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Justice Debra L. Stephens

The Honorable Debra L. Stephens has been a member of the Washington State Supreme Court since January 2008 and served as the court's 57th chief justice. Justice Stephens previously served as a judge for Division Three of the Court of Appeals and is the first judge from that court to join the Washington State Supreme Court, as well as the first woman from Eastern Washington to do so. A native of Spokane, Washington, she practiced law and taught as an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University School of Law prior to taking the bench. She also served as a school board director and chair for over a decade. She appeared as counsel over 125 times in the Washington State Supreme Court, in addition to appearances in the Idaho Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and as counsel of record in the United States Supreme Court.

Justice Stephens is deeply involved in efforts to advance justice and improve the legal system in Washington State and beyond. A leader in judicial and public education, she serves on the Washington Civic Learning Council, and is the 2022 recipient of the "Justice Robert F. Utter Award" for outstanding contributions to civic leadership in Washington State. She is a founding executive committee member of the National Courts and Sciences Institute (NCSI) and a board member of the National Judicial College's Dividing the Waters program, supporting judicial education on science and water law issues. She has been a member and co-chair of the Board for Judicial Administration, and she chaired statewide judicial education committees for several years. Justice Stephens is active in the National and International Association of Women Judges and co-chairs its Judicial Independence Committee. Internationally, she works with USAID to train foreign judges on issues of judicial independence and the rule of law.

Justice Stephens has received numerous recognitions for her work, including the 2022 "Judge of the Year" award from the Washington State Association for Justice and the "Innovating Justice" award from the Board for Judicial Administration in recognition of her leadership of the judicial branch during the COVID-19 crisis. Along with her colleagues, she received the 2021 "Judicial Leadership" award from the Access to Justice Board, and she is also a recipient of the "Myra Bradwell Award" from the Gonzaga Women's Law Caucus, the "President's Award" from Washington Women Lawyers, the "Leadership & Justice Award" from MAMAS (Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle), and the "Distinguished Judicial Service Award" from Gonzaga University School of Law. Most recently, Justice Stephens was named a Rodel Judicial Fellow, and throughout the coming year will work with fellow jurists to advance the role of the courts in strengthening our democracy.

Justice Stephens and her husband have two grown children and a granddaughter. She enjoys tennis, golf, pickleball and spending time with family in Hell's Canyon.


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