Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu officially hung up her robe on Dec. 31, after 11 years in the role.
Labeled a trailblazer, Yu became the state’s first Asian American, Latina, and openly gay justice when she was appointed to the court in 2014.
The 68-year-old told Fox 13 that it is intimidating to be labeled as a trailblazer.
“I look back and say, you know, I just happened to be at the right place at the right time, and I was given an opportunity by others,” she said.
Previously, she spent 14 years as a trial court judge in King County Superior Court, becoming one of the most senior judges in Washington State, according to a press release statement about her retirement.
Now, Yu is ready to take a step back. She told Fox 13 that she is not afraid to turn it over to the next generation.
“I have spent a lot of time mentoring and teaching those younger than me to embrace life, lead, and to make a difference,” Yu 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.”
Chief Justice Debra Stephens called Yu a dynamic leader in a statement.
“From her dedication to mentoring our next generation of lawyers, to championing racial justice through her leadership of the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission, she has served the people of Washington with passion, intellect, and boundless energy.”
Yu told Fox 13 that the highlight of her career was marrying the state’s first same-sex couple when she was a King County Superior Court judge.
“When I look back, it was a magical moment: that at 12:01 a.m., we were going to marry the first same-sex couple under the law in the state of Washington,” Yu said.
Sarah and Emily Cofer became the first same-sex married couple thanks to Yu on Dec. 9, 2012, according to the Washington State Standard.
“Judge Yu was warm and welcoming. She presided over the ceremony with comfort and joy that made it feel like a personal event even in such a public setting,” Sarah Cofer wrote in a biography of Yu in the “Love, Equally” exhibit.
It was that moment that led to Yu being featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live in a segment about perfectly named people in 2021.
Yu also told Fox 13 that a case that still stands out to her was Tarra Simmons’ fight to become a lawyer.
Before becoming a state representative, Simmons was banned from taking the bar exam after being released from prison. At that time, someone couldn’t practice law if they had a prior criminal history.
“I was lucky enough to write that opinion that removed that barrier,” Yu told Fox 13. Her opinion on the state Supreme Court went on to change the law across the country.
In 2020, Simmons became the state’s first formerly incarcerated person elected to the state legislature, according to her bio.
Yu teaches at Seattle University School of Law and also serves as a Jurist-in-Residence. In 2021, the university established the Justice Mary I. Yu Endowed Scholarship Fund. She also served as co-chair of the Washington State Bar Association/University of Washington Law School Leadership Institute, according to a statement on her retirement.
Yu announced her retirement in September. In her letter to Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, Yu wrote that personal events over the past year “have shed a new light on how I might want to spend the next 25 years of my life,” the Washington State Standard reported.
Yu was raised in a South Side Chicago neighborhood by her immigrant parents. Her mother came from Mexico and her father from China, according to her website. As the first in her family to graduate from college, she received her B.A. from Dominican University, her M.A. from Mundelein College of Loyola University, and her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame.
Gov. Ferguson appointed Colleen Melody in November as Yu’s replacement.
Registration is closed for Common Ground: Building Together conference and gala award banquet in San Francisco on January 24. A shoutout to our planning committee: Jane Chin, Frank Mah, Jeannie Young, Akemi Tamanaha, Nathan Soohoo, Mark Young, Dave Liu, and Yiming Fu.
We are published by the non-profit Asian American Media Inc and supported by our readers along with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AARP, The Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation, The Asian American Foundation & Koo and Patricia Yuen of the Yuen Foundation.
Find additional content on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram ,Tiktok, X, and YouTube. Please consider interning or joining our staff. Don’t miss a single headline. Subscribe for free.
