There’s a new Washington state Supreme Court justice in town.
Gov. Bob Ferguson revealed his first appointment to the state’s highest court at a Monday morning news conference at the Temple of Justice in Olympia.
His pick: Colleen Melody, who serves as the division chief for the Wing Luke Civil Rights Division in the Office of the Attorney General.
“Anyone who has had any interaction with Colleen in a legal setting would all agree that she has a brilliant legal mind,” Ferguson said at the Nov. 24 news conference.
Attorney General Nick Brown also called Melody a “brilliant attorney” in a Nov. 24 statement, lauding her expertise and toughness.
“Our loss is Washington state’s gain,” Brown said. “There’s no place in Washington where Colleen could be more influential than on our highest court.”
Incoming Justice Colleen Melody speaks at a Nov. 24 news conference announcing her appointment to the state Supreme Court. Courtesy photo / Office of the Governor
The new appointee will take over for Justice Mary Yu, who’s retiring at the end of the year.
Then-Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Yu to the role in 2014, and she was subsequently elected later that year. She was the first LGBTQ+ person, first Latina and first Asian to serve on the Washington state Supreme Court.
Following Ferguson’s appointment of the new justice, voters will choose in next year’s general election who will finish out the remainder of Yu’s term, which comes to a close Dec. 31, 2028.
Who is incoming Justice Colleen Melody?
Melody is a Spokane native who attended the University of Washington; today she lives on Vashon Island, according to the governor’s office. She also went to UW’s School of Law, graduating at the top of her class.
Melody investigated and litigated federal civil rights cases during her four years with the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice in D.C., per a Nov. 24 news release announcing her appointment.
Ferguson, in his prior role as state attorney general, brought Melody on in 2015 to helm the state AG’s Wing Luke Civil Rights Division, where she led on some of its most important cases, the news release said. She helped spearhead the state’s challenge to the first Muslim travel ban under President Donald Trump. She also was successful in securing the first temporary restraining order against Trump’s second administration over its efforts to undo birthright citizenship.
She’s won multiple awards, including the Attorney General’s most prestigious honor: the 2018 Steward of Justice Award.
Melody said at Monday’s news conference that even though she loves her current position, she applied for the justice role because state courts are more important than ever. More than nine in 10 of all legal cases find resolution in state — rather than federal — court.
Public polling indicates that courts’ credibility is declining at the same time that the rule of law “seems more fragile than it has to me at any point during my lifetime,” Melody said. She said she aspires to judge cases fairly, with compassion and impartiality, and to uphold Washington courts’ excellence and independence.
“Because Washington state deserves that,” she said, standing in front of her new colleagues, “and I want to be part of that work with all of you.”
This story was originally published November 24, 2025 at 10:54 AM.
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