Firm Members
James M. Cline
Jim received his B.A. with distinction in Political Science from the University of Washington in 1980, an M.A. in Political Science from UW in 1982, an M.A. in Economics from the University of Notre Dame in 1986, and his J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1986.
After passing the Washington State Bar, Jim served as an associate in a Seattle labor law firm and as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the King County Prosecutor’s Office. Since leaving the Prosecutor’s Office in 1990, Jim has represented law enforcement labor organizations throughout the state.
He has participated in hundreds of cases at every level of state and federal court and various administrative and arbitration tribunals. He has made over 35 appellate oral arguments between his appearances at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Washington State Supreme Court and the Washington Court of Appeals. He has been involved in the negotiation of nearly 400 labor contracts. He has provided counsel in about 200 officer-involved shooting incidents. He has participated in 26 Washington State interest arbitration proceedings.
Jim is a frequent speaker and the author of numerous articles and two books: The Rights of Washington Public Safety Employees: Member’s Manual and The Rights of Washington Public Safety Employees: Representative’s Manual. He is currently planning and developing a number of other public safety labor law books, including a soon to be released book concerning the representation of injured public safety personnel.
Kate Kremer
Kate received her B.A. in Political Science from Fairfield University in 1983 and her J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School in 1987.
After graduation from law school, Kate was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She practiced several years at the Northwestern Legal Center where she was involved in a variety of civil litigation.
Kate has contributed to the Cline law practice since 1995. Kate’s responsibilities include legal research and writing, litigation and preparation of statistical analysis reports for labor negotiations and interest arbitration. She is responsible for digesting and summarizing more than a 1000 labor contracts within the Cline and Associates database. She has prepared the Master Brief that is the proprietary Cline & Associates brief used to develop interest arbitration arguments. She has testified a number of times about her database reports and is likely the most knowledgeable person in the state on the contents of public safety labor contracts.
Anthony Rice
Tony graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in 2010 with a degree in Political Science He also lettered in Football, playing Linebacker for PLU. He then attended the University of Washington Law School and received Honors before graduating in May 2014. While in law school, he worked as a law clerk at Cline and Associates.
Upon graduation, Tony decided to relocate to California where he practiced labor law for several years. He worked in house for various unions before moving to Beeson, Tayer & Bodine.
Tony made a major career change in 2021, returning to the Northwest and launching a career as a firefighter with the Pierce County Fire District. He did not abandon his interest in law. Cline and Associates is fortunate to have Tony’s service as a consultant and part time litigator. Tony brings his extensive labor law experience and practical experience to assist Cline and Associates public safety clients in a variety of roles.
Sam Hagshenas
Sam received his B.A. in Political Science from Western Washington University in 2020, and an M.A. in International Political Economy from King’s College London in 2021. After working as a legal assistant for a few years, Sam decided to pursue a career in law, and just finished his second year as a law student at the University of Washington School of Law.
While in law school, Sam has externed at the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and is an editor on the Washington International Law Journal. Sam joined Cline & Associates as a law clerk in 2025 and assists with legal research and drafting the firm’s blogs and reference materials.
In his free time, Sam enjoys hiking, studying history, and exploring the Seattle food scene.
Amy Liden
Amy received her B.A. in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2022. After working as a legal assistant for several years, she decided to pursue law school and is now a rising second year student at the University of Washington School of Law.
During her first year, she was an officer for Survivors and Allies in Law, a participant in moot court, and most recently, admitted into the Federal Tax Clinic and elected Wellness Advocate for the Student Bar Association (SBA). Amy joins Cline & Associates as a law clerk to assist with legal research and contribute to the firm’s blogs.
In her free time, Amy enjoys hiking, cooking and reading Stephen King.