By Angela Gyurko, Secretary, LWV of Washington

After hearing Washington State Supreme Court Justice G. Helen Whitener speak at last month’s Council for the Social Studies, LWVWA President Karen Crowley knew that League members would be drawn to her message. The planning team reached out, and the Justice agreed to be our keynote speaker at “The Power of Us,” our state League’s 2026 biennial Council in Lacey. 

“Justice Whitener’s call to ‘Stand up, Stand out, Stand fast’ resonated deeply with me. Her commitment to equity, inclusion, and public service stands as a guiding light in this difficult moment. The Justice noted that state courts are now pivotal in securing our rights—a reality we all need to better understand. And finally, she urged each of us to be visible, vocal and vigilant. Surely, that is a message we can all support,” Crowley said. 

“I was so pleased when she accepted our invitation and I look forward to hearing, once again, from this exceptional leader.” 

Whitener identifies as a person with a disability, and speaks often to local, national, and international organizations on human rights and access to justice.A native of Trinidad, she has a unique perspective on the legal changes and challenges of the last decade, and will speak the evening of Saturday, June 6. 

Whitener is a graduate of Seattle University School of Law. She served as a public defender, a prosecutor and a private practice attorney before becoming a judge in 2015, when Gov. Jay Inslee appointed her to the Pierce County Superior Court. 

Five years later, following the retirement of Justice Charles Kenneth Wiggins, Inslee appointed Whitener to the state Supreme Court, where she became the nation’s first Black LGBTQIA+ state Supreme Court justice. 

Widely recognized by the legal community for her commitment to justice and equity, Whitener is the recipient of the 2025 Anshel Ma’asehi Award of Distinction from the Cardozo Society of Washington state, an Honorary Doctor of Law degree from the University of Puget Sound, and the American Bar Association’s Stonewall Award.  

In 2021, she was recognized as Public Official of the Year by The Evergreen State College’s Master of Public Administration Programand also was recognized as Judge of the Year by The Western Region of the National Black Law Students Association.