Washington State Supreme Court Justice Mary I. Yu to Speak at Commencement

Washington State Supreme Court Justice Mary I. Yu will address graduates as the keynote speaker for Bellevue College’s commencement ceremony, which will be held Friday, June 23, at T-Mobile Park.

Justice Yu was raised in Bridgeport, a South Side neighborhood in Chicago, by immigrant parents; her mother came from Mexico and her father from China. She is the first in her family to graduate from college. She received her B.A. from Dominican University, her M.A. in Religious Studies from Mundelein College of Loyola University in Chicago, and her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School.

She is the first Asian, the first Latina, and the first member of the LGBTQ community to serve on the Washington State Supreme Court where she was appointed on May 16, 2014, and subsequently elected in 2014 and 2016. Justice Yu joined the Supreme Court after more than 14 years as a trial court judge in King County Superior Court where she presided over a wide variety of criminal, civil and juvenile cases, and presided over hundreds of adoptions and other family law matters.

Before becoming a judge, Justice Yu served as Deputy Chief of Staff to King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng and as a deputy in the Criminal and Civil Divisions. Before attending law school, Justice Yu worked in the Peace and Justice Office for the Archdiocese of Chicago first as staff and later as Director of that office following her appointment to the position by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin.

Justice Yu has an extensive record of service both on and off the bench, mentoring young attorneys, law clerks and students; co-chairing the Court’s Minority and Justice Commission; chairing the Board for Judicial Administration’s Public Trust and Confidence Committee; teaching at Seattle University School of Law and serving as Jurist in Residence; and co-chairing the Washington State Bar Association/University of Washington Law School Leadership Institute. Justice Yu has served on the board of FareStart from 2009 – 2018, and the advisory board for the University of Washington School of Law’s Gates Public Service Program from 2014 – 2018. She was personally devoted to the Seattle Girls’ School Mock Trials, serving as their judge for 17 years. Justice Yu is a member of the American Law Institute. In 2021 Seattle University School of Law established the Justice Mary I. Yu Endowed Scholarship Fund.

“I’m excited to address the class of 2023,” said Justice Yu. “It’s a huge accomplishment, especially when the pandemic made everything – including going to college – much more challenging. As a kid who grew up in a working-class family and became a first-generation college student, I understand the kind of dedication it takes to persevere when getting that degree just seems out of reach or even impossible.  I am truly honored to be part of the celebration.”

“We’re thrilled that Justice Yu will be this year’s keynote speaker,” said interim Bellevue College president Gary Locke. “She’s a trailblazer in so many ways—I’m certain her accomplishments, dedication to social responsibility, and commitment to giving back to the community will be an inspiration to the class of ’23.”

Bellevue College expects to award 2215 bachelor’s and associate degrees, certificates, and diplomas to 1943 students. About 1476 of this year’s graduating class will be comprised of graduates who will receive associate degrees. Approximately 406 of students are expected to graduate with honors.