About the Firm
Christopher S. Mulvaney, Esq.
Founder of Mulvaney Law Offices, PLLC — dedicated to helping Bellevue families protect what matters most through thoughtful, personalized estate planning.
At a Glance
Bar Admission
Washington State Bar Association
Practice Focus
Estate Planning & Elder Law
Serving
Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Mercer Island & the Eastside
Languages
English
Consultations
Zoom — All meetings, electronic signing & remote online notarization
Join Zoom · ID: 365 929 7112 · Passcode: MeetMulvBiography
A Trusted Guide for Bellevue Families
Founder & Principal Attorney
I am an experienced solo estate planning, prenuptial and postnuptial agreement, uncontested divorce, and real estate attorney. At my law firm in Bellevue, Washington — between Eastgate and Factoria — I do things a little differently. I am passionate about helping people take control of their lives.
Estate planning is important, but not urgent. Not letting the urgent crowd out the important is key. I have made a choice to include the positive difference I make in the life of each client in how I calculate profit. This means I have higher job satisfaction — and happy clients who confidently give referrals.
My goal is that my work is transformative for people during a challenging time in their lives. At Mulvaney Law Offices, PLLC, you will not find a gatekeeper. There are no forgotten cases hiding on an associate's cluttered desk. It's just me, working with each one of my clients one-on-one to resolve their legal concerns as favorably as possible.
As your lawyer, I will personally handle every aspect of your case. My office is not a factory churning out thousands of filings per year, where each case matters little. You, and your case, matter to me.
With deep expertise in Washington State estate law — including the state's community property rules, the Uniform Trust Code, and the Natural Death Act — I ensure that every plan I create is legally sound, properly coordinated, and built to hold up when it matters most.
Bar Admissions
- Washington State Bar Association, 2003
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington, 2003
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, 2008
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, 2008
Education
- J.D. cum laude — Gonzaga University School of Law, Spokane, WA, May 2002
- M.A. cum laude, Organizational Leadership — Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA, June 1998
A.M.D.G. — Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam ("For the Greater Glory of God") — the motto of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola, and the guiding principle of Gonzaga University School of Law. The school seal bears the phrase Deo patriae, scientiis, artibus — "For God and country through sciences and arts."
Why Choose Christopher
5 Reasons to Hire Me
I care about the outcome of your case.
If I don't believe I can give you a high probability of achieving your desired outcome, I would prefer you hire someone else.
I care about your experience of the process.
I am committed to representation proceeding smoothly, so that you are pleasantly surprised and delighted. At the end, I want you to say, "That wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be."
I care about value.
I want each and every client to feel that what they received from the representation was worth what was paid and more. I am not the cheapest lawyer or the most expensive. I aim for the place where the benefit to you is greatest.
I care about protecting your rights.
I strive for excellence and continue to learn everything I can, so that I can stand resolute between you and whatever you are facing.
I care about you.
Addressing your legal issues takes place within a larger context of transformation — from who you were to who you become after you have made the best choices for yourself under your particular circumstances. I am privileged to be part of the options and possibilities which open up to you having worked through your legal issues.
How We Work
The Values Behind Every Plan
Integrity in Every Detail
Estate planning documents carry enormous legal weight. Christopher reviews every word with care, ensuring your plan is airtight, unambiguous, and built to last.
Education First
You should understand every document you sign. Christopher takes the time to explain each element in plain language — no jargon, no rushing, no assumptions.
Family-Centered Approach
Every plan is built around your family's unique dynamics, relationships, and goals — not a one-size-fits-all template pulled from a drawer.
Genuine Care
Estate planning is deeply personal. Christopher treats every client with the same care and attention he would give a member of his own family.
"Estate planning is not about death. It's about love — and the care you take to protect the people who matter most to you."
Christopher S. Mulvaney, Esq.
Mission
A Human Being First
"To Always Be a Human Being First, and My Role Second. To First, Do No Harm — then to provide the best legal outcome, smoothest process, best value, and to make a positive difference in the life of every client."
Christopher S. Mulvaney, Esq.
Mantra
Loving Kindness
For Myself
May I be filled with loving kindness for all life.
May I be safe from dangers within and without.
May I be healthy in body, mind, socially, and spiritually.
May I be at ease and happy, doing good in the world.
For You
May You be filled with loving kindness for all life.
May You be safe from dangers within and without.
May You be healthy in body, mind, socially, and spiritually.
May You be at ease and happy, doing good in the world.
On the Law
Why the Law Matters
"The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom. For in all the states of created beings capable of law, where there is no law, there is no freedom."
— John Locke
"Let me be clear — no one is above the law. Not a politician, not a priest, not a criminal, not a police officer. We are all accountable for our actions."
— Antonio Villaraigosa
"I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law."
— Martin Luther King Jr.
"But the mere truth won't do. You must have a lawyer."
— Dr. Allan Woodcourt to the wrongly accused George Rouncewell — Charles Dickens, Bleak House
"If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists — to protect them and to promote their common welfare — all else is lost."
— Barack Obama
Christopher's Personal Views
Proposed Improvements to the Law
The following are Christopher's personal proposals for legal reform — offered in his individual capacity, not as legal advice, and not as positions of Mulvaney Law Offices PLLC. They reflect observations from years of practice and a genuine belief that the law can be improved to better serve ordinary people.
Uniform Probate Code — National Adoption
The Uniform Probate Code should be adopted in all 50 states. Inconsistent state probate laws create unnecessary complexity and expense for families with assets in multiple states. A uniform national framework would reduce litigation, lower costs, and make estate administration more predictable for everyone.
Expand Remote Online Notarization
Remote Online Notarization (RON) should be universally available in all 50 states for all legal documents, including real estate transactions. Washington State has led the way. The technology is secure, the convenience is enormous — particularly for elderly, disabled, and geographically remote clients — and there is no legitimate reason to restrict it.
Simplify Spousal Consent Requirements for Retirement Accounts
ERISA's spousal consent requirements for 401(k) beneficiary designations are poorly understood by plan participants and inconsistently administered by custodians. The rules should be simplified, the forms standardized across all custodians, and participants should be affirmatively notified of the requirement at enrollment and at every subsequent beneficiary designation change.
Protect Separate Property Rights During Marriage
Washington State should strengthen the legal infrastructure for separate property trusts — making it easier and less expensive for individuals, particularly women, to hold and protect separate property during marriage. The current system places too much practical burden on the individual to document and defend separate property claims, and too little burden on the party seeking to commingle or claim those assets.
Raise the Washington State Estate Tax Exemption
Washington's $3 million Estate Tax Exemption (2026) is among the lowest in the nation and has not kept pace with real estate appreciation in the Puget Sound region. A middle-class homeowner in Bellevue or Seattle who bought their home decades ago may now have an estate that triggers Washington estate tax — not because they are wealthy, but because housing prices have risen dramatically. The exemption should be indexed to inflation and regional real estate values.
Mandatory Estate Planning Education
Basic estate planning concepts — wills, trusts, powers of attorney, beneficiary designations, and probate avoidance — should be taught in high school and made available as a free public resource through state bar associations and public libraries. The consequences of dying without a plan fall disproportionately on families with modest means, who can least afford the resulting probate costs and family conflict.
Standardize Transfer on Death Deed Laws Nationally
Transfer on Death Deeds are available in only about half of U.S. states. They are one of the most effective and inexpensive probate-avoidance tools available to homeowners. Every state should adopt a TOD Deed statute modeled on the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act — allowing homeowners to pass real estate to named beneficiaries at death without probate, without losing control during life, and without the cost of a trust.
Sovereign Wealth Funds and State Banks
A Nation should have a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) and National Bank. States should have Sovereign Wealth Funds and State Banks. Large Municipalities should have Sovereign Wealth Funds and Municipal Banks. Each of 10 core government departments — at the national, state, and large municipality level — should have its own endowment so that human needs in those areas could be met without tax revenue. Tax revenue should be added to the Sovereign Wealth Funds and Department Endowments. Five percent of each fund would be sold every year and used for that department's services. That way the tax burden could be alleviated and elected officials would have more money to direct to the needs of their constituents. The 10 Departments: (1) Universal Basic Income & Insurance Social Safety Net; (2) Education & Training; (3) Healthcare & Necessary Environmental Protection; (4) Housing & Utilities; (5) Transportation; (6) Security, Public Safety, Public Space & Justice; (7) Trade, Commerce, Finance, Labor & Taxes; (8) Communication & USPS; (9) Agriculture, Textiles, Food & Beverage; (10) Infrastructure, Historical Preservation, Arts & Science. The State Bank would conduct all government business and pay all State benefits to accounts at the bank. Checking would be free for all. Direct Deposit would be free for all. People receiving Social Security, retirement, or pensions would have Exempt Accounts such that no other funds could be deposited and no creditor could attach the funds. All Marijuana business funds could be kept in the State Bank because it would not be FDIC insured, but self-insured. The purpose of the State Bank is to meet the needs of low-income citizens and citizens not currently served by banks — instead of paying for the use of private banks with public funds that could be better spent.
Charitable Remainder Trusts as a National Wealth-Building Strategy
Citizens could create widespread Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs) for the benefit of their children and grandchildren. For example, 5% of $1 million is $50,000. So, for $1 million a parent or grandparent could give guaranteed minimum income for life with the remainder to go to the SWF upon death. The recipient pays taxes on the $50,000 in income and can give some of that income to charities, churches, or other non-profits. That way there is an ever-increasing cycle of private benefit and security as well as public benefit and security. $10 million would give $500,000 a year for life guaranteed. $100 million would give $5 million a year guaranteed. There is no limit. That would have been a much better use of the money that Fred Trump illegally transferred to his adult children in order to avoid estate tax. A Charitable Remainder Trust avoids estate tax legally and benefits society instead of being a crime with private benefit and tax evasion. CRTs offer a win-win scenario: they support non-profits and charities, minimize capital gains taxes, provide an immediate income tax deduction, generate a steady income stream, reduce estate taxes, and allow asset diversification without triggering capital gains. The IRS supports the use of CRTs due to the significant positive societal impact generated through charitable giving — recognizing that this tool aligns private financial interests with public benefit. Important considerations: CRTs are irrevocable. Establishing and maintaining a CRT involves legal and administrative complexities requiring professional guidance. The IRS mandates a minimum payout of 5% of the trust's assets annually. Payments received by non-charitable beneficiaries are taxable as ordinary income and/or capital gains.
A Hippocratic Oath for Lawyers
Lawyers need a professional oath equivalent to the physician's Hippocratic Oath — a public commitment to do no harm, to serve the client's genuine interests rather than merely their stated wishes, and to recognize that the legal system exists to serve justice, not to be weaponized. The adversarial system is essential, but it requires lawyers who understand that zealous advocacy and ethical restraint are not opposites.
Christopher's Personal Reflections
On Death, Meaning & the Work of Estate Planning
The following reflections are Christopher's own — offered in his personal capacity. They are not legal advice. They reflect what a career spent thinking about death, family, and legacy has taught him about what matters most.
Those I Have Lost
My most recent experience with death was the passing of my father, Larry — Lawrence Marston Garges M.D., Capt. U.S.N. (Retired) — on December 2, 2024, at age 83. My mother, Kathy, is 85 and still living.
Before that I lost my Godson Christopher Maurice Noonan (2017); family friends Dick & Rosemary DeKlotz (2014); my father-in-law Roger Allshouse (2010); my friend Dick Rasmussen (2000); my Aunt Dixie Mulvaney (2000); my friend Joanne Rasmussen (2001); my grandmother Mimi — Kay Mulvaney (1991); and my grandfather Papa — Jack Mulvaney (1978), from whom I received a pocket watch and rosary after he died.
That is ten people. I talk about death every day as an estate planning attorney.
Why Mortality Awareness Matters
I try to take what I learned from my mother — who cared for dying cancer patients for decades as a nurse — and apply it to my work: helping people focus on what is important, let go of what is not, and have a good death.
More than two thirds of people don't want to think about death, and don't do any estate planning. The consequences on the relationships of surviving loved ones can be dire. I congratulate my clients on being in the minority of people who are concerned about their surviving spouse, children, and other family and friends.
I think that some mortality awareness — some mortality salience — is a good thing. Too much can be depressing, but some awareness can make people kinder and more grateful, and help them live more in tune with communicating with and caring for the people they value most in the world.
To be aware of one's death is to be selfless, literally. One's self no longer exists, so the self of the deceased has no needs, wants, desires, grudges, or complaints. The survivors go on with the memories of the deceased person. Thinking only of others without concern for yourself is altruism. Thinking about death makes people a little more altruistic — because they are not thinking about themselves.
Thinking about how you want to be remembered — your legacy — can be a good thing. When I saw the rioters on January 6th, I couldn't help but think they were not thinking about their legacies. Nobody would want their grandchildren to ask why grandpa did that and got sent to federal prison.
"Our echoes roll from soul to soul, and grow for ever and for ever."
— Alfred, Lord Tennyson, The Princess: The Splendour Falls on Castle Walls
Matter, Atoms & Meaning
The atoms in the body are endlessly recycled — no matter whether you bury, cremate, water cremate, or human compost. The atoms have been many other things before and will be many more things in the future. Matter cannot be created or destroyed; it only changes form. Matter is the closest thing we have to infinite. If something has no beginning and no end, that is the definition of infinity.
The effects of a person's life on the Earth itself — on animals, plants, air, water, and fellow human beings — is no small thing, no matter how modestly a person lives. Each person's life has incalculable effects. Each person requires the entirety of the rest of the universe and the history of the universe up to that point to exist.
Flowers don't last forever, and that makes them more beautiful. People are the same. Part of everyone is forever — the infinitely recycling atoms. Everything else is a more or less temporary change in form. Some stars last for billions of years; a mayfly lasts only a day. The atoms are the same.
There doesn't have to be an afterlife for life to be meaningful. The relationships we form with our fellow human beings — and showing them and future generations with our actions that we care about them and the opportunities they have — is meaningful. If this is all there is, then there isn't anything more important than how we treat each other and all life and resources that surround us.
On My Father, Larry
When I heard that my father Larry had passed away, I thought of the things that bothered me about him being gone. When I thought about why these things bothered me, it became clear that the things I don't like about myself — that I saw in him — were the things that bothered me the most. I felt some relief that there would never again be any judgment or criticism from Larry.
Larry was a medical doctor who practiced solo. He was not very good with money and underperformed financially. He made an above-average income because he was an M.D. — so compared to the general public he was doing well — but compared to other doctors his age who did as well as he did in school, he probably made half of what the best performers did. This bothered me about Larry for some reason. Now I know the reason. I am a lawyer with a solo practice. I make above-average income compared to the general public, but compared to other 56-year-old lawyers who graduated in the top 20% of their class, I probably make half of what the best performers do.
Thankfully there are differences between us in areas that are important to me. Larry was married four times. It bothered me that he married four times, and I wondered what that meant for me. I have been with my wife Sara for over 20 years, and I feel very grateful for that.
My mother, Kathy, as a nurse at the VA hospital, did not judge the veterans whose health was often worse because of their excessive drinking and smoking and lack of self-care. Kathy took care of the veterans and didn't make them feel any shame. I try to do that with my bankruptcy clients in particular — who have often made poor financial decisions. It doesn't matter what has happened in the past. The important thing is to get the fresh start and to use it well.
I tell clients their situation is like a chess game that has been played partway through. You can't do anything about the previous moves — just study the board, analyze where the pieces are (not where you want them to be), and make the best next move. Keep doing that. Making the best decision you can under the circumstances builds self-esteem, no matter how difficult the situation.
Being Fully Present
Paradoxically, humans are at our best when we are aware of our mortality and at the same time forget it — and focus completely on the here and now. If we are focused on the afterlife, we are distracted from this life.
Being fully present, aware, and attuned in this life is prudent regardless of whether there is an afterlife — because certainly that way of being improves the afterlife, and if there is no afterlife, then being that way improves living on Earth.
Caring action about everyone who has ever lived, everyone who is living, and everyone who will live is participation in the grandeur and mystery of life. Meaning — as sense, significance, and context — is found in such participation, loving kindness, and involvement. To do no harm, to do one's best, to make a positive difference in the lives of others, to be safe, healthy, at ease, and happy doing good in the world: that makes sense, is significant, and gives context to our lives.
— Christopher S. Mulvaney
Christopher's Personal Views — Law Reform
Lawyers Need a Hippocratic Oath
What is the purpose of law if not to promote harmony among people?
Doctors swear to "First, Do No Harm." Lawyers should so swear.
Harmony comes through Peace. Peace through Justice.
If a Lawyer does harm and follows the Law — the Law must be changed.
A recent ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court held that an innocent Black man, Lamar Johnson — who had served 43 years in prison — must remain in prison. The reasoning was that appeals were exhausted. Factual innocence was irrelevant.
Such an unjust system must not stand.
There is no statute of limitations on murder. There should be no statute of limitations on factual innocence of murder.
When the finality of wrong decisions is more important than the fact that the decisions are wrong, we have truly lost our way — and must change course.
We do not serve the Law. The Law serves Us — the People.
The People make the Law through their elected Representatives. The People can change the Law.
The long, hard days of white supremacy expressed in the law of the United States must end. It is shameful and gravely wrong.
Like doctors, lawyers must never forget that we are human beings first.
We should do no harm to our fellow citizens.
We should do no harm to the harmony among us.
These are Christopher's personal views, offered in his individual capacity. They do not constitute legal advice and do not represent the positions of Mulvaney Law Offices, PLLC or any client.
Legal Insurance
MetLife Legal Plans — A 47-Year History of Access to Justice
Joel Hyatt, a graduate of Yale Law School, founded Hyatt Legal Services in 1977 to increase access to affordable legal services. It became Hyatt Legal Plans — the largest provider of group legal insurance services in the country. In 1997, MetLife purchased Hyatt Legal Plans, and it became MetLife Legal Plans. It remains the largest legal insurance provider in the United States.
Christopher has been on the MetLife Legal Panel since 2007. MetLife ranked No. 43 in the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. corporations by total revenue and serves 90 of the largest Fortune 500 companies. Revenue was $66.91 billion in 2023. During World War II, MetLife placed more than 51 percent of its total assets in war bonds — the largest single private contributor to the Allied cause.
Much of Christopher's practice involves legal insurance. If you lose employer coverage, you may be able to enroll in MetLife Legal Plans Individual Coverage at $22/month ($264/year — cancel anytime after the first year). You pay nothing to Christopher in attorney's fees above the $264 paid to MetLife.
Save 75% on Estate Planning
If you lose MetLife Legal Plans employer coverage, individual coverage is available at $22/month. You pay nothing to Christopher in attorney's fees above the $264/year paid to MetLife.
MetLife Legal Plans Individual CoverageA Note on Scope
The Right Fit Matters
Just because a particular service is covered by MetLife does not mean Christopher must accept every client with a covered issue. His scope of practice does not include all covered services — no single lawyer could. Even within his practice areas, he may have too many clients at a given time to take on new matters.
Since you are looking at this website, Christopher assumes you are looking for a particular kind of lawyer. He is looking for a particular kind of client — one whose initial email simply and briefly states their issues and how they found him, who is willing to provide information as requested, who will read the draft estate plan before the Zoom meeting, and who is comfortable working via Zoom, DocuSign, and Zelle.
The standard forms themselves are of very little value — you can get forms for free online. The value is in understanding what everything in the process means, and how to use that understanding for the benefit of yourself and your family. Christopher's forms are continuously refined based on the questions and reactions of several thousand previous clients. The mistakes of previous clients are listed as warnings to future clients. No free boilerplate form can do that.
If, after initial information gathering, either party believes Christopher is not the best fit for your particular issues, he hopes both parties can agree to say so as soon as possible. He does not want unhappy clients — and works hard to prevent that from happening.
The Process
How Christopher Works
Confirm Coverage
Christopher confirms your MetLife Legal Plans coverage before any work begins. If you have individual coverage ($22/month), forward your MetLife confirmation email and work can start immediately.
Complete the Intake Form
Christopher sends an intake form for you to fill out and return. This allows him to prepare a draft estate plan tailored to your specific circumstances. If you do not fill out the form, you are a prospect — not yet a client.
Review the Draft
Christopher sends you the draft estate plan to review at your own pace. Read it carefully and make notes of your questions. The most productive client meetings happen after the client has read the draft.
Zoom Consultation
After you have reviewed the draft, Christopher meets with you via Zoom to answer all of your questions. This is where the real value of the process is delivered — not in a phone call before you have seen anything.
Electronic Signing & Notarization
Documents are signed and notarized remotely via DocuSign in a recorded Zoom meeting. Christopher generates your electronic signature in DocuSign and affixes it along with his signature and the notary seal.
Remote Signing
Electronic Signatures & Remote Online Notarization
Electronic signatures and remote online notarization have been permitted in Washington State since 2020 under Senate Bill 5641 and RCW 1.80.060. This means you never need to drive to an office to sign estate planning documents.
Estate planning documents that require notarization cannot be signed by simply clicking a button in DocuSign — the way you might sign a real estate sales contract. Instead, Christopher records the Zoom meeting in which the documents are shared on screen, and you state on camera that the documents are correct and that it is your wish to sign.
Christopher generates your electronic signature in DocuSign and affixes it to the PDF along with his own signature and the notary seal. The image on the video must match the images on the driver's licenses of everyone in the meeting — including Christopher. It is easier than driving to an office and signing with a pen, but not as simple as clicking a button in an email.
What makes the DocuSign software-generated signature valid as your signature is you saying on camera that the documents are correct and that it is your wish to sign. If you say the documents are correct, you have signed. If you say they are not correct, you have not signed.
What You Need
Four Requirements for Remote Notarization
A photo ID (driver's license or equivalent) for each person who signs
A recorded Zoom meeting in which the accuracy of the shared documents is acknowledged on camera
A ratification email after the Zoom meeting confirming the documents are correct or identifying any needed changes
A watermark reading "Electronically Signed & Notarized in ZOOM via DocuSign" — replacing the "Draft Not Valid for Use" watermark
Legal Authority
Senate Bill 5641 — Remote Online Notarization (Washington State, 2020)
RCW 1.80.060 — Electronic Signatures are Valid
Sample Estate Plans
Christopher can provide examples of what your completed estate plan will look like — whether you are single, married, or entering a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement. Ask for a sample when you submit your intake form.
Christopher's Personal Views
What Does "Liberal" Mean?
lib·er·al /ˈlib(ə)rəl/ adjective
Willing to respect or accept behavior or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas. Relating to or denoting a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.
The adjective liberal involves being open to, respecting, and accepting ideas and behavior different from one's own. This requires education. Without education, exposure to new ideas is limited. Wrestling with the challenges posed by new ideas is limited. Knowledge of one's self, and one's place in the world, is limited without education. Education is the cornerstone of being liberal. Without being open to new ideas, personal growth and development — and the growth and development of societies — is limited.
A painful lesson in the consequences of not being open to new ideas is the history of what happens when a steel-age culture with guns and trains encounters a stone-age culture with bows and arrows. By not being open to the new idea of a written language, and preserving and maintaining traditions for tens of thousands of years, the indigenous First Nations people of North America left themselves open to being killed by the millions — and American Buffalo being killed by the millions — resulting in the Indian Reservation System we have today. Native peoples could not defend themselves or their culture against the much larger, more technologically sophisticated cultures with guns, germs, and steel.
Education
The best education is an enlightening experience and process of facilitating learning, and the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, morals, beliefs, habits, and personal development. Education is also the transmission of cultural heritage from one generation to the next.
Education is about individual character and the character of societies, as well as about scientific and technological advancement. Life is a battle for survival. People and societies who are the most open to all of the ideas in the world — who pick and choose and adapt those ideas for their own purposes devoted to progress — are more likely to survive and to defeat individuals and societies who do not do so.
The best education has an element of reconnaissance to it. Openness to new ideas is in part openness to the early identification of threats. Information and its analysis allows more accurate predictions of hostility. For example, by having highly educated and experienced software engineers and analysts, we can see the kinds of malware, ransomware, spyware, and other attacks on our infrastructure and how those attacks change and increase in sophistication. Our defenses must account for and adapt to the attacks. We fail to do so at our peril.
Educated people live longer, produce more, earn more, and are generally happier and more satisfied with their lives. Educated people also tend to have educated children and grandchildren. The wide availability of education and correspondingly high rates of literacy tend to increase opportunities for large numbers of people.
Therefore, policies relating to universal access to the best education for the most people — based on merit, without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, religion, or disability — are of paramount importance. Legacy admission not based on academic merit is anathema. The solution is not to admit the unqualified; it is to get more diverse people qualified. The cumulative effects of privilege over about 18 years is what produces the gap between the dominant and the dominated. A change in admissions policies admitting less qualified people is a shortcut through a field of poison ivy — shorter, but resulting in being covered with itchy sores. The long, hard work of breaking barriers that exist before children are born and persist throughout their lives is what is required.
Reducing Inequality With a Social Safety Net Including Education, Healthcare & Housing
If equal access to education by those with the academic merit to make the most of educational opportunities is foundational to what it means to be liberal, and poverty, unemployment, drug addiction, crime, mass incarceration, race-based policing, behavioral health issues, and the legacy of redlining are interfering with that equal access — then reducing inequality of opportunity and improving the social safety net is key to supporting the highest liberal value placed on education.
Scandinavian countries are known around the world for their strong social safety nets and low levels of wealth and income inequality. Education, healthcare, and housing are rights of citizenship. Not surprisingly, countries like Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland consistently rank high in personal happiness relative to other countries.
Healthcare and housing support education. It is difficult to go through the process of getting an education if you are sick or unhoused. Every student should be allowed to get as much education as that student's choice to use ability and ambition can get them. Education should be like Juilliard. You can't pay. You earn your way in and earn your way out. It doesn't matter if you don't have shoes.
Protecting the Environment & Workers
Education, healthcare, housing, and relatively low wealth and income inequality aren't much use if climate change makes the world increasingly less habitable for humans, and low wages, union busting, and dangerous conditions make work increasingly miserable for many people.
The Earth itself supports all life. If a person is in a coma on life support, we wouldn't play around unplugging the ventilator for a few minutes to see what happens. You just don't play around with a person's life support. It is not a joke. They literally need it to live. Yet that is what we do to ourselves and our planet. If some alien civilization were pumping carbon into our atmosphere and increasing greenhouse gases to degrade our climate, the world would mobilize and unify in opposition. However, since we are doing it to ourselves, the alarm bells are heard by many people — but not everyone — and we slowly work toward reduction.
Society should both encourage education for those who want it, and not judge those who don't. People who do not attain high levels of education but work hard and are honest are a credit to society. They are the backbone of society. Without them, we would just be a blob of goo on the floor with a head reading and thinking as we starved to death.
Individual Rights, Civil Liberties, Democracy & Free Enterprise
These values can sometimes conflict with a strong social safety net, low wealth and income inequality, and merit-based non-exclusionary access to education. Individual rights and civil liberties are limited by everyone else's individual rights and civil liberties. Free enterprise is limited by the SEC and the FTC.
To be liberal means to weigh and balance these competing values and to keep searching in order to find optimal policies to strike and preserve balance. For example, protection of the Spotted Owl in Oregon does have an economic impact on the logging industry. The conflict is real and can be heated. Getting all of the information and making conscious, informed public policy choices regarding preserving an endangered species and mitigating harm to loggers and the logging industry is necessary and important.
I was heartened by the testimony of Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve Chair who was a proponent of the philosophy of Ayn Rand and believed that government had no role in policing fraud and corruption in capital markets. He said he was wrong. Lack of government oversight is what allowed the orgy of greed that created the worldwide economic collapse of 2007.
Free Enterprise Capitalism is the most powerful economic engine yet devised in the history of the world, practiced in various forms even in Communist countries such as China and Russia. No other system can compete with the wealth-building of free people seeking to maximize profit. But unfettered Capitalism is hellish and practiced by no nation on Earth.
No rational person can argue that government does not have a role in protecting and managing these harms. The issue is what is the cost-benefit analysis of government regulation. Getting the right amount of tax and regulation requires an open mind, tolerance to different ideas, public debate, and effort in reaching compromises. That is what liberal means to me — and why it is important for the world.
Christopher's Personal Views
Logical Fallacies
A logical fallacy is an error in reasoning that renders an argument invalid. Recognizing fallacies is essential to clear thinking, honest advocacy, and informed citizenship. The chart below illustrates the most common fallacies. A full reference follows.
Common Fallacies — Quick Reference
Ad Hominem
To the Man. Argument by insult or mudslinging regarding appearance, ethnicity, character, or other non-relevant personal characteristic.
Strawman Argument
A scarecrow. An argument — often a more extreme version of the counterargument — attacked to make one's position look stronger.
Appeal to Ignorance
An argument must be true if there is no evidence against it.
False Dilemma
Polarizing, manipulative argument by false dichotomy between extreme positions.
Slippery Slope Fallacy
Argument without evidence that a ridiculous outcome will necessarily result from a given course of action.
Circular Argument
An argument that restates premise as conclusion and restates assumptions. "Begging the question" (petitio principii).
Hasty Generalization
Argument based on a few examples rather than substantial proof.
Red Herring Fallacy
Diversionary distraction using something unimportant to encourage a false conclusion. (Ignoratio elenchi)
Appeal to Hypocrisy
Tu Quoque (You Too). Attempt to divert blame by accusing opponent of similar misdeeds.
Causal Fallacy
Incorrect attribution of causation. E.g., came before, therefore caused by. (Post hoc ergo propter hoc)
Fallacy of Sunk Costs
Argument to keep doing something even if unlikely to produce a benefit because of time or money already spent.
Appeal to Authority
Argument by overstated, illegitimate, or irrelevant position or expertise.
Equivocation
Word, phrase, or sentence used deliberately to confuse, deceive, or mislead.
Appeal to Pity
Argument by provoking emotions to overcome logic.
Bandwagon Fallacy
Argument that something is true (or right or good) because others agree with it. (Argumentum ad populum)
Association Fallacy
Using an argument's connections to other concepts or people to support or refute it (guilt by association).
False Analogy
Making false or misleading comparisons (false equivalence).
Logic Leap
Making a jump in logic such that the conclusion does not follow from the premise (non sequitur).
Cherry Picking
Selectively using facts (card stacking).
Formal Fallacies
Appeal to Probability
A statement that takes something for granted because it would probably be the case (or might be the case).
Argument from Fallacy
The assumption that, if a particular argument for a conclusion is fallacious, then the conclusion itself is false.
Base Rate Fallacy
Making a probability judgment based on conditional probabilities, without taking into account the effect of prior probabilities.
Conjunction Fallacy
The assumption that an outcome simultaneously satisfying multiple conditions is more probable than an outcome satisfying a single one of them.
Non-Sequitur Fallacy
Where the conclusion does not logically follow the premise.
Affirming a Disjunct
Concluding that one disjunct of a logical disjunction must be false because the other disjunct is true; A or B; A, therefore not B.
Affirming the Consequent
The antecedent in an indicative conditional is claimed to be true because the consequent is true; if A, then B; B, therefore A.
Denying the Antecedent
The consequent in an indicative conditional is claimed to be false because the antecedent is false; if A, then B; not A, therefore not B.
Existential Fallacy
An argument that has a universal premise and a particular conclusion.
Modal Fallacy
Confusing necessity with sufficiency. A condition X is necessary for Y if X is required for even the possibility of Y — but X alone does not bring about Y.
Informal Fallacies
Argument to Moderation
Assuming that a compromise between two positions is always correct (false compromise, middle ground).
Continuum Fallacy
Improperly rejecting a claim for being imprecise (fallacy of the heap, sorites fallacy).
Definist Fallacy
Defining a term used in an argument in a biased manner using loaded terms.
Divine Fallacy
Arguing that, because something is incredible or amazing, it must be the result of superior, divine, or paranormal agency.
Motte-and-Bailey Fallacy
Conflating two positions — one modest and easy to defend (the motte) and one more controversial (the bailey). When challenged, retreating to the modest position.
Ecological Fallacy
Inferring about the nature of an entity based solely upon aggregate statistics collected for the group to which that entity belongs.
Etymological Fallacy
Assuming that the original or historical meaning of a word is necessarily similar to its actual present-day usage.
Fallacy of Composition
Assuming that something true of part of a whole must also be true of the whole.
Fallacy of Division
Assuming that something true of a composite thing must also be true of all or some of its parts.
False Dilemma / False Dichotomy
Two alternative statements are given as the only possible options when, in reality, there are more.
False Equivalence
Describing two or more statements as virtually equal when they are not.
Historian's Fallacy
Assuming that decision-makers of the past had identical information as those subsequently analyzing the decision.
Homunculus Fallacy
Explaining a concept in terms of the concept itself without explaining its real nature.
Inflation of Conflict
Arguing that, if experts in a field disagree on a point, no conclusion can be reached or the field's legitimacy is questionable.
Kettle Logic
Using multiple, jointly inconsistent arguments to defend a position.
McNamara Fallacy
Making an argument using only quantitative observations and discounting subjective information that focuses on quality.
Moving the Goalposts
Evidence presented in response to a specific claim is dismissed and some other (often greater) evidence is demanded.
Nirvana Fallacy
Solutions to problems are rejected because they are not perfect (perfect-solution fallacy).
Proof by Assertion
A proposition is repeatedly restated regardless of contradiction.
Special Pleading
The arguer attempts to cite something as an exemption to a generally accepted rule without justifying the exemption.
Faulty Generalizations
No True Scotsman
Makes a generalization true by changing the generalization to exclude a counterexample.
Cherry Picking
Using individual cases or data that confirm a particular position, while ignoring related cases or data that may contradict it.
Survivorship Bias
A small number of successes of a given process are actively promoted while completely ignoring a large number of failures.
Hasty Generalization
Basing a broad conclusion on a small or unrepresentative sample.
Misleading Vividness
Describing an occurrence in vivid detail, even if exceptional, to convince someone that it is more important than it is.
Thought-Terminating Cliché
A commonly used phrase used to quell cognitive dissonance or end debate with a cliché rather than a point.
Questionable Cause
Cum Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
A faulty assumption that, because there is a correlation between two variables, one caused the other.
Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
X happened, then Y happened; therefore X caused Y.
Wrong Direction
Cause and effect are reversed — the consequence of a phenomenon is claimed to be its root cause.
Fallacy of the Single Cause
It is assumed that there is one simple cause of an outcome when in reality it may have been caused by a number of jointly sufficient causes.
Gambler's Fallacy
The incorrect belief that separate, independent events can affect the likelihood of another random event.
Regression Fallacy
Ascribes cause where none exists by failing to account for natural fluctuations.
Relevance & Red Herring Fallacies
Appeal to the Stone
Dismissing a claim as absurd without demonstrating proof for its absurdity.
Argument from Ignorance
Assuming that a claim is true because it has not been or cannot be proven false, or vice versa.
Argument from Repetition
Repeating an argument until nobody cares to discuss it any more and referencing that lack of objection as evidence of support.
Appeal to Authority
An assertion is deemed true because of the position or authority of the person asserting it.
Courtier's Reply
A criticism is dismissed by claiming that the critic lacks sufficient knowledge or credentials to comment.
Appeal to Consequences
The conclusion is supported by a premise that asserts positive or negative consequences from some course of action.
Appeal to Nature
Judgment is based solely on whether the subject is natural or unnatural.
Appeal to Tradition
A conclusion supported solely because it has long been held to be true.
Argumentum ad Baculum
An argument made through coercion or threats of force to support a position.
Bulverism
Inferring why an argument is being used, associating it to some psychological reason, then assuming it is invalid as a result.
Fallacy of Relative Privation
Dismissing an argument or complaint due to what are perceived to be more important problems ("not as bad as").
Genetic Fallacy
A conclusion is suggested based solely on something or someone's origin rather than its current meaning or context.
Naturalistic Fallacy
Inferring evaluative conclusions from purely factual premises in violation of fact-value distinction.
Straw Man Fallacy
Misrepresenting an opponent's argument by broadening or narrowing the scope of a premise and refuting a weaker version of their argument.
Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy
Improperly asserting a cause to explain a cluster of data.
Tu Quoque
Stating that a position is false or should be disregarded because its proponent fails to act consistently in accordance with it (whataboutism).
Two Wrongs Make a Right
Assuming that, if one wrong is committed, another wrong will rectify it.
Christopher's Personal Reflections
People Who Inspire Me
The following individuals — spiritual leaders, legal philosophers, civil rights heroes, artists, scientists, and statesmen — have shaped how Christopher thinks about law, justice, compassion, and the human condition.
Spiritual & Moral Leaders
The 14th Dalai Lama
In exile since 1959, an international symbol of resistance to China's cultural genocide of Tibet — the destruction of Buddhist monasteries, writings, and artifacts beginning with annexation in 1950. Thousands of Monks were killed. Christopher read one of his books in which a fellow Monk, imprisoned by the Chinese Army, focused only on the well-being of his captors. That level of compassion was deeply impressive. The Dalai Lama has given up the fight to free Tibet — not because the taking was not an atrocity, but because continuing to struggle against China's overwhelming force is undignified and ineffectual.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931–2021)
A spiritual hero. He chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa in 1996 after the end of apartheid — a court-like restorative justice body authorized by Nelson Mandela. Victims gave statements about their experiences; perpetrators could give testimony and request amnesty from civil and criminal prosecution.
Mother Teresa (1910–1997) — Saint Teresa of Calcutta (2016)
She found people by the side of the road too infirm to be taken to her hospice — with only minutes to live. She held their hand, looked into their eyes, and told them they were not alone and they were loved. She said no human being should ever die alone unloved. When asked about her relationship with God, she said she rarely felt His presence — but that it wouldn't be Faith if she felt validation all the time. She just had to trust that what she was doing was good. That humility is probably why she became a Saint.
The Buddha
The founder of Buddhism, known for his teachings on peace, compassion, and enlightenment.
Moses
A foundational figure in the history of law, justice, and moral leadership.
Civil Rights & Justice
Martin Luther King, Jr.
His "I Have a Dream" speech was one of the most quintessential articulations of what it means to be an American. The Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–1956), following Rosa Parks' arrest, led to the desegregation of buses and set a precedent for non-violent protest.
John Lewis
Participated in the 1960 Nashville sit-ins and the Freedom Rides. Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963 to 1966. One of the "Big Six" organizers of the 1963 March on Washington. In 1965 he led the first Selma to Montgomery march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge — where state troopers attacked the marchers on what became known as Bloody Sunday.
Thurgood Marshall
The first African-American Supreme Court Justice. Won 29 of the 32 civil rights cases he argued before the Supreme Court, culminating in Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which rejected the separate but equal doctrine and held segregation in public education unconstitutional.
Mahatma Gandhi
A lawyer and leader of India's independence movement, known for his philosophy of nonviolent resistance. His Salt March (1930) — a 240-mile march to the sea to collect salt — challenged the British salt monopoly and demonstrated non-violent resistance on a massive scale. Henry David Thoreau's writings on civil disobedience inspired Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and movements across Europe and Asia.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
A Supreme Court justice who championed gender equality and women's rights.
Legal Philosophy
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
U.S. Supreme Court justice and legal historian who advocated for judicial restraint and broad freedom of speech. In Schenck v. United States (1919) he formulated the "clear and present danger" test. In his famous dissent in Abrams v. United States (1919): "the best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market... we should be eternally vigilant against attempts to check the expression of opinions that we loathe and believe to be fraught with death."
H.L.A. Hart
A prominent figure in Anglo-American legal philosophy. The Concept of Law developed sophisticated legal positivism, including the distinction between primary rules (governing conduct) and secondary rules (rules about rules): the Rule of Recognition, the Rule of Change, and the Rule of Adjudication. Also developed the concept of "open-textured" terms in law — ideas now influential in Artificial Intelligence and law.
Ronald Dworkin
Regarded as one of the most important legal philosophers of the late 20th century. His theory of law as integrity — presented in Law's Empire — holds that judges interpret the law in terms of consistent moral principles, especially justice and fairness.
Joseph Raz
A key figure in Anglo-American legal philosophy, advocate of legal positivism, and known for his conception of perfectionist liberalism.
Cass Sunstein
A widely cited legal scholar with a focus on administrative law and behavioral economics. New York Times best-selling author of The World According to Star Wars (2016) and Nudge (2008). Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under President Obama (2009–2012).
Richard A. Posner
A highly cited legal scholar and judge, known for his foundational work in law and economics.
Abraham Lincoln
Before becoming President, Lincoln was a prominent lawyer known for his integrity and ability to connect with people. Sewn on the inside of his jacket when he was assassinated: "One Country. One Destiny." He died for his vision.
Statesmen & Leaders
Barack Obama
A constitutional law professor and 44th President of the United States.
Michelle Obama
Lawyer, author, and former First Lady.
John F. Kennedy
The 35th President of the United States, admired for his charisma and vision.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
The 32nd President of the United States, who led the country through the Great Depression and World War II.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Human rights champion, diplomat, and longest-serving First Lady.
Winston Churchill
British Prime Minister who led the Allied resistance against Nazi Germany.
Bill Clinton
42nd President of the United States.
Jimmy Carter
39th President of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
George Washington
Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and first President of the United States.
Thomas Jefferson
Principal author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States.
Benjamin Franklin
Founding Father, diplomat, inventor, and polymath.
Alexander Hamilton
Founding Father, first Secretary of the Treasury, and architect of American financial institutions.
Scientists, Philosophers & Thinkers
Albert Einstein
A German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity.
Leonardo da Vinci
An Italian polymath, known for his contributions to art, science, engineering, and more.
Isaac Newton
Mathematician, physicist, and astronomer — one of the most influential scientists in history.
Nikola Tesla
Inventor and electrical engineer whose work laid the foundation for modern alternating current electrical systems.
Charles Darwin
Naturalist whose theory of evolution by natural selection transformed our understanding of life on Earth.
Marie Curie
Physicist and chemist, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to win in two different sciences.
Linus Pauling
The reason Christopher takes Vitamin C. Two-time Nobel Prize winner — Chemistry and Peace.
Werner Heisenberg
Theoretical physicist and pioneer of quantum mechanics.
Socrates
The father of Western philosophy, known for the Socratic method of inquiry.
Aristotle
Philosopher, scientist, and student of Plato whose works shaped Western thought for centuries.
Plato
Philosopher and founder of the Academy in Athens, student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle.
Confucius
Chinese philosopher whose teachings on ethics, family, and governance have influenced East Asian culture for millennia.
Adam Smith
Economist and philosopher, author of The Wealth of Nations — the foundational text of modern economics.
Thorstein Veblen
Economist and sociologist known for his critique of conspicuous consumption and the leisure class.
John Locke
Philosopher whose theories on natural rights and government by consent profoundly influenced the American Founders.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Philosopher whose ideas on democracy, equality, and the social contract shaped the French Revolution and modern political thought.
Immanuel Kant
Philosopher whose Critique of Pure Reason and categorical imperative remain central to modern ethics and epistemology.
Helen Keller
American author, political activist, and lecturer who was deaf and blind — a symbol of human resilience and determination.
Henry David Thoreau
His writings on non-violent civil disobedience inspired Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and independence movements across Europe and Asia.
Thom Hartmann
Progressive political commentator, author, and radio host.
Artists, Writers & Musicians
Shakespeare
The greatest writer in the English language — playwright, poet, and observer of the human condition.
John Grisham
Lawyer turned bestselling author of legal thrillers.
Michelangelo
Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet — creator of the Sistine Chapel ceiling and the statue of David.
Thomas Edison
Inventor of the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a practical incandescent light bulb.
Alexander Graham Bell
Inventor of the telephone and pioneer of communication technology.
Muhammad Ali
So much more than a boxer. A champion of civil rights, religious freedom, and personal conviction.
Richard Pryor
Groundbreaking stand-up comedian whose raw honesty about race, addiction, and the human experience changed comedy forever.
Dave Chappelle
Comedian and cultural commentator known for his fearless and incisive social observations.
Michael Bublé
Canadian jazz and pop vocalist.
Lady Gaga
Singer, songwriter, and actress — known for her powerful voice and her performance of the National Anthem at the 59th Presidential Inauguration, January 20, 2021.
Harry Connick Jr.
Jazz pianist, vocalist, and entertainer.
Tony Bennett
Legendary American singer known for his interpretations of the Great American Songbook.
Frank Sinatra
The Chairman of the Board — one of the most influential musical artists of the 20th century.
Diana Krall
Canadian jazz pianist and vocalist.
Leonard Cohen
Canadian singer-songwriter and poet — author of Hallelujah.
Bob Dylan
Nobel Prize-winning singer-songwriter and poet whose music defined a generation.
Billy Joel
The Piano Man — one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Freddie Mercury
Lead vocalist of Queen — one of the greatest rock performers in history.
Ready to Start the Conversation?
Once you have completed and returned the Intake Form (PDF) or the Online Intake Form, I will prepare a draft of an Estate Plan for your review, and schedule a no-cost, no-obligation Zoom consultation with Christopher Mulvaney to discuss your estate planning needs. I will answer all of your questions — in a calm, confidential conversation about what matters most to your family.