction)
- co-authored one article in the legal encyclopedia American Jurisprudence Proof of Facts related to defending dangerous dog classifications
- and completed an annotation on custodial disputes pertaining to animals in American Jurisprudence Proof of Facts
- Mr. Karp recently finished a treatise concerning litigation involving bans of retail pet stores and is working on another concerning litigating attorney misconduct by reference to animal imagery and other racist tropes
- He has chaired several animal law continuing legal education (“CLE”) conferences, spoken at over fifty CLEs around the nation, all on the subject of animal law, including in Hawai’i, New Mexico, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Florida
- Mr. Karp also founded and chaired the first and second Animal Law Summit, an international, cross-jurisdictional, multi-day CLE
- With positive results, he argued before the federal district courts of Washington and Idaho, the Washington Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the subject of animal law, resulting in some decisions that many regard as seminal: Womack v. von Rardon, 133 . 254 (III, 2006)
- Mansour v
- King Cy., 131 . 255 (I, 2006)
- Sherman v
- Kissinger, 146 . 855 (I, 2008)
- Clarke v
- Tri-Cities Animal Care & Control Shelter, 144 . 185 (III, 2008)
- In re Lababit, 2009 WL 7751426 (9th (Wash.)2009)
- Downey v
- Pierce Cy., 165 . 152 (II, 2011)
- In re Rodrigues-Lababit, 415 . 839 (9th )
- Twitchell v
- Kerrigan,175 . 454 (I, 2013)
- Criscuolo v
- Grant Cy., 540 . 562 (9th Cir.(Wash.)2013)
- Criscuolo v
- Grant Cy., 2014 WL 527218 (E.D.Wa.Feb. 10, 2014)
- and Newman v
- City of Payette, 2015 WL 6159471 (D.Id.Oct. 19, 2015)
- Mr. Karp serves as an advisory board member for the Center for Wildlife Ethics
- He also volunteered his time to the Northwest Wildlife & Rehabilitation Center, now part of the Whatcom Humane Society
- Further, he completed a life-changing 10-day and, later, 3-day, course at the Vipassana Northwest Center
- Mr. Karp and his wife have been vegan for twenty-two and thirty-three years, respectively, and care for one cat, age 15
Practice Areas Explained
Adam Phillip Karp's Areas of Legal Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Adam Phillip Karp handles, with a practical overview of what that area of law involves and how it may apply to your situation in Bellingham.
Medical Malpractice in Bellingham
Medical malpractice lawyers represent patients harmed by negligent doctors, hospitals, and other providers. Free case review, no fee unless you win.
Adam Phillip Karp is one of 48,593 medical malpractice attorneys indexed nationally. Browse medical malpractice attorneys in Washington →
Dog Bites & Animal Attacks in Bellingham
Adam Phillip Karp is one of 8,404 dog bites attorneys indexed nationally. Browse dog bites attorneys in Washington →
Civil Rights in Bellingham
Civil rights attorneys for discrimination, police misconduct, constitutional rights, and civil liberties cases.
Adam Phillip Karp is one of 69,634 civil rights attorneys indexed nationally. Browse civil rights attorneys in Washington →
Consumer Protection in Bellingham
Consumer protection attorneys for fraud, lemon law, debt harassment, and deceptive trade practices.
Adam Phillip Karp is one of 50,226 consumer attorneys indexed nationally. Browse consumer attorneys in Washington →
Appellate Practice in Bellingham
Appellate attorneys for civil and criminal appeals at state and federal court.
Adam Phillip Karp is one of 85,572 appellate attorneys indexed nationally. Browse appellate attorneys in Washington →
Jurisdictional Context
Why Local Counsel Matters in Bellingham
Practicing law in Washington. Legal matters in Washington are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Bellingham are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Washington state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Washington brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this venue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Washington courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Bellingham Courts and Legal Process
Choosing a Bellingham-based attorney means your counsel already knows the local docketing timelines, preferred filing formats, and how individual judges typically rule on procedural motions — details that only come from practicing in this jurisdiction day after day. That local familiarity can translate to better strategy, faster filings, and fewer costly surprises.
Looking for additional Washington attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Bellingham or all attorneys in Washington.
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Professional Profile
Why Clients in Bellingham Choose Adam Phillip Karp
Selecting an attorney is one of the most consequential decisions you can make when a legal matter arises. Below are the core qualities that distinguish Adam Phillip Karp's practice in the field of medical malpractice, dog bites, civil rights, consumer, and appellate.
Decade-Tested Legal Experience
Adam Phillip Karp brings 28+ years of hands-on legal practice — enough to have navigated the recurring fact patterns, procedural traps, and negotiation dynamics that shape case outcomes.
Multi-State Bar Admission
Licensed in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, Adam Phillip Karp can represent clients in cases that span state lines or require counsel in multiple jurisdictions.
Broad Practice Area Coverage
Covering medical malpractice, dog bites, and civil rights, Adam Phillip Karp can address the full spectrum of a client's legal needs without requiring referrals to separate specialists for each issue.
Local Presence in Bellingham
A Bellingham-based practice means Adam Phillip Karp attends hearings in the same courthouses, knows the local clerks, and understands the unwritten scheduling norms that affect every case filed here.
Case Types
Common Legal Issues Adam Phillip Karp Handles in Bellingham
Below is a representative sample of the types of matters Adam Phillip Karp has experience with under Washington law. If your situation involves one of these case categories, this attorney may be well positioned to help you understand your options.
This list is illustrative, not exhaustive. Contact Adam Phillip Karp directly to discuss the specifics of your situation.
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Adam Phillip Karp's Practice Areas & Specializations
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