Governor Gregoire Appoints King County Superior Court Judge Lau to Division I District 1 Court of Appeals

For Immediate Release: November 27, 2007

OLYMPIA � Governor Chris Gregoire today announced the appointment of King County Superior Court Judge Linda Lau of Seattle to the Court of Appeals, Division I District 1. Judge Lau will fill the position being vacated by retiring Judge H. Joseph Coleman.

�Judge Linda Lau�s depth and breadth of trial court experience makes her a perfect fit for the Washington State Court of Appeals,� said Governor Gregoire. �Her strong work ethic and profound regard for the rule of law will serve her well on the bench.�

Judge Lau, 59, has been a King County Superior Court judge since 1995, prior to which she was a judge for the Seattle division of King County District Court. She was a partner at the firm of Maltman Weber Reed North and Ahrens from 1987 to 1992 and a King County deputy prosecuting attorney from 1984 to 1987. Prior to that, she was a law clerk for Seattle Public Schools and for the law firm of Murphy Jerge and Sirianni.

Judge Lau is a member of the executive committee of the King County Superior Court as well as being a member of the court�s local rules and public access committees. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Far East and Slavic languages from the University of Washington and her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Puget Sound�s School of Law.

�I have dedicated my career to seeking justice through the legal system. I look forward to continuing that effort on the Court of Appeals,� said Judge Lau. �It is a tremendous honor to be selected by Governor Gregoire to fill this position.�

Judge Lau began her career as a grocery clerk at Beacon Market and as a laundry worker at Esquire Cleaners and Laundry, before becoming an English instructor at Chung-yu Business College in Taiwan. She was the employment manager at the American Broadcasting Company from 1971 to 1974 and a personnel specialist at the New England Fish Company from 1974 to 1975. From 1975 to 1976, she worked as the assistant personnel director for Virginia Mason Medical Center and then became the employment manager at Leckenby Company, a steel fabrication and construction company, where she worked from 1976 to 1980.

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