Judge Bill Bowman

Governor Jay Inslee appointed Judge Bill Bowman to the Court of Appeals in January 2020. Judge Bowman began his judicial career as the Black Diamond Municipal Court Presiding Judge and then served as a trial judge with King County Superior Court for over eight years. During his tenure on the superior court, Judge Bowman presided over criminal, civil, family law, and dependency trials. He served as Assistant Presiding Judge, Chief Judge of the Maleng Regional Justice Center, Assistant Chief Criminal Judge, and Chief Civil Judge. He was a member of the Executive Committee and served as Chair of the Budget and Technology Committees.

Judge Bowman is active in civics education in elementary grades through high school, and he regularly mentors young lawyers and law students. He is an Affiliate Trial Advocacy Professor at the University of Washington School of Law and a past Dean of the Washington State Judicial College. He also serves as a member of the Advisory Group for the Cardozo Society of Washington and the University of Washington Friends of Law, Societies and Justice Alumni Board.

Before taking the bench, Judge Bowman was a public defender, a deputy prosecuting attorney, and a trial lawyer in private practice for nearly 20 years. He obtained a B.A. from the University of Washington and a J.D. from California Western School of Law. Judge Bowman currently lives on a small farm with his wife in south King County where they raised their two children. In addition to being a hockey enthusiast, he and his dog are avid trail runners and he enjoys traveling, surfing, skiing, and hiking with his wife and kids.