Terry Church

Senior Partner

Terry Church is the founding member and senior partner of Church Rietzke Johnson PLLC. He is a seasoned trial lawyer who has helped thousands of injured people in our community since 1990.

Terry enjoys getting to know his clients well and focuses on understanding how your life has been affected by your injuries. Terry is tireless and thorough in solving insurance and medical issues for his clients, whether complex and severe or straightforward.

  • Over 30 years of trial, arbitration, and mediation experience
  • Tough negotiator with insurance companies and opposing attorneys
  • Serves as an arbitrator and mediator in other civil cases
  • Served as a pro-tem district court judge
  • 2022 Daniel Bigelow Award winner in recognition as an outstanding professional & community service member
  • Past President of the Thurston County Bar Association
  • Past President of Thurston County Volunteer Legal Services
  • Presents seminars to other legal providers and health care professionals
 

Terry was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington and worked as a journalist for newspapers in Washington and Oregon before going to law school. A diehard baseball fan, Terry’s first job was as a high school student working as a bat boy for the Seattle Mariners during their inaugural season at the Kingdome in 1977. Terry’s favorite job is being the father to three young adults. In his free time, he enjoys researching genealogy.

Education

  • University of Puget Sound School of Law, J.D. cum laude
  • University of Puget Sound Law Review
  • Washington State University, B.A., Journalism

License

  • Washington State Bar license
  • Admitted to United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
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Testimonials

fantabulous me
fantabulous me
1697145675
I have nothing but good things to say about Terry and his team. He advocated for me and got me the settlement amount that I thought I deserved without litigation. Him and his team communicated promptly and were pleasant to work with. I highly recommend this firm for any personal injury or auto accident settlement needs!
Denise Clifford
Denise Clifford
1689372224
I was traumatized and injured after my car accident in which a person decided texting was more important than driving. Getting barraged by insurance company calls while trying to heal was incredibly stressful - especially during the pandemic. That’s when I reached out to Terry Church. From Day 1, he and his team were amazing. They were responsive, personally accessible, experienced, knowledgeable, and skilled at negotiating. I appreciated their solid integrity and the fact that they are a local firm. I felt cared for throughout the process and trusted Terry and Joey explicitly. The end result was a more than fair settlement along with having all of my medical costs covered. I am super grateful I chose this firm and I highly recommend this team of legal experts.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to use an attorney. But Terry and his team created an outcome that was much better than I could have done on my own. Also, they were professional and supportive. I could focus on healing while they did the work. I would definitely recommend Church Rietzke Johnson.
Dan
Dan
1662483176
Thank you Terry and Maurice. Your experience, perseverance, preparation, and good advice led to a positive outcome for my accident claim. You are both excellent communicators and helped me through a process that was very frustrating at times. Thanks also to Leslie and Joey for keeping things on track through the worst of COVID and beyond. A real team effort. I highly recommend Church Rietzke Johnson, PLLC.
Katrina Kimball
Katrina Kimball
1630470007
I can't sing the praises of Terry and Joey loud enough. I was so stressed after my auto accident and had no idea how to deal with the insurance claims. Terry and Joey took all of the stress out of the situation for me and did a fantastic job representing my interests. I highly recommend this firm if you are in an auto accident.
Melissa Embry
Melissa Embry
1623448481
I contacted the office of Church Rietzke Johnson for assistance due to being involved in an accident and the insurance company was refusing to help me because they were claiming that they were not responsible.I am extremely pleased with their Professional service. They were very friendly, understanding and fought hard for me.I was also pleased with their communication, I was never in the dark about what was going on with my case and that made me feel at ease.Hopefully I don't need an attorney again, but if I do then I am contacting Terry Church and Joey first.
Jason McGill
Jason McGill
1615014118
Terry and team are the best. There’s no one more experienced working with insurance companies. He knows it all and will do the best possible work under the law. He and team are also friendly and will go the extra mile.
Candice Bracken
Candice Bracken
1608148169
I highly recommend Terry Church and his team at Church Rietzke Johnson. They helped me with my recent auto accident personal injury case. Terry & Joey made the process smooth and easy to understand, even during Covid. Hiring them put my mind at ease that my doctor bills would be covered without me fighting tooth and nail. I am also confident that I would never have been able to receive the settlement total that I was awarded if I had tried on my own. The whole group was kind, professional, and personable. Don’t hesitate to call Church Rietzke Johnson 🙂
Barbara Grigsby
Barbara Grigsby
1605745836
Terry Church ReviewI was at a complete stop in my car, rear-ended and injured. My insurance company stopped paying my medical bills shortly after treatment started. I was far from healed at that point and knew I had to continue my medical care. I needed a good lawyer to represent me. I knew of Terry Church's ethics and integrity in fighting for his clients. Terry fought my own insurance company through an arbitration process and got all of my medical bills paid.But he didn't stop there. He then fought for recovery and won against the at-fault driver for pain and suffering so my medical treatments could continue as needed until my injuries stabilized. Because of his principles Terry goes the extra mile and does everything possible to resolve the claim in the best interest of his clients. It was a privilege to work with him and his paralegal Joey.This is a 5-star review for Terry's professionalism, experience and commitment, his unwavering skill communicating with the insurance companies, and negotiating a settlement and last but not least - his incredible staff. I highly recommend Terry and the Church Rietzke Johnson law firm.
Leslie Carroll
Leslie Carroll
1598382538
Terry Church is extremely competent, experienced, knowledgeable, a great listener, has much wisdom, and advocates for his clients and their best interests. I highly recommend him as a personal injury attorney. He also has a superb team.
I was very pleased with Terry Church and his team! This is an amazing office, that care about their clients. I was rear ended and both of our vehicle's were totalled. Terry and his team were very patient with me and did not want to close the case unless I was at 100%. I would recommend my friends and family with Church Rietzke. Thank you again!
J Duncan
J Duncan
1587498536
I had a great experience with Terry at Church Reitzke. I was rear ended and the insurance company stopped paying my medical bills. I had no experience hiring a lawyer and was unsure how to proceed. Terry guided me through each step of the litigation process and successfully negotiated a settlement I am happy with.
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