List of first women lawyers and judges in Washington

Firsts in state history

Lawyers

• Mary Leonard : First female lawyer in Washington
• Bella Weretnikow Rosenbaum : First Jewish American female lawyer in Washington
• Dolores Sibonga : First Filipino American female lawyer in Washington
• Holly Caudill : First female quadriplegic lawyer per available records in the U.S. and Washington

  Judicial Officers

State

Justice of the Peace

• Mildred Henthorn Hamill: First female to serve as a Justice of the Peace in Washington

  Judges

• Reah Whitehead : First female judge in Washington
• Norma S. Huggins: First African American female judge in Washington
• Carmen Otero: First Latino American female judge in Washington
• C. Kimi Kondo: First Asian American female judge in Washington
• Mariane Spearman: First Korean American judge in Washington
• Helen Whitener : First openly LGBT female judge in Washington

  Municipal Court

• Norma S. Huggins: First African American female municipal court judge in Washington

  Superior Court

• Norma S. Huggins: First African American female superior court judge in Washington

  Supreme Court

• Carolyn R. Dimmick : First female appointed as a Justice of the Washington Supreme Court
• Barbara Durham: First female to serve as the Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court
• Mary Yu : First openly LGBT female appointed as a Justice of the Washington Supreme Court
• Raquel Montoya-Lewis: First Native American appointed as a Justice of the Washington Supreme Court
• Helen Whitener : First African American female appointed as a Justice of the Washington Supreme Court

  Federal

District Court

• Rosanna M. Peterson : First female appointed as a U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington

  Attorney General

• Christine Gregoire : First female to serve as the Attorney General of Washington

  Assistant Attorney General

• June Fowles: First female to serve as an Assistant Attorney General of Washington

  Deputy Attorney General

• Christine Gregoire : First female Deputy Attorney General of Washington

  United States Attorney

• Jenny Durkan : First openly LGBT female appointed as a U.S. Attorney in Washington

  Political Office

• Reba Hurn : First female elected to the Washington State Senate
• Jenny Durkan : First openly LGBT female elected as the Mayor of Seattle, Washington
• Laurie Jinkins : First openly LGBT female elected as a Member of the Washington House of Representatives from the Twenty-Seventh District

  Bar Association

• Elizabeth “Betty” Bracelin: First female to serve as the President of the Washington State Bar Association

  Firsts in local history

Region

• Kathryn Ann Mautz: First female judge in Eastern Washington
• Charnelle Bjelkengren: First African American female judge in Eastern Washington

  Benton County

• Carolyn Brown: First female to serve as a Judge of the Benton-Franklin Superior Court, Washington

  Chelan County

• Carol Wardell: First female judge in Chelan and Douglas Counties, Washington

  Clallam County

• Susan Owens: First female judge in Clallam County, Washington
• Lauren Erickson: First female appointed as a Judge of the Clallam County Superior Court, Washington

  Clark County

• Barbara Johnson: First female judge in Clark County, Washington

  Cowlitz County

• Jill Johanson: First female appointed as a Judge of the Superior Court in Cowlitz County, Washington

  Douglas County

• Carol Wardell: First female judge in Chelan and Douglas Counties, Washington

  Franklin County

• First female to serve as a Judge of the Benton-Franklin Superior Court, Washington

  King County

• Leila Robinson Sawtelle : First female lawyer in Seattle, Washington
• Bella Weretnikow Rosenbaum : First Jewish American female lawyer in Seattle, Washington
• Othilia Carroll Beals: First female Justice of the Peace in Seattle, Washington
• Eliza Forbes: First female Justice of the Peace in King County, Washington
• Carmen Otero: First Latino American female judge in King County, Washington
• C. Kimi Kondo: First Asian American female to serve as a Judge of the Seattle Municipal Court in Washington
• Marcine Anderson: First female elected as a Judge of the Shoreline District Court
• Betty Fletcher: First female to serve as the President of the South King County Bar Association, Washington

  Kittitas County

• Jo Anne Alumbaugh : First female lawyer in Kittitas County, Washington

  Lewish County

• Joely O’Rourke: First female judge in Lewis County, Washington

  Pierce County

• Helen Whitener : First openly LGBT and African American female to serve as Judge of the Pierce County Superior Court, Washington
• Diane Clarkson: First African American female to serve as the President of the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association, Washington
• Mary Robnett: First female to serve as the Prosecuting Attorney for Pierce County, Washington

  Snohomish County

• Kay Trumbull : First female Judge of the Superior Court in Snohomish County, Washington

  Spokane County

• Reba Hurn : First female lawyer in Spokane, Washington
• Kathleen Taft : First female judicial officer in Spokane County, Washington
• Kathleen O’Connor : First female Judge of the Superior Court of Spokane County, Washington
• Charnelle Bjelkengren: First African American female to become a Judge of the Superior Court of Spokane County, Washington

  Thurston County

• Julia W. Ker : First female lawyer in Olympia, Washington. She was also the first female police judge in Washington and the U.S..
• Sally Elke: First female Justice of the Peace in Tumwater, Washington

  Walla Walla County

• Aurel M. Kelly : First female lawyer in Walla Walla, Washington
• Sandy Flores : First Latin American female lawyer in Walla Walla County, Washington

  Whatcom County

• Raquel Montoya-Lewis: First Native American female judge in Whatcom County, Washington

  Other topics of interest

• List of first minority male lawyers and judges in the United States
• List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Washington