Barbara Madsen
Encyclopedia
Barbara Madsen is the Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court
. She was elected to the court in 1992 as the first woman to be popularly elected to the Court in Washington state history. She was re-elected in 1998 and 2004. In her 18 years on the Washington Supreme Court
and 21 years on the bench Chief Justice Madsen has sat in judgement on thousands of cases.
Justice Madsen, a native of Renton, WA, graduated from Hazen High School
. In 1974, she received her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington
. In 1977, she earned her J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law
. After completing law school, Justice Madsen worked as a public defender in King and Snohomish counties. In 1982, she joined the Seattle City Attorney’s Office and was appointed Special Prosecutor in 1984. Seattle Mayor Charles Royer
appointed Justice Madsen in 1988 to the Seattle Municipal Court bench. After serving as the Presiding Judge of the Seattle Municipal Court, Justice Madsen ran for the Washington Supreme Court
in 1992 to fill the vacancy left by retiring Justice Fred Dore.
On November 5, 2009, Madsen was unanimously elected by her peers to serve as Chief Justice.
On January 11, 2010, Madsen was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court, replacing current Chief Justice Gerry L. Alexander
.
Washington Supreme Court
The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Justices. of the Court are elected to six-year terms...
. She was elected to the court in 1992 as the first woman to be popularly elected to the Court in Washington state history. She was re-elected in 1998 and 2004. In her 18 years on the Washington Supreme Court
Washington Supreme Court
The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Justices. of the Court are elected to six-year terms...
and 21 years on the bench Chief Justice Madsen has sat in judgement on thousands of cases.
Justice Madsen, a native of Renton, WA, graduated from Hazen High School
Hazen High School
Oliver M. Hazen High School is a secondary school located in the Renton Highlands of Renton, Washington, in the greater Seattle area.- History :...
. In 1974, she received her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. In 1977, she earned her J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law
Gonzaga University School of Law
The Gonzaga University School of Law is one of the professional graduate schools of Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, USA. Established in 1912, the law school is viewed as a strong institution in the Pacific Northwest, and is the only law school in the State of Washington...
. After completing law school, Justice Madsen worked as a public defender in King and Snohomish counties. In 1982, she joined the Seattle City Attorney’s Office and was appointed Special Prosecutor in 1984. Seattle Mayor Charles Royer
Charles Royer
Charles Royer was the 48th mayor of Seattle, Washington from 1978 to 1990. After serving as mayor of Seattle, Royer became the director of the Harvard Institute of Politics.-Career as a reporter:...
appointed Justice Madsen in 1988 to the Seattle Municipal Court bench. After serving as the Presiding Judge of the Seattle Municipal Court, Justice Madsen ran for the Washington Supreme Court
Washington Supreme Court
The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Justices. of the Court are elected to six-year terms...
in 1992 to fill the vacancy left by retiring Justice Fred Dore.
On November 5, 2009, Madsen was unanimously elected by her peers to serve as Chief Justice.
On January 11, 2010, Madsen was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court, replacing current Chief Justice Gerry L. Alexander
Gerry L. Alexander
Gerry L. Alexander was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the U.S. state of Washington. He was elected to the court in 1994 and re-elected in 2000. Following this election, his colleagues elected him to a four-year term as chief justice. He was re-elected as chief justice in 2004 and...
.