Washington Courts: Press Release Detail

Swearing-in ceremony for Court of Appeals Judge Teresa Kulik to be held in Wenatchee

On Wednesday, February 15, 2006 beginning at 1:30 p.m., Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary Fairhurst will administer the oath of office to newly-appointed Court of Appeals Division III Judge Teresa C. Kulik.  The ceremony will be held at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center in Wenatchee.  

Kulik was appointed by Governor Chris Gregoire to the Division III Court of Appeals bench effective February 16, 2006 to fill a seat vacated by Judge Frank L. Kurtz.  Kurtz was appointed to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Washington.

“We are delighted to welcome Judge Kulik to the Court, and my colleagues and I look forward to serving with her in the years ahead,” said Court of Appeals Division III Chief Judge Kenneth H. Kato, who will give welcoming comments at the ceremony.  

As a judge on the Division III Court of Appeals, Kulik will represent District 3, including the counties of Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Klickitat and Yakima.  The Court is headquartered in Spokane and often holds arguments throughout its jurisdiction in Eastern Washington.

Kulik comes to the court with over two decades of experience in the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, most recently as an Assistant Attorney General and Section Chief.   In 1988, former Attorney General Ken Eikenberry promoted her to Division Chief to serve as a member of his management team.  She was a Division Chief responsible for seven regional offices; represented the Departments of Social and Health Services, and Labor and Industries; served as General Counsel to Central Washington University and Yakima Valley Community College; opened Attorney General branch offices in Yakima, Port Angeles, and Wenatchee.  From 1978-1981, Ms. Kulik was a staff attorney for Evergreen Legal Services in Clarkston providing counsel to low-income individuals.  

She received the Steward of Justice Award in 2000, and the Outstanding Leader Award, in 1997, from the Attorney General’s office.  Ms. Kulik served as President of the Yakima County Bar Association in 1994, and Vice-President of Columbia Legal Services. 

Ms. Kulik was born and raised in Yakima.  She received her Juris Doctorate from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1977, and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington in 1974.  She was married to the late Peter G. Young, former Chelan Superior Court Commissioner.  She has one adult son, John, who lives and works in Seattle.