Stephen Bulzomi: A Passion for Justice
There’s something quite magical that happens when you find your true passion. Your profession doesn’t feel like a job, nor does work actually feel like working—it’s your purpose. Evergreen Personal Injury Counsel attorney Stephen Bulzomi has built his career on fighting for his clients in personal injury cases for more than three decades. From alcohol liability, to negligent hiring and retention, to holding corporations responsible for the damaging actions of their employees—Steve is not only well-versed in injury law, he has an unrivaled passion.
Recognized as one of the best trial lawyers in Washington State, Steve has been listed as a “Super Lawyer” by Washington Law & Politics since 2000. He has been given the highest rating of “A/V” by the peer rating organization Martindale Hubbell for performance and ethics. Steve has also been selected by practicing colleagues for inclusion in peer-reviewed The Best Lawyers of America for personal injury litigation. Despite his lengthy list of accomplishments, the best reward for Steve is finding justice for his clients.
Steve believes that a good lawyer can come from any background, as long as they’re willing to go all the way for their clients. “If you want to think about the person who makes a good lawyer, it’s a person who’s got vision, who has tenacity, who cares about their client, and who isn’t afraid to take a chance and, maybe not win a case, but push it as hard as they can, and gain the satisfaction of giving their all for their client.”
Why Personal Injury Law?
In his practice, Steve enjoys being on the side of the underdog and helping his clients fight huge corporations. “I feel comfortable working for injured folks against large insurance companies,” he says. “It seems to me that that’s the right side of the argument to be on.”
Steve finds the challenges of his work highly rewarding. “I enjoy being a force for change and applying the law for my clients—and I enjoy changing the law for the better when I have a chance to do that,” he says.
He feels the same way about his role at Evergreen Personal Injury Counsel. “I’m very, very lucky to be working with everybody here,” he says. “We’re all dedicated to our clients, to the cause of justice for our clients and justice for the community. And we’re all like-minded people. We like each other, we like our clients, and we like being able to help them recover from things that have disrupted their lives. We’re just a good bunch.”
Like his colleagues, Steve doesn’t treat his clients’ trust lightly. “Having the right to represent people in court—it is a privilege, and it’s an honor to do so, to hold accountable those who harm others,” he says. “We have a huge responsibility to take care of our clients, [and] a huge responsibility to the system to play fair and do things the right way.”
Mentoring Through Washington State Association for Justice
Steve knows that he owes a big part of his own professional development to working with more experienced colleagues. He passes on his own experience by mentoring new lawyers with the Washington State Association for Justice. He appreciates the goodwill that comes from being an active part of the legal community.
“I benefited very much [from] learning from the people who had done it,” he says. “It’s a great experience for both of us. I feel I have information that’s helpful for them, and I can give them advice. I [also] like to get know the younger lawyers I work with, and we’ve become fast friends.”
Part of that advice addresses the lesser known challenges that new lawyers may not realize when starting out. “Legal practice is a big mix of deadlines, communications, information management, and flow. You have to keep each case moving forward, and you have to know the deadlines. There’s a lot behind the scenes that many people don’t realize.”
Outside of Personal Injury Law
Once the door closes behind him at the end of the work day, Steve does his best to leave his work at the office. He’s happy to spend the rest of his time being a husband and father. He does find that his legal training helps with family problem-solving and keeping things fair! When he’s not at work or preparing for trial, you can find Steve relaxing with his family, cheering on the Huskies, bicycling, or golfing.
Steve regularly shares blog posts to his website on legal topics, such as medical negligence and alcohol liability. To read more from Steve, click here.