Justice Mary I. Yu, (Ret.)

Biography

Mary Yu was appointed by Governor Inslee to the Washington Supreme Court in May 2014, and was subsequently elected in 2014, 2016, and 2022. Justice Yu joined the Supreme Court after more than 14 years as a trial court judge in King County Superior Court, where she presided over a wide variety of criminal, civil, and juvenile cases, and presided over hundreds of adoptions and other family law matters. Justice Yu retired from the Supreme Court at the end of 2025, after serving on the bench for 25 years.

Prior to becoming a judge, Justice Yu served as Deputy Chief of Staff to King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng and as a deputy in the Criminal and Civil Divisions of the Prosecutor's Office. Before attending law school, Justice Yu worked in the Peace and Justice Office for the Archdiocese of Chicago, first as staff and later as Director of that office.

Justice Yu has had an extensive record of service both on and off the bench. She served as co-chair of the Washington State Supreme Court's Minority and Justice Commission and as chair of the Board for Judicial Administration's Public Trust and Confidence Committee. She taught and served as Jurist in Residence at Seattle University School of Law and co-chaired the Washington State Bar Association/University of Washington Law School Leadership Institute. Justice Yu also served on the board of FareStart; on the advisory board for the University of Washington School of Law's Gates Public Service Program; mentored many young attorneys, law clerks, and students; and volunteered as the Mock Trial judge for the Seattle Girls' School for 17 years.

Justice Yu currently serves on the Board for the Endowment for Equal Justice and the Washington State Courts Historical Society, and is a member of the Criminal Justice Standards Committee of the American Bar Association and the American Law Institute, a national organization of judges, lawyers, and legal scholars that works to improve administration of justice and help adapt common law to changing social needs.

Justice Yu was raised in Bridgeport, a South Side neighborhood in Chicago, by immigrant parents; her mother came from Mexico and her father from China. She was the first in her family to graduate from college. Justice Yu was the first Asian, the first Latina, and the first member of the LGBTQ community to serve on the Washington State Supreme Court. In 2021, Seattle University School of Law established the Justice Mary I. Yu Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Justice Yu is the recipient of the following awards: 2026 Honorary Doctorate of Law, Honoris Causa, Seattle University School of Law, Seattle, Washington; 2026 Robert F. Utter Award, Washington YMCA Youth & Government Board; 2025 Asian Bar Association of Washington President's Award; 2025 Filipino Lawyers of Washington Lifetime Achievement Award; 2025 Shero Award, Seattle Chapter of NOW (National Organization for Women); 2025/5785 Anshei Ma'aseh Award of Distinction from the Cardozo Society of Washington (shared with Chief Justice Stephens and Justices Madsen, Owens, and Whitener); 2025 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois; 2024 "Woman of Influence" Award from the Puget Sound Business Journal; 2024 "Outstanding Judge" Award from the King County Bar Association; 2024 "Champion of Justice" Award from the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys; 2024 Graciela Olivarez Award, Hispanic Law Student Association, University of Notre Dame Law School; 2022 Loren Miller Bar Association Lifetime Achievement Award; 2022 QLaw Bar Association President's Award; 2020 Latina/o Bar Association of Washington CZ Smith Trailblazer Award; 2019 Crosscut "Courage in Elected Office" Award; 2019 "Established Leader" Pride Award, given by the Mayor of Seattle; 2018 "Voice of Social Justice" from the Greater Seattle Business Association; 2017 "Lifetime Achievement Award" from Northwest Asian Weekly; 2016 "Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award" from the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association; 2016 "Imagine Justice" Award from Columbia Legal Services; 2016 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington; 2016 Seattle Women's Pride, Luminary Award; 2015 Seattle Storm, "Inspiring Women" award; 2015 "Brava! Award" from the Women's University Club; 2015 "Woman of the Year" from the Seattle University School of Law and Women's Law Caucus; 2014 "Judge of the Year" from the Washington State Association for Justice; 2014 "Betty B. Fletcher Judge of the Year" Award from Washington Women Lawyers, King County Chapter; 2013 "Public Official of the Year" from the Municipal League Foundation; 2013 Latina/o Amicus Award from Seattle University School of Law Latina/o Law Student Association; 2012 "President's Award" from the Asian Bar Association of Washington; 2012 "Difference Makers Award" from the American Bar Association Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division; the 2011 "Judge of the Year" award from the Washington State Bar Association (shared with Justice González); 2011 Seattle Girls' School Grace Hopper Award; 2009 Norm Maleng Award from the Washington State Bar Association; 2008 "Judge of the Year" from the Asian Bar Association; 2008 President's Award from Washington Women Lawyers; 2006 "Model of Excellence" Award from the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington; 2005 "Judge of the Year" award from the American Board of Trial Advocates; and 2005 Reah Whitehead Public Leadership Award from Seattle University School of Law.