Law and Justice
Carolyn Dimmick
Carolyn Dimmick, the first woman to serve on the Washington Supreme Court, was a novelty in 1953 when she passed the bar exam. "Pretty Blonde Water Skier Qualifies As Attorney" was the headline in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. In 1981, her old boss, former King County prosecutor Charles O. Carroll, introduced her as "the prettiest justice on the Supreme Court." She shrugged off the sexism by making one thing abundantly clear: She was one of the brightest judges the court had ever seen.
Nearing 90, Judge Dimmick is a revered senior judge on the U.S. District Court and a role model for the Supreme Court's six female justices. That her career path is unremarkable by today's standards prompts this verdict: "That's progress."
Carolyn Dimmick is now a senior judge on the U.S. District Court in Seattle. U.S. Courts
Click/tap images for larger view
Dimmick with her husband, Cyrus A. Dimmick, and their children, Dana and Taylor, in the 1960s. Dimmick Collection
Dimmick in 1981 as the first female member of the Washington Supreme Court. Back row (from left): Fred Dore, Floyd Hicks, William Williams, Dimmick; Front row (from left): Robert Utter, Hugh Rosellini, Robert Brachtenbach, Charles Stafford and James Dolliver. Washington State Archives
Top left: Dimmick with her husband, Cyrus A. Dimmick, and their children, Dana and Taylor, in the 1960s. Dimmick Collection
Top right: Dimmick in 1981 as the first female member of the Washington Supreme Court. Back row (from left): Fred Dore, Floyd Hicks, William Williams, Dimmick; Front row (from left): Robert Utter, Hugh Rosellini, Robert Brachtenbach, Charles Stafford and James Dolliver. Washington State Archives
Mary Fairhurst
Mary Fairhurst, a magna cum laude graduate of Gonzaga University's Law School, was the youngest ever president of the Washington State Bar Association. Her election to the Washington Supreme Court in 2002 after a hard-fought campaign created the court's first female majority. Her colleagues elected her chief justice in 2016. They call her the conciliator, someone with "a sense of being at peace with her place in the world." Her optimism in the face of recurring battles with cancer has inspired thousands.
Washington is now one of the 10 states with female majorities on their high courts. The bigger picture is less upbeat. While women now represent 52 percent of the students in American law schools, state supreme courts remain overwhelmingly white and male. Fairhurst has worked tirelessly to enhance opportunities for women and minorities and ensure access to justice for the disadvantaged.
Read more about Mary Fairhurst
Mary Fairhurst
Click/tap images for larger view
This is what Fairhurst (center) calls the "Joy pose" with (from left) Sheryl McCloud, Susan Owens, Barbara Madsen, Debra Stephens, and Mary Yu. Laura Mott
Justice Mary Fairhurst with the Mariner Moose in 2011 after she threw out the first pitch at a Mariners game to celebrate her birthday. Spokesman-Review
Top left: This is what Fairhurst (center) calls the "Joy pose" with (from left) Sheryl McCloud, Susan Owens, Barbara Madsen, Debra Stephens, and Mary Yu. Laura Mott
Top right: Justice Mary Fairhurst with the Mariner Moose in 2011 after she threw out the first pitch at a Mariners game to celebrate her birthday. Spokesman-Review
Bottom: The Washington Supreme Court in 2019: Front row (from left): Susan Owens, Charles W. Johnson, Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst, Barbara Madsen, Debra Stephens; back row (from left): Sheryl McCloud, Charles Wiggins, Steven Gonzalez and Mary Yu. Washington Supreme Court
The Washington Supreme Court in 2019: Front row (from left): Susan Owens, Charles W. Johnson, Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst, Barbara Madsen, Debra Stephens; back row (from left): Sheryl McCloud, Charles Wiggins, Steven Gonzalez and Mary Yu. Washington Supreme Court
