Judge Art Wang

DIVISION II, POSITION 7

July 1, 2000–November 22, 2000

Appointed by Governor Locke

Judge Art Wang was born in Boston and grew up in Berkeley, California. He received a B.A. in Mythology in 1970 from Franconia College in New Hampshire. After college, Judge Wang moved to Tacoma to work with the Tacoma Community House and the Tacoma Urban League. He joined the nonpartisan committee staff of the House of Representative in 1977, and in 1980 he was elected as State Representative for the 27th District where he served for seven terms. During this time, he served as Chair of the Commerce and Labor, Revenue, and Capital Budget Committees, and as a member of the Judiciary Committee and the State Judicial Council.

While serving as a State Representative, Judge Wang pursued his law degree at the University of Puget Sound Law School (now Seattle University Law School). He was the recipient of the Boldt Scholarship for the highest grade point average in his class and served on Law Review. Judge Wang earned his J.D. summa cum laude in 1984.

Judge Wang served his community in many ways aside from his positions in government. He practiced law with a private practice firm in Tacoma from 1984-94. He was an Adjunct Professor at University of Puget Sound and Seattle University Law Schools from 1987-99 teaching Legislative Seminar, State and Local Tax Law, and State and Local Government. And Judge Wang acted as a leader in many community service organizations: Board of the Pierce County AIDS Foundation; Board of Visitors of Seattle University Law School; Editorial Board, CLE, and Judicial Qualifications Committee for the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association; Access to Justice Conference Planning Committee; Committee on Opportunities for Minorities in the Legal Profession for the Washington State Bar Association; Boards of Hands Off Washington; Tacoma Community House; United Way of Pierce County; Washington State China Relations Council; and a founding member of the Tacoma City Club. He was also a frequent presenter for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs throughout the state.

Judge Wang served on the state Personnel Appeals Board, a full-time three-person board conducting administrative hearings, from 1994 to 1996. In 1997, he became Chief Administrative Law Judge of the State Office of Administrative Hearings.

On May 30, 2000, Governor Gary Locke named Art Wang to a new, seventh position for the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division Two. After his tenure at Division Two, Judge Wang continued his public service as Chief Administrative Law Judge at the Office of Administrative Hearings.

Judge Wang currently lives in Tacoma.