It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of longtime member Joel Paget on September 27, 2024.
Joel joined Ryan Swanson in 1971, when the firm was known as Ryan, Carlson, Bush, Swanson & Hendel, and spent his entire legal career here. He was the 14th attorney in the firm at the time of his arrival, and he was instrumental in establishing our immigration practice.
The immigration practice at Ryan Swanson began with Joel in 1982, when a Chinese cook facing deportation was referred to him by a client. After successfully resolving the case, Joel received a referral from Governor Dan Evans’ office a week later, which led to the firm’s first corporate immigration client. Today, Ryan Swanson’s Immigration Group is one of the largest and most prestigious in Seattle.
Joel held various leadership roles at the firm, including chair of the Immigration Group for many years. He served as the firm’s managing director from 1993 to 1996, during which time he famously took credit for implementing the firm’s sabbatical benefit for staff. Joel also was a dedicated mentor, not only to the firm’s young attorneys but also to the wider legal community. He frequently made time in his busy schedule to meet with law students and young lawyers over a mocha, offering advice and support as they began their legal journeys. His decade-long involvement with the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Washington highlighted his unwavering commitment to mentorship, leadership, and giving back to those following in his footsteps.
Joel was well-known for his civic and community involvement. A long-standing member of Seattle Rotary, he also volunteered within the community with the KCBA neighborhood clinic and at citizenship days. In recent years, Joel continued to serve his community by joining the Board of Directors for the Japan-America Society of the State of Washington.
Joel was critical in forging relationships with the Canadian consulate and served as President of the Canada-America Society of Washington. He also maintained close relationships with clients and referral sources in Canada, making regular trips to visit them—a practice he began in his early days at the firm with Ray Swanson. These clients became more than just business connections; they became friends.
Throughout his career, Joel was deeply involved with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), dedicating significant time and energy to the organization. He was a founding member of the Washington Chapter of AILA and actively participated in AILA at both the national and regional levels. He served on AILA’s Congressional/Advocacy Committee and the AILA Chapter CLE Committee, and regularly attended the annual AILA National Day of Action in Washington, D.C. In recent years, he also provided valuable support to the AILA Southern California chapter in various ways.
It should come as no surprise that Joel was consistently recognized as a top immigration attorney, earning numerous honors and awards over the decades.
For those fortunate enough to work with him, Joel was known for his love of cosmopolitans and his unique habit of asking new employees, “Where did you go to school in third grade?” As the firm’s unofficial historian, Joel could recount stories, policies, and anecdotes from the old days, back when smoking was allowed in the office and attorneys never left their desks without wearing their suit jackets. He took great pride in describing his work as helping “the best and brightest come into the United States to live and work.” For all of us who lived and worked with Joel, we were privileged to have one of the best colleagues and brightest legal minds as part of our lives.
