| Description | Seattle University School of Law and University of Washington Tacoma welcome the South Sound and Seattle communities to a Luminaries in Law conversation featuring Steven C. González, Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court. The event will include a recorded conversation between Chief Justice González and Dean Anthony E. Varona of Seattle U Law, followed by a reception. All are welcome to join this free public event, which is part of the South Sound Hybrid Hub.
About Chief Justice Steven C. González Steven C. González has served on the Washington Supreme Court since 2012 and was sworn in as the first chief justice of color on January 11, 2021. Before joining the high court, Chief Justice González served for ten years as a superior court judge hearing criminal, civil, juvenile, and family law cases.
Passionate about access to justice, he has served on several boards and commissions coordinating access to justice efforts across the state, including laying the groundwork to convene the first statewide task force to author a comprehensive report on the racial disparities in Washington’s criminal justice system. González mentors students, regularly participates in the Northwest Minority Job Fair, and serves as a board member for the Washington Leadership Institute, a program that aims to develop bar and community leaders who reflect the diversity of Washington State. As chief, he currently leads efforts to enhance judicial administration as state courts respond to post-pandemic challenges and to the Supreme Court’s June 4, 2020, letter calling on the legal community to “work together to eradicate racism.”
Among his many honors, he has received the 2022 Spirit of Excellence Award and the 2012 Difference Makers Award from the American Bar Association, multiple Judge of the Year awards from statewide organizations, the U.S. Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service, and the Director’s Award for Superior Performance from the U.S. Department of Justice.
González co-chairs the Board of Judicial Administration (BJA). He is a member of the Conference of Chief Justices at the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), where he serves on several committees. He also served as an advisory member to the working group that developed the NCSC’s Racial Justice Organizational Assessment Tool for Courts.
González earned a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and Honorary Doctor of Laws Degrees from Gonzaga University School of Law and the University of Puget Sound (Seattle U Law). |
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