Willis & Toews

Monte A. Willis
After graduating from Washington State University, where he majored in accounting and business law, Monte attended Cornell Law School. He graduated with a Doctor of Law and moved to Walla Walla in 1995 where he began practicing in the areas of real estate, business, estate planning, probate and civil litigation (including personal injury) with Minnick Hayner. He joined Hess Law Office in 2001 practice exclusively in the personal injury field. In 2006, he and Debi Toews opened their present office and continue to practice exclusively in the personal injury field.

Monte, born in Tacoma, Washington in 1970, is also an avid cyclist/triathlete, periodically acts in plays at the Little Theater, is a member of the board of directors for the Walla Walla Downtown Foundation, is Treasurer for the Foundation, and is chair the Foundation’s Economic Restructuring Committee.

Bar Admissions:
Admitted to the Washington Bar in 1995;
Admitted to Federal District Court, Eastern District of Washington in 1999;
Admitted to the Oregon Bar in 2000; and
Admitted to Oregon Federal District Court in 2001.

Education:
Washington State University,(Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Summa Cum Laude, 1992; Phi Kappa Phi; Beta Gamma Sigma) with majors in Accounting and Business Law; Cornell Law School (Doctor of Law, Cum Laude, 1995; Recipient: American Jurisprudence Award in Civil Procedure).

Member:
Washington and Oregon State Trial Lawyers Associations; and
Walla Walla County, Washington and Oregon State Bar Associations.

Debra J. Toews
After graduating from Whitman College with a degree in English in 1976, Debra taught in Kenya, East Africa for two years. From 1988 through 1994 she taught English as a Second Language to adults at Walla Walla Community College.
Debra has worked, first as a paralegal, and now as an attorney, in the personal injury law area since 1994. She completed Washington State Law Clerk Program in 2002 and took and passed the Washington State Bar Examination in July 2002. Debra has practiced exclusively in personal injury work since being sworn in as an attorney in November, 2002. On January 1, 2006, she co-founded Willis & Toews, PLLC, with Monte Willis.

She recently won a “Hometown Hero” award from the Blue Mountain Chapter of the American Red Cross for her work in Public Safety. In 2005, Debra won the Washington State Susie Stephens Award for Bicycle Advocacy on behalf of her successful efforts to get the Safe Passing Law passed in Washington state. Debra is an avid cyclist, enjoys reading a wide variety of books, and is involved in both church and community activities including the Ann Weatherill Cycling Classic, a fund raiser for cycling safety.

Bar Admission:
Admitted to Washington Bar in 2002.

Education:
Whitman College, B.A. English, 1976;
Washington Law Clerk Program, 2002;

Member:
Washington State Trial Lawyer Association
Walla Walla County and Washington State Bar Association.