Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud

Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud was first elected to the Washington Supreme Court in 2012 after more than 25 years as an accomplished lawyer serving clients across the state. The people of Washington have reelected her twice since then.

As a Supreme Court Justice, she co-chairs the Court’s Gender & Justice Commission. She also serves as the Court’s liaison to the Washington State Bar’s Council on Public Defense. And she is a long time member of the Court’s Rules Committee, responsible for rules — such as rules targeting race discrimination in jury selection — governing courts throughout Washington. She also speaks regularly at legal and community events on topics ranging from the importance of independent judges to current noteworthy cases. Her dedication and expertise as a Justice have been recognized by groups ranging from Washington Women Lawyers to the Cardozo Society.

Justice McCloud has participated in all the significant cases that the Court has considered in the last decade — and her decisions reflect careful attention to constitutional and individual rights. She authored the Court’s 2017 opinion in State v. Arlene’s Flowers; it recognized that Washington law bars stores that provides goods and services to the public from discriminating against gay couples. She also authored the dissent from the Court’s 2023 decision in State v. Quinn, on Washington’s newly enacted capital gains tax; she emphasized the importance of our state constitution’s language, history, and protections.

Justice McCloud’s judicial independence was foreshadowed by her long career as a lawyer. She always made time to serve indigent clients, often in the most difficult contests with the government. She received the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers' highest award for "extraordinary courage" in taking on such cases. Justice McCloud was an invited member of the American Association of Appellate Lawyers and a founding member of the Washington Appellate Lawyers Association, both of which limit membership to the most accomplished appellate lawyers. She also taught at Seattle University School of Law.