From the Winter 2012-13 Caller
John Chun ’87 & Elizabeth Baldwin ’89
John and Elizabeth married in 2003 and live in Seattle with their children, Naomi, 6, and Hugo, 4. John is a member of the Catlin Gabel alumni association board.
Education
John: BA Columbia University; JD Cornell Law School
Elizabeth: BA Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon; MA Columbia University Teachers College; JD Seattle University School of Law
Profession
John: Trial lawyer and partner at Summit Law Group in Seattle. Practice areas include litigation, labor & employment, corporate, and environmental. I enjoy working with brilliant and funny colleagues and outstanding clients, being in court, and helping find solutions to complex problems. I’ve never had a boring day.
Elizabeth: Part-time lecturer at the UW School of Law, teaching legal research and writing to LL.M. students— international legal professionals, including lawyers, judges, magistrates, and academics. I love that I get to work closely with professionals from all over the world, and I have made particularly meaningful professional friendships with lawyers and academics in Afghanistan, and Indonesia and have learned from their global perspective.
How a Catlin Gabel education helped you succeed
John: Catlin Gabel worked wonders for my confidence. The substance of what I learned was important. But at least equally so was the process, in which hard work, creativity, and passion were encouraged. I felt like, “If I try really hard, I can figure this out. I can do this.” Much credit must go to my teachers, coaches, and schoolmates who helped me along the way.
Elizabeth: The writing instruction I received at Catlin Gabel, like Dave Corkran’s emphatic reminders to limit our papers to the call of “the question,” has been invaluable to my education and work. Small classes allow teachers to give students real feedback and concrete instruction on their writing, which continues to inform my approach to writing and teaching.
Favorite causes?
John: Catlin Gabel alumni association, board of Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, and a trustee of the King County Bar Association.
Elizabeth: Legal Voice works for women’s rights through legislation, self-help resources, and litigation; volunteer grant writing at our daughter’s language immersion public school, McDonald International.
Guiding principle?
John: I have many, including the Golden Rule. I also like what the Buffetts told their grandkids: show up, tell the truth, pay attention, do your best, and don’t be overly attached to outcome. Catlin Gabel emphasized hard work, integrity, and respect. And it strongly encouraged community service.
Elizabeth: Do what you know is right. Catlin Gabel helped me develop this sense of “right.” One of my favorite ideals that CG stressed is “Always leave a place cleaner than you found it.”
Why do you support Catlin Gabel?
John: Catlin Gabel had a huge impact on my life. My three siblings and I received an excellent education, and I cherish memories from the school. I believe deeply in Catlin Gabel and its mission.
Elizabeth: I was sad to hear about the passing of former head of school Manvel Schauffler. His commitment to financial aid will continue to inspire my own giving. People like Schauff had the vision to keep CG relevant to our community—to make sure that kids of all backgrounds would have the opportunity to benefit from its unique approach to educating the whole child. Financial aid is one of the main reasons that Catlin Gabel continues to be such a special place.
Catlin Gabel flourishes because alumni care to invest in it.
Support what you love.
Support the Catlin Gabel Fund. Make a contribution at www.catlin.edu.