Biography
Judge Jack Nevin retired from the Washington State Superior Court after 24 years as a trial court judge. His judicial experience extends to all level of trial courts and service as the Chief Judge of an appellate court. In retirement he serves as a pro tem judge for Superior, District and appellate courts.
Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Nevin was an active trial lawyer in both civil and criminal litigation. Over the course of his practice career, he tried over two hundred cases to verdict.
Judge Nevin has extensive experience working on international rule of law iniatives, touching on areas ranging from public corruption to government ethics. Among his international teaching initiatives, he designed and taught the first course of its kind on Violence Against Women in South Central Africa, bringing together legal, judicial, and policy perspectives on gender-based violence. His experience has extended to South America, Central America, Caribbean nations, Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Following the Kosovo War, the United Nations selected him to serve as Presiding Judge of the United Nations Detention Review Commission, where he led a three-judge international tribunal adjudicating post war crimes.
In 2003 the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association awarded Judge Nevin its State Judge of the Year Award. In 2021 the Washington Association of Justice awarded Judge Nevin the Wiliam O Douglas Judicial Service Award. In 2015-2018 Judge Nevin was selected to serve as Dean of the Washington State Judicial College. In 2014 the Seattle University School of Law chose Judge Nevin as Adjunct Faculty of the Year.
Judge Nevin regularly lectures throughout the United States on a host of subjects focusing primarily on evidence law and contemporary issues facing trial court judges. Judge Nevin has taught at the undergraduate and graduate level for approximately thirty years. At Seattle University School of Law, he taught courses in Evidence, Trial Advocacy, Advanced Evidence, Advanced Civil Procedure and Military Law. His other faculty efforts include the University of Washington, Emory University School of Law, the National Center for State Courts, and the Catholic University of Lublin Poland. Judge Nevin's scholarly work includes Montana's Real Property Forfeiture Statute: Will it Pass Constitutional Muster? Volume 54 Mont. L. Rev. 69 (1993), Tellevik v. Real Property: Washington's Constitutional Dilemma 29 Gonz. L. Rev. 303 (1993/94), Conviction, Confrontation and Crawford; Gang Expert Testimony as Testimonial Hearsay 34 SEATTLE U. L. REV. 857 (2011) and Neither A Model of Clarity Nor A Model Statute: An Analysis of The History, Challenges, and Suggested Changes To the "New" Article 120 67 A.F. L. Rev. 269 (2011) and International Criminal Courts and Domestic Military Justice; Volume 5 Phoenix Law Review (2011).
Judge Nevin holds a BA from Washington State University and an MBA/J.D. from Gonzaga University. Judge Nevin retired from the U.S Army where he holds the rank of Brigadier General. In his last duty position, he served as Chief Judge (IMA) of the US Army Court of Criminal Appeals and Commander, US Army Reserve Legal Command (Provisional). His Army career included duty on six continents. In 2009 he was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the third highest noncombat medal awarded by the Department of Defense.
