Judge Bradley A. Maxa

Judge Maxa was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Governor Jay Inslee in 2013, was elected by Pierce County voters in November 2014, and was reelected in November 2016.

Judge Maxa served as the Chief Judge of Division 2 of the Court of Appeals in 2018-2020 and as the Presiding Chief Judge of all three divisions of the Court of Appeals in 2020-2021. He also is the chair of the Court of Appeals Rules Committee and he has served on other committees addressing court rules.

Judge Maxa is an emeritus member of the Robert J. Bryan American Inn of Court, a group of judges, lawyers and law students that promotes professionalism and collegiality in the practice of law.

Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Maxa practiced law as a trial and appellate attorney for 28 years with the law firm Gordon Thomas Honeywell in Tacoma. He was the Chair of Gordon Thomas Honeywell's Appellate Advocacy Group, and was selected for membership in the Washington Appellate Lawyers Association. He also served as President of the Washington Defense Trial Lawyers and served on the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Washington State Courts. Judge Maxa was named a Washington "Super Lawyer" multiple times and was selected for the "Best Lawyers in America" designation.

Judge Maxa graduated from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He received his law degree from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at William & Mary, where he was selected for the Order of the Coif honorary society and served as an editor on the William & Mary Law Review.

Judge Maxa is active in Shepherd of the Hill Presbyterian Church in Puyallup, where he is an ordained Elder, Deacon, and substitute preacher. Through his church he has volunteered with the Freezing Nights Program, which provides meals and overnight lodging to homeless adults in the Puyallup area. He also has been a leader on church mission trips to New Orleans and Chicago.

Judge Maxa is a volunteer assistant girls' softball coach at Lincoln High School in Tacoma. Previously, he volunteered as a youth softball, baseball and basketball coach for many years. He also volunteers at the YMCA State Mock Trial competition for high school students.

Judge Maxa has served as a mentor in the Palmer Scholars program, which provides college scholarships and guidance to low income, minority high school students in Pierce County. For several years Judge Maxa served on the Board of Directors of the Emergency Food Network, an organization that each year provides millions of pounds of food to food banks and food distribution sites throughout Pierce County. He currently volunteers with EFN.

Judge Maxa's goal is to be fair, balanced and open-minded, considering all issues and arguments on their merits. He strives to make reasoned decisions, and then to clearly explain those decisions in his written opinions as a guide to lawyers and to the public.