Barbara Madsen
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline)- Barbara Madsen was sworn in Monday as the Washington Supreme Court's new chief justice.
She succeeds Chief Justice Gerry Alexander, who served in the top court post since 2001.
Madsen was elected chief justice by her colleagues in November.
Alexander, the state's longest-serving chief justice, hits the mandatory retirement age of 75 next year.
The second woman to serve as chief justice, Madsen, 57, will serve as chief justice for the remainder of Alexander's term.
Madsen was first elected to the state high court in 1992, reelected in 1998 and the Gonzaga University School of Law graduate was reelected for a third term in 2004. She served as presiding judge for Seattle Municipal Court before her election to the state Supreme Court.
She serves as co-chairman the court's Internal Rules Committee and serves on the Budget Committee, Administrative Committee and the Washington Court Reports Commission, as well as on the Board for Judicial Administration.
From Legal Newsline: Reach staff reporter Chris Rizo at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.