Inslee appoints Steffener as Superior Court judge

Published 10:00 am Friday, May 26, 2023

EVERETT — Gov. Jay Inslee will appoint Will Steffener as a Snohomish County Superior Court judge, the governor’s office announced this week.

Steffener will replace Judge Janice Ellis, who is set to retire next month.

Beginning in 2005, Steffener worked in the Public Defender Association as a criminal defense attorney. In 2013, Steffener moved to the county prosecutor’s office in Municipal Law and Involuntary Treatment Acts, where he stayed until 2021.

For the past two years, Steffener has had a private practice in Everett’s Deno Millikan Law Firm, handling civil law, Inslee’s office said.

“Will is a dedicated attorney who has done so many different things in his career,” Inslee said in a press release. “He’s committed to the community, and has the right temperament to find success on the bench.”

In a brief interview by phone Friday, Steffener says he hopes to learn the job through “trial by fire,” as he’s done throughout his career.

“I hope to be able to serve Snohomish County and the citizens of Snohomish County,” Steffener. “That’s been my goal my entire legal practice.”