Judge Laurel H. Siddoway

DIVISION III, POSITION 1

May 10, 2010–Present

Appointed by Governor Gregoire

I was appointed by Governor Christine Gregoire in the spring of 2010 to fill the position from which Judge John A. Schultheis had retired, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 75.

The governor, a Democrat, was not popular at that time in my district (Okanogan, Lincoln, Stevens, Ferry, Pend Oreille and Spokane counties) and told me I should expect a contested election. I got one, and my opponent tried to run a partisan race for the non-partisan office. Thankfully, his attempt to label me a radical liberal didn’t stick. My next two elections were uncontested.

I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. My father was a trial lawyer. Much to my teenage consternation, he enjoyed baiting me, arguing with me, and telling me I should be a lawyer. Naturally I resolved not to. As a philosophy graduate student sitting in a three hour epistemology seminar one afternoon in 1976, however, I had an epiphany: my work days would surely pass more quickly if they were faster paced and filled with more variety. Later that day, I walked across the University of Utah campus to the law school to pick up an application.

I started out my legal career working for two national securities broker-dealers in New York City and upon moving to Spokane in 1985, practiced at the law firm of Randall | Danskin for 25 years. I had acquired an LL.M. in Taxation while in New York, and the focus of my practice became business litigation. I also had the opportunity to handle some fascinating First Amendment and civil rights cases along the way.

My husband Doug, who is also a lawyer, grew up in a farming and sheep ranching family. I fell in love with farm country not long after I fell in love with him. Although we live in the city of Spokane, we began buying our first farm, near where Doug grew up, shortly after we married. When we can get away, that is usually where you will find us. Our three grown sons are our greatest accomplishment.