Chief Justice Debra L. Stephens

The Honorable Debra L. Stephens has been a member of the Washington State Supreme Court since January 2008 and began serving a second time as the Court’s Chief Justice in January 2025. Chief Justice Stephens previously served as a judge for Division Three of the Court of Appeals, becoming both the first judge from that court and the first woman from Eastern Washington to join the Washington State Supreme Court. A native of Spokane, Washington, she practiced law and taught as an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University School of Law before taking the bench. Additionally, she served for over a decade as a school board director and chair. Chief Justice Stephens has appeared as counsel more than 125 times before the Washington State Supreme Court, as well as 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.

Chief Justice Stephens is deeply committed to advancing justice and improving the legal system in Washington State and beyond. A leader in judicial and public education, she serves on the Washington Civic Learning Council and received the "Justice Robert F. Utter Award" for her outstanding contributions to civic leadership in the 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, which supports judicial education on science and water law issues. Throughout her time on the bench, Chief Justice Stephens has served as a member and co-chair of the Board for Judicial Administration, as well as a member and chair of several statewide judicial education and improvement committees. She is also active in the National and International Association of Women Judges, where she co-chairs its Judicial Independence Committee. Internationally, Chief Justice Stephens has worked with USAID to train foreign judges on judicial independence and the rule of law.

Chief Justice Stephens has received numerous accolades 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, recognizing her leadership of the judicial branch during the COVID-19 crisis. Along with her colleagues, she was honored with the 2021 “Judicial Leadership” award from the Access to Justice Board. She is also the 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. In 2023, Chief Justice Stephens was named a Rodel Judicial Fellow and participated in discussion forums with fellow jurists to advance the role of the courts in strengthening democracy.

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