Washington Courts: Press Release Detail

Updated Washington Judges of Color Directory Serves as Community Resource

A directory featuring self-identified judicial officers of color in Washington state has been updated to provide a renewed resource for speakers, mentorship and building community connections. It includes nearly 100 judicial officers participating from federal, state and tribal jurisdictions. Diversity in the Judiciary: A Directory of Judges, Commissioners, and Magistrates of Color In the State of Washington 2022 was published by the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission (MJC) and was developed by the MJC’s Outreach Committee.

The directory highlights the diversifying Washington judiciary with each judicial officer in the directory agreeing to be included and agreeing to serve as a community resource. “They have agreed to serve as mentors, speakers and are available to share information on how to become judicial officers and the work we are called to do,” wrote Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu and King County Superior Court Judge Veronica Galván, who serve as co-chairs of the MJC, in the directory’s introduction.

Increasing diversity in the judicial branch through outreach and mentorship is one goal of the Minority and Justice Commission. The Commission was established in 1990 and “was originally charged with the task of fostering and supporting a fair and bias-free system of justice… Building a judiciary that reflects the richness of our state in all of its diversity is a significant step toward this goal,” wrote Justice Yu and Judge Galván.

The MJC published a previous edition of the directory in 2017 after a national study, “The Gavel Gap” by the American Constitution Society, demonstrated that racial and ethnic minorities are significantly under-represented in the judiciary. The 2022 edition of the Judges of Color Directory includes options for participating judicial officers to self-identify personal pronouns, languages spoken other than English, and their race/ethnicity using an open form response instead of pre-standardized options.

The directory includes cover artwork painted by Kent Municipal Court Judge Anthony Gipe and several poems written by Washington judicial officers. It is dedicated to the longest serving elected judge in Washington, King County Superior Court Judge LeRoy McCullough.  Judge McCullough “is a tireless champion for youth and justice. Judge McCullough has been a mentor to many of us and we wish to thank and honor him for his kindness and generosity over the years. His service has impacted a generation of judicial officers and attorneys, and we are ever so grateful for his example.”

The Washington State Minority and Justice Commission was established by the state Supreme Court in 1990 to recommend actions for overcoming racial and ethnic bias in the courts of Washington. A 1988 task force established by the judicial branch at the request of state lawmakers found that bias exists in the judicial system.