Governor Gregoire Appoints Court of Appeals Judge Stephens to State Supreme Court

For Immediate Release: December 4, 2007

Stephens first Supreme Court Justice from Spokane since 2000

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today appointed Judge Debra L. Stephens of Spokane to the Washington State Supreme Court. Judge Stephens will fill the seat being vacated by retiring Justice Bobbe Bridge.

�Appointments to the Supreme Court are one of the most important responsibilities I have as governor. The decisions that come out of our high court can have profound effects on the lives and families of all of us in this state,� said Gov. Gregoire in announcing the appointment.

�Judge Stephens is a legal scholar who understands the importance of making the law relevant and meaningful to real people with real problems,� she said. �Her legal skills, experience, temperament, integrity and commitment are qualities that I believe will make her an excellent justice.�

Stephens is the first woman who was raised and practiced law in Eastern Washington to be appointed to the Supreme Court.

�It is very important that the Washington State Supreme Court have the diversity of viewpoint that a justice from Eastern Washington brings to the bench. Important issues, including water rights, land development and the cleanup of Hanford, come before the court. Issues arising in employment and business cases require an understanding of the unique types of business activities that make the eastern part of our state great,� said retired Chief Justice Richard Guy, who retired from the Supreme Court in 2000. �Judge Stephens has lived and worked in this community for years and will bring this unique understanding to the legal analysis of any issue.�

Stephens was appointed by Gov. Gregoire to the Division III Court of Appeals in April. Prior to her appointment, she was an attorney in Spokane, focusing since 1995 on appellate practice. She has appeared before the Washington State Supreme Court over 100 times, the Washington Court of Appeals, the Idaho Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and as the counsel of record in the U.S. Supreme Court.

�The entire Gonzaga University School of Law community takes great pride in the appointment of Judge Stephens to the Washington State Supreme Court,� said Earl Martin, Dean of Gonzaga University School of Law. �Since her graduation from our law school in 1993, Judge Stephens� has always exemplified the best of the profession. She brings phenomenal competence and a powerful devotion to ethics and professionalism to her life as a lawyer, teacher and judge. Additionally, consistent with the Gonzaga spirit, Judge Stephens is a dedicated public servant who is committed to the pursuit of social justice.�

Stephens has taught at Gonzaga since 1995, where she helped to develop a course on state constitutional law. She is a founding member of the Washington Appellate Lawyers Association and a contributing author to the Washington Appellate Practice Deskbook. She has received recognition from �Washington Law & Politics� as a �Super Lawyer� (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007) and as one of the �Top 50 Women Lawyers� (2005) and �Top Appellate Lawyers� (2005). She has also taught as an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University School of Law since 1997.

Stephens received her Bachelor of Arts degree, Magna Cum Laude with honors, and her Juris Doctorate, Summa Cum Laude, from Gonzaga University. She is married to Craig Stephens and they reside with their two children, Lindsey and Bob, in Spokane.

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