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SMC Hosts Law Day on May 22
For nearly 50 years, the U.S. has celebrated Law Day every May—a tradition first established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1958 and officially designated by Congress in 1961. While Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) does not formally observe Law Day on May 1, the court hosts its own annual celebration later in the month, offering students and families a hands-on opportunity to experience their local justice system. This year’s Law Day event took place on Friday, May 22, welcoming high school students, youth programs; and, for the second year, friends and family of SMC staff.
The event is made possible through a monthslong effort led by SMC’s Equity and Engagement team. Director of Equity and Engagement Victoria Moreland and Program Specialist Linh Le begin preparations as early as December, when the court confirms participation and identifies judicial partners. This year, Presiding Judge Anita Crawford-Willis and Judge Willie Gregory worked closely with the team. In January, invitations went out to all Seattle high schools as planning began in earnest. Read more.
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 Christine Chin (above) will be joining the SMC court community on July 1 as a magistrate. A pro tempore judge at the court since 2024, Chin also spent several years at the Seattle City Attorney's Office before moving into dedicated judicial service. SMC is also welcoming 10 new pro tempore judges: Theodore Cropley, Denice Gagne, Tricia Johnson, Joseph Kelstrup, Colin McMahon, Garmon Newsom, Andrew Repanich, Gabriel Rothstein, PK Royalty and Kerry Werne.
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 SMC welcomed Legal Pathways interns Zoya Merakov (left) and Simarjot Mann this spring. Presiding Judge Anita Crawford-Willis and Magistrate Lisa Mansfield managed their time at the court, and the two young women spent time job shadowing various people and teams.
Legal Pathways is funded by the Washington State Legislature, and the program aims to help students interested in pursuing legal careers.
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 The court is happy to announce the promotion of Tania Torres to the position of chief marshal! Torres has been employed in the marshals' unit at the court since 2013.
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 Magistrate Mary Lynch has retired and the court wishes her all the best as she starts a new retirement journey in Palm Desert, Calif. Her last day at the court was May 15. Lynch began her public service career in the Seattle City Attorney's Office in 1990 and became an SMC magistrate in 2017.
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A Look Back at What Shaped the Court
In April, SMC began a year-long blog series called “From the Archives.” It explores different themes in the court’s history—highlighting how the work, the people, and the spaces have evolved over time. Part one focuses on the building history, while part two focuses on how work used to get done in the analog age.
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