WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) commended President Joe Biden on his nomination of Judge John Chun to serve as a U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of Washington. The senators recommended Judge Chun to the Biden-Harris administration in early 2021.
“I applaud the historic nomination of Judge John Chun for US District Court for the Western District of Washington. If confirmed, Judge Chun would be the first Asian American man to serve in the position. Not only has he dedicated himself to upholding civil rights and the rule of law, but his service to the local community and efforts to promote diversity in the legal profession will make him an excellent addition to the federal bench,” said Senator Cantwell.
“Judge Chun’s accomplished track record—both as a state and county judge, and in private practice—demonstrates he has the knowledge, experience, and perspective to serve on the federal bench in Washington state with distinction,” said Senator Murray. “If confirmed, I know Judge Chun would bring crucial background and insight to the federal judiciary, and continue to be an asset to our community. I urge my colleagues to support his nomination and look forward to his swift confirmation.”
John Chun has served as a judge on the Washington State Court of Appeals since 2018, and previously served as a judge on the King County Superior Court, where he presided as a trial judge in civil, criminal, family law, and other types of cases. Prior to his judgeships, Judge Chun was a member of the Summit Law Group in Seattle from 2006-2013, and a partner at K&L Gates and Mundt MacGregor before that.
A Pacific Northwest native and the son of South Korean immigrants, Judge Chun graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor’s degree in English. He then graduated from Cornell Law School, becoming the first in his family to earn a law degree. While there, he served as a note editor on Cornell Law Review. Judge Chun then started his career as a law clerk to the Honorable Eugene A. Wright of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit before entering private practice and focusing on complex commercial and employment litigation for over eighteen years.
Judge Chun chairs the Washington State Center for Court Research Advisory Board. He serves on the Court of Appeals Rules Committee, the advisory board of the Judicial Institute, and the board of the Asian Bar Association of Washington Student Scholarship Foundation. He has also contributed as a board member of the King County Bar Association and the Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington. In 2007 he received the Community Leadership Award from the Korean American Bar Association of Washington. From 2004 to 2014, he served as a member of the American Arbitration Association’s Commercial and Employment panels. He presents regularly on a wide range of legal topics at continuing legal education seminars, bar events, and law schools.