Justice Gerry L. Alexander

Gerry Alexander was first elected to a seat on the Washington Supreme Court in 1994.  He joined this state's highest bench at that time with over two decades of trial and appellate court experience behind him, having served as a judge of the superior court for Thurston and Mason Counties from 1973 through 1984, and as a judge of the Court of Appeals, Division Two, from 1985 through 1994.  In the year 2000, Justice Alexander was re-elected to the Supreme Court.  Shortly thereafter, his colleagues elected him to a four-year position as chief justice, effective January 8, 2001.  Chief Justice Alexander was re-elected chief justice in November 2004 and 2008 and was re-elected to the court in 2006.  Although Justice Alexander stepped down as chief justice on January 11, 2010, his nine years of service as chief justice gives him the distinction of being the longest serving chief justice in the state's history.

As a superior court judge, Justice Alexander served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Superior Court Judges' Association and chaired its Committee on Improvement of Judicial Administration.  During Justice Alexander's tenure on the Court of Appeals, he served as chief judge of Division Two from 1989 to 1990 and in 1993.  He also taught a course in Professional Responsibility at the University of Puget Sound Law School and served as an alternate member of the Judicial Conduct Commission.  Currently Justice Alexander is an emeritus member of the Board of Visitors of the Seattle University School of Law.  Justice Alexander is presently chair of the Advisory Commission on Washington Law Reports, the Bench-Bar-Press Committee of the State of Washington, the Board for Judicial Administration, and the Capitol Furnishings Preservation Committee of the State of Washington.  He also serves on the Statute Law Committee of the State of Washington.  Justice Alexander is a co-founder and board member of the Washington Courts Historical Society.

Prior to commencing his lengthy judicial career, Justice Alexander practiced law privately in Olympia for nine years with the firm of Parr, Baker, Alexander and Cordes.  During his years in private practice Justice Alexander was involved in a number of bar efforts to improve the legal profession and served a term as president of the Thurston-Mason County Bar Association.  Justice Alexander has also been active in his community serving in various capacities on local charitable, religious, and civic organizations.

Justice Alexander has deep Washington roots.  He was born in Aberdeen, and, at an early age, moved with his family to Olympia.  He graduated from Olympia High School, which, at the time, was located within sight of the Temple of Justice.  After receiving an undergraduate degree in history from the University of Washington, he served as a lieutenant in the United States Army Infantry, and then returned to his alma mater to earn his J.D. in 1964.  He was president of the Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity during his final year of law school.  Justice Alexander has been designated as a distinguished alumnus of the University of Washington Law School and has been awarded a Doctor of Laws by Gonzaga University.

Justice Alexander is the proud father of three adult children, and has nine grandchildren.