At a time when the American judiciary is under attack, the role of our judges in upholding the Rule of Law is of paramount importance.

All judges must play a role in preserving the integrity of our system, starting with our trial judges – whose rulings deserve great deference – and continuing with our appellate court judges – who work diligently to apply clear legal analysis to the important issues that come before them. This has been the strength of our system for more than 200 years.

Before being appointed to a seat on our state’s Court of Appeals, I was an appellate lawyer for more than 30 years and argued consequential cases before state and federal courts. I even had the great honor of arguing two cases before our U.S. Supreme Court. My work covered a broad range of topics, including consumer protection, civil rights, disability rights, complex class actions, and excessive use of force by law enforcement. And in recent years, I have had the privilege of sharing what I have learned with the next generation of lawyers as a law professor at Seattle University School of Law.

My continued service on the Court of Appeals will give me the opportunity to build on what I have learned as a lawyer and law professor by working collaboratively with excellent judges to examine and decide cases that impact the people of our state in significant ways. This is critical and serious work, and I will be reminded every day of the paramount importance of the Rule of Law.

Judge Leonard Feldman