Trailblazing WA Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu announces retirement
Washington state Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu revealed Thursday that she plans to retire at the end of the year.
Yu, 68, was elected to the state’s highest court in 2014 following an appointment by then-Gov. Jay Inslee, as noted in a Sept. 11 news release. Yu said she “cherished every single moment” of her 25 years as a judge.
The decision to leave isn’t an easy one, she said, giving a nod to her “extraordinary colleagues all along the way.”
“I have spent a lot of time mentoring and teaching those younger than me to embrace life, lead, and to make a difference,” she said in a statement. “As a result of those relationships, I have confidence in the next generation. They cherish the rule of law, and they will defend and protect the courts that I love so deeply.”
Yu is the first Asian, first LGBTQ person and first Latina to serve on the state’s Supreme Court. Gov. Bob Ferguson will appoint a new justice, and an election will be held in November 2026 to select who will complete the rest of Yu’s term, which ends Dec. 31, 2028.
Ferguson issued a statement thanking Yu for her years of service. He said he’s known her throughout his time in public service, adding that his respect for her has only increased over the years.
The governor noted that he and Yu both appeared on the “Jimmy Kimmel Show.”
“In her case, she was invited onto the show because her name – Mary Yu – was perfectly suited to her work,” Ferguson said in a statement. “As a judge, she officiated the first same-sex marriages in Washington after our state’s voters recognized these unions in 2012. Justice Yu has married many other happy couples in our state.”
Ferguson honored Yu’s commitment to ensuring the court system became more equitable and accessible, and her appreciation of diverse perspectives.
“Her legacy is in bending Washington state further toward justice,” he said.
Before joining the state Supreme Court, Yu served as a King County Superior Court trial judge for more than 14 years, presiding over a host of cases, as well as family law matters and adoptions, according to a news release. Before that she served as a deputy chief of staff to the King County prosecutor, plus as a deputy in the Criminal and Civil Divisions.
Yu teaches at Seattle University School of Law and serves as Jurist in Residence; she also served as co-chair of the Washington State Bar Association/University of Washington Law School Leadership Institute. In 2021 Seattle University School of Law established the Justice Mary I. Yu Endowed Scholarship Fund.
Yu’s immigrant parents raised her in Chicago, and she was the first in her family to get a college degree. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Dominican University, master’s in religious studies from Loyola University, and Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame Law School.