Faith Ireland
Encyclopedia
Faith Ireland is an American lawyer
and former judge in the state of Washington. A native of the state, she was a county trial judge for 15 years before serving as an associate justice for one term on the Washington Supreme Court
from 1999 to 2005. Ireland is also a national champion powerlifter, and as of 2009 works as a private mediator.
where she graduated from high school in 1960 at Highline High School
. Following high school she attended the University of Washington
in Seattle where she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in 1965. She then graduated from law school at Willamette University College of Law
in 1969, earning a juris doctorate from the Salem, Oregon
, school. In law school she was one of only two women in her graduating class.
While an undergraduate in college at the age of 22, the unmarried Ireland became pregnant with a daughter. After discussing the situation with her parents, she went to a special home for single mothers in Colorado
where she gave birth. Ireland put the baby up for adoption, in what she called “...one of the worst things that ever happened in my life” and “the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my life.” She later joined an adoption registry and re-united with her then adult daughter in 1997.
of McCune, Godfrey and Emerick where she worked from 1970 until 1973. In 1974, she started her own single practitioner firm in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. Her firm, Faith Enyeart and Associates, handled legal issues from family law, personal injury, business law, tax, and criminal defense. While in private practice she returned to school and earned a master’s of science degree in taxation from a satellite campus of Golden Gate University
in Seattle in 1984, graduating with honors. During this time Ireland served on the board of the Washington State Trial Lawyer’s Association and was one of the founding members of the Washington Women Lawyers.
. Ireland won the subsequent election for a full term on the court, and was re-elected four times. In 1994, she ran for a seat on the Washington Supreme Court
, the highest court in Washington. Ireland finished third, with Gerry L. Alexander
winning the seat. While on the King County court she was dean of the Washington Judicial College, spent six years on the state’s superior court judge group’s board of trustees and was president for one year of the group, served as a member of the Board for Court Education, was the vice chairperson from 1996 to 1998 of the Board for Judicial Administration, and the Leadership Institute in Judicial Education awarded her a distinguished service award in 1998. That year she was also named judge of the year by the state trial lawyer’s association. While on the court she changed her last name to Ireland. Ireland's mother's maiden name was Janice Marcia Ireland.
In 1998, she ran a second time to join Washington’s highest court in a bid to replace the retiring James Dolliver. In the primary election she finished first out of seven candidates and faced James Foley in the November general election. Ireland defeated Foley in November and won a six-year term on the court. Two-weeks after her appointment to the bench in 1983 she was rear ended in a car crash and injured her back. After several years of unsuccessful physical therapy, Ireland turned to weightlifting to attempt to permanently fix the back pain. Ireland continued to lift and became a powerlifter, winning national titles for her age and weight group in 2002 and 2004, as well as a bronze in an international competition.
Other positions in the legal community have included president of the local chapter of the American Judicature Society, member of the Council on Public Legal Education, chairperson of the Education Committee and member of the Appellate Judges Education Committee for the state supreme court, and the executive committee for the Council on Public Legal Education. Awards include being named as a distinguished alumni in 2000 at Willamette University
, a woman of distinction by the Puget Sound Business Journal, and being awarded the Passing the Torch Award by the Washington Women Lawyers. In 2004, she announced she would not seek re-election, and left the court at the end of her term on January 10, 2005.
overturned the Washington court’s decision in Davenport v. Washington Education Association.
Ireland and fellow former justice Robert Utter sued the Building Industry Association of Washington
in 2008 over allegations Dino Rossi
violated campaign finance laws. Rossi was the Republican candidate for governor, and was accused of attempting to raise campaign funds before officially announcing his candidacy, while Utter and Ireland supported his opponent Christine Gregoire
. Rossi repeatedly said he couldn't recall details of his meetings with members of the BIAW, denied that he was involved in anything illegal and called the entire effort "a political stunt."
In 2005, she earned a certificate in mediation from the Pepperdine University School of Law
. Ireland lives in South Seattle with her husband Chuck Norem and works as a private mediator and arbiter as of 2009. She is the member of several boards of directors for local community groups, and was named "Chinese Man of the Year" for her work to help build the Wing Luke Asian Museum, even though she is not Chinese.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and former judge in the state of Washington. A native of the state, she was a county trial judge for 15 years before serving as an associate justice for one term 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...
from 1999 to 2005. Ireland is also a national champion powerlifter, and as of 2009 works as a private mediator.
Early life
Faith Enyeart was born on September 15, 1942, Seattle, Washington. She was raised in neighboring BurienBurien, Washington
Burien is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located south of Seattle. As of the 2010 Census, Burien's population is 33,313, which is a 2.9% increase since incorporation. Annexation in 2011 has increased the cities population to about 45,000....
where she graduated from high school in 1960 at Highline High School
Highline High School
Highline High School is a high school in Burien, Washington, United States, located about 3.5 highway miles from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Highline High School, the flagship high school of the Highline School District, opened its doors in 1924 and served the cities of Burien, Des...
. Following high school she attended 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 Seattle where she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in 1965. She then graduated from law school at Willamette University College of Law
Willamette University College of Law
Willamette University College of Law is a private law school located in Salem, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1842, Willamette University is the oldest university in the Western United States...
in 1969, earning a juris doctorate from the Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, school. In law school she was one of only two women in her graduating class.
While an undergraduate in college at the age of 22, the unmarried Ireland became pregnant with a daughter. After discussing the situation with her parents, she went to a special home for single mothers in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
where she gave birth. Ireland put the baby up for adoption, in what she called “...one of the worst things that ever happened in my life” and “the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my life.” She later joined an adoption registry and re-united with her then adult daughter in 1997.
Legal career
Ireland entered private legal practice in Seattle at the law firmLaw firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
of McCune, Godfrey and Emerick where she worked from 1970 until 1973. In 1974, she started her own single practitioner firm in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. Her firm, Faith Enyeart and Associates, handled legal issues from family law, personal injury, business law, tax, and criminal defense. While in private practice she returned to school and earned a master’s of science degree in taxation from a satellite campus of Golden Gate University
Golden Gate University
Golden Gate University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in the South of Market district, immediately south of the Financial District of downtown San Francisco, California...
in Seattle in 1984, graduating with honors. During this time Ireland served on the board of the Washington State Trial Lawyer’s Association and was one of the founding members of the Washington Women Lawyers.
Judicial career
In 1983, Ireland left private practice when she was appointed to the King County Superior Court by Washington Governor John SpellmanJohn Spellman
John Dennis Spellman was the 18th Governor of Washington between 1981 and 1985; before that, he was a member of the King County, Washington, County Commission from 1967 to 1969 and the King County Executive from 1969 to 1981. He was a Republican and his opponent in the 1980 election was then-State...
. Ireland won the subsequent election for a full term on the court, and was re-elected four times. In 1994, she ran for a seat 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...
, the highest court in Washington. Ireland finished third, with 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...
winning the seat. While on the King County court she was dean of the Washington Judicial College, spent six years on the state’s superior court judge group’s board of trustees and was president for one year of the group, served as a member of the Board for Court Education, was the vice chairperson from 1996 to 1998 of the Board for Judicial Administration, and the Leadership Institute in Judicial Education awarded her a distinguished service award in 1998. That year she was also named judge of the year by the state trial lawyer’s association. While on the court she changed her last name to Ireland. Ireland's mother's maiden name was Janice Marcia Ireland.
In 1998, she ran a second time to join Washington’s highest court in a bid to replace the retiring James Dolliver. In the primary election she finished first out of seven candidates and faced James Foley in the November general election. Ireland defeated Foley in November and won a six-year term on the court. Two-weeks after her appointment to the bench in 1983 she was rear ended in a car crash and injured her back. After several years of unsuccessful physical therapy, Ireland turned to weightlifting to attempt to permanently fix the back pain. Ireland continued to lift and became a powerlifter, winning national titles for her age and weight group in 2002 and 2004, as well as a bronze in an international competition.
Other positions in the legal community have included president of the local chapter of the American Judicature Society, member of the Council on Public Legal Education, chairperson of the Education Committee and member of the Appellate Judges Education Committee for the state supreme court, and the executive committee for the Council on Public Legal Education. Awards include being named as a distinguished alumni in 2000 at Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
, a woman of distinction by the Puget Sound Business Journal, and being awarded the Passing the Torch Award by the Washington Women Lawyers. In 2004, she announced she would not seek re-election, and left the court at the end of her term on January 10, 2005.
Later years
In May 2006, Ireland wrote the majority opinion in a case where the state and private parties had sued the state’s largest teachers' union for failing to comply with Initiative 134. The initiative was passed in 1992 and prohibited unions from spending dues collected by non-members on political issues without first getting their permission. In the opinion, Ireland (serving as justice pro tempore) wrote the law was unconstitutional as it was “too heavy an administrative burden” on the union to get permission from each non-member. Subsequently, the Supreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
overturned the Washington court’s decision in Davenport v. Washington Education Association.
Ireland and fellow former justice Robert Utter sued the Building Industry Association of Washington
Building Industry Association of Washington
The Building Industry Association of Washington or BIAW is a Washington State section 501 non-profit organization formed in 1966 to represent the housing industry in the state of Washington against government interests to regulate their trades...
in 2008 over allegations Dino Rossi
Dino Rossi
Dino Rossi is an American commercial real estate executive, former Washington State Senator, two-time Republican candidate for Governor of Washington, and former Republican candidate for United States Senate. His first run for the Governor's mansion in the 2004 election became the closest...
violated campaign finance laws. Rossi was the Republican candidate for governor, and was accused of attempting to raise campaign funds before officially announcing his candidacy, while Utter and Ireland supported his opponent Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire
Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the 22nd and current Governor of the state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party. Gregoire defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again in 2008. She is the second female governor of Washington...
. Rossi repeatedly said he couldn't recall details of his meetings with members of the BIAW, denied that he was involved in anything illegal and called the entire effort "a political stunt."
In 2005, she earned a certificate in mediation from the Pepperdine University School of Law
Pepperdine University School of Law
The Pepperdine University School of Law is a law school located on the campus of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.The school placed 54th among the nation's "Top 100" law schools according to the 2011 U.S. News and World Report rankings and is the third highest ranked law school in...
. Ireland lives in South Seattle with her husband Chuck Norem and works as a private mediator and arbiter as of 2009. She is the member of several boards of directors for local community groups, and was named "Chinese Man of the Year" for her work to help build the Wing Luke Asian Museum, even though she is not Chinese.
External links
- Ireland, Faith. “Transforming Your Life With Power and Grace”, Marunde Muscle
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer – front page cover with picture of Ireland
- USAPL Women's National Powerlifting Championships