Network with Jewish Legal Professionals
The Cardozo Society is the official Washington State Bar Association minority bar for Jewish lawyers and the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle’s affinity group for legal professionals. The Cardozo Society is open to Jewish attorneys and law students, free of charge. Named after the distinguished U.S. Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo, the society offers learning and networking opportunities for legal professionals. Opportunities include Continuing Legal Education courses that explore legal topics through a Jewish lens.
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Upcoming Cardozo Society Events
In 2026, we are proud to recognize Judge Bill Bowman for his remarkable contributions to both our local legal community and the broader Jewish community. Join us to celebrate and enjoy heavy appetizers, followed by a formal program and award presentation.
L’Dor V’Dor Award Ceremony & Reception
Each year, the Cardozo Society honors an outstanding Jewish legal professional with the L’Dor V’Dor Award.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
The Cardozo Society hosts and co-hosts events approved for Continuing Legal Education credits that integrate legal and Jewish concerns.
Geoff Burg | geoff@glblaw.com
Blair Russ | bmr@bmatlaw.com
The CJEC welcomes new members. Please contact a committee chair to inquire about membership.
A quorum of the CJEC (at least four members) will be present at the 20-minute candidate interview. The candidate will have time for short opening and closing statements before and after informal questioning.
Immediately after the interview, Committee members will discuss the screening and vote on the candidate’s rating. The Chair of the CJEC will then notify the candidate of their rating within two business days.
The committee’s decision is based on the Uniform Judicial Evaluation Questionnaire, reference checks, the candidate interview, and other relevant information. The process is conducted consistent with the Judicial Evaluation Committee Bylaws. The screening process and deliberations are confidential.
The CJEC membership is diverse in gender, race, age, practice type, firm size, geography, and other relevant factors.
The CJEC meets quarterly (sometimes more if necessary) on the third Thursday of January, April, June, and September. Candidates are reviewed, first-come, first-served. The committee evaluates four candidates each session. They receive about 2-4 applications a month, and it is not unusual to have 10-15 candidates in line.
Judicial candidates can submit a screening request by emailing both geoff@glblaw.com and bmr@bmatlaw.com with the following information:
Completed Governor’s Uniform Judicial Evaluation Questionnaire. Important: Please do not include your Social Security number (page 1 of the Uniform Judicial Evaluation Questionnaire).
Signed Waiver of Liability.
Please save documents you submit with your name in the title. For example, “Smith, Jane – governor form.pdf” and “Smith, Jane – waiver.pdf”.
Valid for 3 Years
| Date | Name | Court | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/29/2026 | July Simpson | Pierce County Superior Court | Pending |
| 4/29/2026 | Ketu Shah | Supreme Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 4/29/2026 | Shantrice Anderson | Seattle Municipal Court | Well Qualified |
| 3/18/2026 | Andre Penalver | Court of Appeals – Division 2 | Well Qualified |
| 3/18/2026 | Sean O’Donnell | Supreme Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 2/18/2026 | Sharonda Amamilo | Supreme Court | Qualified |
| 2/18/2026 | Breean Beggs | Supreme Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 2/18/2026 | Nyjet Rose-Akins | King County District or Muni Crt. | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 1/14/2026 | Paul Crisalli | Court of Appeals – Division 1 | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 1/14/2026 | Kelly Buerstatte | Walla Walla Superior Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 11/5/2025 | Daniel York | King County Superior Court | Well Qualified |
| 11/5/2025 | Chelsea Baldwin | Cowlitz County Superior Court | Well Qualified |
| 10/17/25 | Ian Birk | Supreme Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 10/17/25 | David Keenan | Supreme Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 10/17/25 | Michael Finkle | Supreme Court | Qualified |
| 9/17/25 | Brandon Johnson | Court of Appeals – Division 3 | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 6/26/25 | Yvonne Chin | King County District Court | Well Qualified |
| 6/26/25 | Lacie Nelson | Snohomish County Superior Ct. | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 6/26/25 | Andrew Biviano | Spokane County Superior Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 5/22/25 | Andrew Repanich | King County District Court | Well Qualified |
| 5/22/25 | Heather Barker | King County District Court | Well Qualified |
| 4/30/25 | Denice Gagner | King County District Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 4/30/25 | Jennifer Slattery | Whatcom County Superior Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 4/30/25 | Josh Schaer | King County District Court | Well Qualified |
| 4/30/25 | Josh Schaer | King County Superior Court | Qualified |
| 3/27/25 | Karen Moore | Court of Appeals – Division 1 | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 3/27/25 | Trisha Johnson | King County District Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 3/27/25 | Ben Santos | King County Superior Court | Well Qualified |
| 8/28/24 | Juliet Laycoe | Clark County Superior Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 8/28/24 | David Larson | Washington Supreme Court | Well Qualified |
| 8/28/24 | Andrew Hughes | King County Superior Court | Qualified |
| 6/24/24 | Gabriel Rothstein | King County Superior Court | Qualified |
| 6/24/24 | Daniel Lloyd | Clark County Superior Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 6/24/24 | Neil Weiss | Edmonds Municipal Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 6/24/24 | Andy Simons | King County Superior Court | Well Qualified |
| 3/20/24 | Patricia Fulton | Walla Walla Superior Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 3/20/24 | Jason Schwarz | King County Superior Court | Well Qualified |
| 3/20/24 | Brian Todd | King County Superior Court | Qualified |
| 3/20/24 | Whitney Rivera | Snohomish County Superior Ct | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 1/31/24 | Christopher Petroni | Division 1 Court of Appeals | Well Qualified |
| 1/31/24 | Heritage Filer | King County Superior Court | Well Qualified |
| 1/31/24 | Nikole Hecklinger | King County Superior Ct | Qualified |
| 12/13/2023 | Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud | Supreme Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 12/13/2023 | Amanda Williamson | Kitsap Superior Ct | Well Qualified |
| 12/13/2023 | Hannah Stearns | Spokane County Superior Ct | Qualified |
| 12/13/2023 | Francis Adewale | Spokane County Superior Ct | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 11/1/2023 | Peter Peaquin | King County District Ct | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 11/1/2023 | Nathan Sugg | Snohomish County District Ct | Well Qualified |
| 11/1/2023 | Melissa Haney | Spokane County Superior Ct | Qualified |
| 11/1/2023 | Salvador Mungia | Supreme Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 9/13/2023 | Samuel Vini | Grays Harbor | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 9/13/2023 | Laura Anglin | Supreme Court | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
| 6/21/2023 | Mary Anderson | Snohomish County Superior Ct | Qualified |
| 6/21/2023 | Paul Crisalli | King County Superior Ct | Well Qualified |
| 6/21/2023 | Michael Mohandeson | Snohomish County Superior Ct | Exceptionally Well Qualified |
Aric Bomsztyk, Co-Chair
Jenna Goltermann, Co-Chair
Jeff Admon
Hon. Bill Bowman
Geoffrey Burg
Max Cargal-Bley
Sam Cohn
Daniel Ehrlich
Lena Joseph
Shira Kaufman
Elaine Kissel
Moses Merakov
Hon. Steve Rosen
Ariella Shuster
Miriam Swedlow
Hon. Anthony Wartnik
For more information about the Cardozo Society, contact:
Marika Jaffe at marikaj@jewishinseattle.org or (206) 774-2234.
Contact Us
We invite you to connect with us and learn more about how you can be part of the Cardozo Society
Contact Marika Jaffe at marikaj@jewishinseattle.org.
