Washington Courts: News and Information

Washington Supreme Court to Host Memorial for Justice Susan Owens May 8 in Olympia

The public is invited to a memorial court session on Thursday, May 8 hosted by the Washington Supreme Court in honor of retired Justice Susan Owens. Owens passed away March 28, 2025 after retiring in December, 2024.

The session will begin at 11 a.m. at the Temple of Justice on the Capitol Campus in Olympia. In-person space is limited, but the memorial will be streamed live on TVW.

The program will include a benediction by the vice chairman of the Quileute Tribal Council, opening remarks by Chief Justice Debra Stephens, memories shared by Justice Barbara Madsen and other longtime friends and colleagues of Justice Owens, as well as remarks from her son, James Owen Golden.

“Justice Owens was an important voice on the Supreme Court for 24 years. She had a strong sense of justice and believed in common sense as a necessary part of sound legal reasoning,” said Chief Justice Debra Stephens. “As someone who came from and practiced in small towns and tribal communities, she also understood that law, like politics, is local, and it is important to listen and stay connected with the people we serve. The Court is looking forward to this opportunity to celebrate her legacy.”

Owens was born in 1949 in North Carolina, attending Duke University and then earning her law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She moved west immediately after graduating, joining the Bar Associations in Oregon and Washington, and beginning to practice law in Port Angeles in 1976, one of the first women to do so.

She became the first woman judge on the Clallam County District Court in 1981 when she was appointed to the position, then was subsequently elected to five terms. She was active for years in Washington’s District and Municipal Court Judges’ Association (DMCJA), serving several positions on the board including president-elect.

Owens was an avid supporter of rural and tribal courts – she founded the DMCJA Rural Courts Committee, and had served as the Quileute Tribe's Chief Judge for five years and Chief Judge of the Lower Elwha S'Klallam Tribe for more than six years.

After serving for 19 years on the Clallam County District Court, Owens ran for election to the Washington Supreme Court in the November, 2000 general election. She became the seventh woman to serve on the Court and was subsequently elected to three additional terms.

Owens became the first woman justice on the state Supreme Court to serve to the mandatory retirement age of 75.

To learn more about Justice Owens:

• See our March 28 press release, which includes a career timeline; 
• See two short videos produced by the Washington Women Lawyers’ Legacy Project at https://www.wwl.org/legacy in which Owens talked about many of her experiences in her long career.