Governor Bob Ferguson made his first appointment to the Washington State Supreme Court, announcing that civil rights attorney Colleen Melody will replace retiring Justice Mary Yu.
Melody has led the Attorney General’s Office Wing Luke Civil Rights Division since Governor Ferguson created the division as Attorney General in 2015. According to the governor’s office, Melody has helped make Washington state a national leader in defending civil rights. Over the past decade, she has led some of the state’s highest-profile and most impactful cases, including blocking President Donald Trump’s first Muslim travel ban.
A native of Spokane, Melody attended the University of Washington and the University of Washington School of Law, where she graduated first in her class.
Melody will succeed Justice Yu following her retirement at the end of the year.
