MEET THE TEAM

Local Lawyer Nicole Daussin serves Palmer Alaska and Wasilla Alaska with dedicated legal services_2

MEET THE TEAM

Nicole Daussin, Esq.
Founding Attorney

  • Wellesley College ‘13 – English
  • University of North Carolina School of Law ‘19

So often legal professionals lose themselves in corruption, caring more for their own professional reputation and rapport with each other than their clients.

I am not that lawyer.

I work for you.

I have always had an independent spirit, and I pride myself on my commitment to integrity.

I grew up in the Raleigh-Durham area in North Carolina. At seventeen, I went to college at Wellesley, where I studied English with an emphasis on creative writing. But I quickly grew tired of the proverbial ivory tower and graduated early at the age of twenty.

I drove west. For the first time in my life, I felt the joy and freedom that accompanies interacting with untamed nature. After working various seasonal jobs in New Mexico, Yellowstone, and Utah, I returned home to take graduate level English courses at North Carolina State University, then decided to pursue teaching English as a Second Language in South Korea and Vietnam.

In Quinhon, Vietnam, I decided teaching wasn’t for me, so I found myself at the local sleepy cafe studying for the LSAT, which I ultimately took in Malaysia. I returned home to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to attend the University of North Carolina School of Law.

But I always knew I wanted to return to the Great American West, and what better place to settle down than The Last Frontier?

Accompanied by my fearless dog, Flubber, I drove from Apex, North Carolina to Palmer, Alaska, where I clerked for the Palmer Superior Court as a judicial law clerk.

After, I worked for the Anchorage District Attorney’s office as a prosecutor. I handled a heavy caseload of felony and misdemeanor crimes and developed an understanding of the way in which the State handles various levels of crime. I went on to work for a small Anchorage firm specializing in divorce and family law.

In February 2022, I opened The Law Office of Nicole Daussin, Inc., and haven’t looked back since.  These past several years have been some of the most rewarding and exciting of my life.  Now, the office has grown in size, and joined by a team of talented professionals, together we are ready to tackle your legal problems!

Professional affiliations: Alaska Bar Association member, Washington Bar Association member, American Bar Association member, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts member, Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce member, Mat-Su Heath Services, Inc. Secretary.

Sarah Smith

Sarah Smith
Associate Attorney

I believe transparency and prompt communication are the most important hallmarks of effective representation and satisfied clients. By listening to my clients and advising them of all potential avenues and outcomes, I can enhance their autonomy and comfort with the law and the options they choose. By pairing this with keeping my clients up to date on developments in their case as they occur, I try to create an atmosphere of teamwork where not only am I working for you, but I am working with you to help you reach the outcome you want.

After studying at the University of Arkansas for Environmental, Soil, and Water Science and obtaining a Masters at the University of Denver focusing in the Environmental and Pollution laws, it took a few years doing environmental compliance work to realize that this was not the impact that I wanted to have. I wanted a hands-on challenge where I could tell that I was helping people directly.

During law school at the University of Tulsa, I interned at every flavor of law firm to discover my passions and my fit. At Tulsa’s prestigious Atkinson-Haskins Law Firm, I was shown how large firms operate. My next internship was volunteering for the civil division of the Tulsa County District Attorney, where I worked on zoning and land use questions. Changing directions, I next worked remotely for the Gale Allison Law Firm in the areas of probate and trust research. After that, I was lucky enough to be able to intern at the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii in their Family Law division and got my first taste of client interactions in the areas of guardianship, divorce, custodianship, and benefits laws. I was hooked and decided to sample the last area of law, criminal law, when I interned next with the Tulsa County Public Defenders.

After passing the Bar, I worked for an Oklahoma firm doing criminal defense, divorces, guardianships, and contract law. I handled around two hundred criminal defense cases per year as the main defense attorney for a small county, had primary oversight of about forty guardianships, and handled whatever else that walked through the door and seemed like I could make a difference.

Today, I’m based in Seattle, where I work remotely for The Law Office of Nicole Daussin, Inc. I live with my fiancé and our poodle, Scarlet. I’m excited to be working in Alaska again after I fell in love with it while puppy sitting for an injured friend in Anchorage in 2022. I look forward to advocating for you. I’m only an email or phone call away.

Professional affiliations: Oklahoma State Bar Association, Washington State Bar Association, awaiting admission into Alaska Bar Association.

Hayden Colquhoun, Esq.
Associate Attorney

My name is Hayden Colquhoun, and I’m a recent graduate of Liberty University School of Law, where I earned my Juris Doctor in May 2024. With a strong academic background and honors like the Dean’s Scholarship and Dean’s Honor Roll, I’m proud of the hard work I put into law school and am excited to bring that energy into the workforce. I developed solid skills in legal research and writing, becoming certified in Lexis and Westlaw and even creating a Virginia-specific NFA Gun Trust.

Prior to law school, I earned my Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from Liberty University, where I was a member of the Phi Sigma Tau Honor Society. One of the unique highlights of my undergraduate experience was flight school, where I earned my pilot’s license, specializing in Single Engine Land aircraft. There’s something exhilarating about controlling an aircraft and mastering each new challenge in the air. Earning my pilot’s license pushed me out of my comfort zone, and it’s an experience I’ll always carry with me.

My legal experience includes interning with the Free Expression Foundation (FEF) remotely, where I conducted legal research on First Amendment issues, interviewed clients, and drafted various legal documents. Additionally, during my time as a summer law clerk at the Mills-McDermott Criminal Law Center in West Virginia, I worked on both state and federal criminal cases, drafting successful motions, reviewing complex discovery, and training attorneys on legal research software.

New to Alaska, I’m excited to bring a fresh perspective and sense of humor to the legal community here. I’m passionate about making a difference, and I look forward to using my legal skills to contribute meaningfully in my new home state.

Seth Howell
Associate Attorney

My name is Seth Howell, and I’m a recent graduate of Lewis & Clark’s Northwestern School of Law. I earned my Juris Doctor with honors in May of 2024. Throughout law school, I focused on gaining practical experience and learning through helping others. It’s my opinion that the clients are the most important piece of any lawsuit, and I’ve worked hard to ensure that I don’t lose sight of that. I’m currently pending admission to both the Texas and Alaska Bar.

Prior to law school, I earned degrees from Mississippi State University in anthropology and economics. I found joy digging under the sun in South Carolina and Mississippi, but more importantly, I found a passion for helping others and understanding their problems in my studies of human relationships and the problems that plague the modern family unit that inspired me to leave the shovel behind.

My flight to Oregon for law school coincided with two events that framed my legal experience.

First, the Covid-19 epidemic left the finances of many American families in shambles, and for those with nowhere left to turn to escape from the fangs of the IRS, the students at the Lewis & Clark Low Income Tax Clinic were a welcome bulwark. There, I gained experience representing dozens of families and individuals in their fight to retain their hard-won money. I’m continuing to leverage what I gained from this to contribute to Alaska through the ABDC’s Rural Alaska Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.

Second, the Taliban takeover of Kabul and subsequent flight of American friendly forces. For these people, Catholic Charities of Oregon’s Immigration Legal Services provided the tools that they needed to escape their persecutors. Here, I gained experience across immigration law, but particularly in asylum law and was able to further hone my skills working with clients during the worst days of their lives.

During my time in school, I also conducted research in conjunction with Portland State and the Portland Sheriff’s department to identify prophylactic measures to address human trafficking, spent several years interning at a small civil litigation firm where I handled cases with recoveries ranging into the millions of dollars, and had the privilege of studying under the president of Oregon’s Criminal Defense Lawyers Association as a summer intern at Strawberry Mountain Law, a public defense office serving the most remote and impoverished areas of Oregon.

While my experience is varied, I’m excited to make use of everything that I’ve learned and bring it to bear in getting the best results possible for your case.

Meg Petzoldt
Receptionist / Paralegal

I grew up in Southern Illinois, where I worked as a Legal Assistant for a local law firm for two years. In July 2021, my family and I made the move from Illinois to Wasilla, Alaska, where we currently reside. Before joining the Law Office of Nicole Daussin, Inc. in July 2023 as a Receptionist/Paralegal, I worked remotely for the New York City Department of Education as a Court Reporter. I’m excited to work with each of you and assist with your legal matters!

Tegan Thorley, Paralegal at Law Office of Nicole Daussin, Inc in Wasilla, AK

Tegan Thorley
Paralegal

I moved to Palmer full-time in 2020 from Vermont, after spending several summers working as a deckhand in Southeast Alaska. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree from Harvard University in Integrative Biology and Scandinavian Languages and Literature. During my undergrad, I served as a consultant for the Cheyenne River Sioux on a CDFI Agricultural Lending project. Now, I coach the local youth ski team and volunteer with Junior Nordics. I look forward to working together with our clients to help their future!

Kaitlynn Bennett of The Law Office of Nicole Daussin in Wasilla, AK

Kaitlynn Bennett
Office Manager

Born and raised in the stunning wilderness of Alaska, I bring a unique perspective and a strong work ethic to my role as office manager.  With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to excellence, I focus on all types of law, ensuring that every aspect of our clients’ cases is meticulously managed.

My background in Alaska has instilled in me a deep appreciation for community and resilience, values that guide my work in the legal field. I am passionate about supporting our team through thorough research, precise documentation, effective communication, all aimed at achieving the best possible outcomes for our clients.

I look forward to contributing to our clients’ success and navigating the complexities of the legal system together.

Now that you’ve taken the time to get to know us
Give us a call so we can know you, and how we may be of service.

Flubber

Office Mascot