Debra Stephens joined the Washington State Supreme Court in January 2008 and began serving a second time as Chief Justice in January 2025. She was previously a judge for Division Three of the Court of Appeals, and practiced law and taught state constitutional law as an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University School of Law. Her appellate career included more than 125 appearances in the Washington State Supreme Court, in addition to appearances in other state and federal courts and as counsel of record in the United States Supreme Court.
Chief Justice Stephens is deeply involved in efforts to advance justice and improve the legal system. She served on Washington’s Civic Learning Council and Minority & Justice Commission, is a founding board member of the National Courts and Sciences Institute (NCSI) and a board member of the National Judicial College’s Dividing the Waters program. She co-chairs the Washington Board for Judicial Administration and the National Association of Women Judges’ Judicial Independence Committee. Internationally, she has worked with USAID to train foreign judges on issues of judicial independence and the rule of law. She has received numerous recognitions for her work and was named a Rodel Judicial Fellow in 2023.
Chief Justice Stephens and her husband, Craig have two grown children and a granddaughter. She enjoys tennis, golf, pickleball and spending time outdoors in the beautiful Northwest.