Last week Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Lakewood Municipal Court Judge Susan Adams to the Pierce County Superior Court. She replaces Judge Helen Whitener, who was recently appointed to the Washington Supreme Court.
Adams was appointed to her current position at Municipal Court judge in January 2017. Before that, from 2005 to 2017, Adams served as the founding director of the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center, a comprehensive service center for victims of domestic violence and their children. And earlier, Adams worked as a deputy prosecuting attorney with the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office from 1991 through 2005.
In 2015, Adams was selected by the Tacoma Business Examiner as its Women of Influence Award recipient. For the past seven years, Adams has served on the board of St. Francis House, which is dedicated to serving those suffering from economic hardships in the Puyallup Valley. She is also a member of the Clover Park Rotary in Lakewood.
“Susan has the experience to step onto the court and be ready on day one,” Inslee said. “She already has judicial experience, and her other professional leadership experience will be of great benefit to the Pierce County bench.”
Adams earned her law degree from the University of Puget Sound School of Law, and her bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University.