United States District Court for the Western District of Washington

About This Court

Located in the state of Washington, this federal district court serves the western portion of the state, encompassing major metropolitan areas including Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellingham, as well as surrounding counties extending to the Pacific coast and the Olympic Peninsula. The court sits within the Ninth Circuit and handles the full range of federal civil and criminal matters arising within its geographic boundaries.

The Western District of Washington is one of the busier federal district courts in the Pacific Northwest, reflecting the significant commercial, technological, and international trade activity centered in the Seattle metropolitan area. The presence of major corporations, a large international port, and proximity to the Canadian border contributes to a diverse and substantial federal docket.

The court operates divisions in Seattle and Tacoma, serving distinct portions of the district. Cases involving intellectual property, international trade, immigration, and complex commercial litigation appear with notable frequency given the economic profile of the region.

Proceedings are governed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and Federal Rules of Evidence, along with the court's local rules. Bankruptcy cases are handled by the companion Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Washington. Appeals go to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Divisions

Seattle Division (Seattle), Tacoma Division (Tacoma)

Caseload

The court handles a high volume of civil and criminal matters, with notable concentrations in intellectual property, international trade, immigration, and complex commercial litigation driven by the district's major technology sector and active international port activity.

Bar Admission

Attorneys must be admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, which generally requires membership in good standing with the Washington State Bar Association or another state bar, along with completion of the court's admission process.

Clerk's Office

700 Stewart Street, Suite 2310, Seattle, WA 98101

(206) 370-8400

Active Judges 17

Name	Appointed By	Confirmed	Law School
Robert Bryan	Ronald Reagan	1986	University of Washington School of Law
Tiffany Cartwright	Joseph R. Biden	2023	Stanford Law School
John Chun	Joseph R. Biden	2022	Cornell Law School
John Coughenour	Ronald Reagan	1981	University of Iowa College of Law
David Estudillo	Joseph R. Biden	2021	University of Washington School of Law
Kymberly Evanson	Joseph R. Biden	2023	Georgetown University Law Center
Richard Jones	George W. Bush	2007	University of Washington School of Law
Lauren King	Joseph R. Biden	2021	University of Virginia School of Law
Robert Lasnik	William J. Clinton	1998	University of Washington School of Law
Tana Lin	Joseph R. Biden	2021	New York University School of Law
Ricardo Martinez	George W. Bush	2004	University of Washington School of Law
Marsha Pechman	William J. Clinton	1999	Boston University School of Law
James Robart	George W. Bush	2004	Georgetown University Law Center
Barbara Rothstein	Jimmy Carter	1980	Harvard Law School
Benjamin Settle	George W. Bush	2007	Willamette University College of Law
Jamal Whitehead	Joseph R. Biden	2023	Seattle University School of Law
Thomas Zilly	Ronald Reagan	1988	Cornell Law School

Local Rules

The Local Rules of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, which supplement the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. See the court's official website for the authoritative text.

Civil Rules 78

Rule	Title
	INTRODUCTION TO THE CIVIL RULES
LCR 1	SCOPE AND PURPOSE; DEFINITIONS; PROHIBITION OF BIAS
LCR 2	RESERVED
LCR 3	COMMENCEMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF ACTIONS
LCR 4	SUMMONS
LCR 4.1	SERVING OTHER PROCESS
LCR 5	SERVING AND FILING PLEADINGS AND OTHER PAPERS
LCR 5.1	RESERVED
LCR 5.2	REDACTION OF FILINGS
LCR 6	COMPUTING AND EXTENDING TIME
LCR 7	FORM AND SCHEDULING OF MOTIONS
LCR 7.1	CORPORATE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
LCR 8	PLEADING
LCR 9	PLEADING ADMIRALTY AND OTHER SPECIAL MATTERS
LCR 10	FORM OF PLEADINGS, MOTIONS AND OTHER FILINGS
LCR 11	SIGNING FILINGS; SANCTIONS
LCR 12	DEFENSES AND OBJECTIONS: WHEN AND HOW PRESENTED; MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS; CONSOLIDATING MOTIONS; WAIVING DEFENSES; PRETRIAL HEARING
LCR 13 THROUGH 14	RESERVED
LCR 15	AMENDED PLEADINGS
LCR 16	PRETRIAL CONFERENCES; SCHEDULING; MANAGEMENT
LCR 16.1	FORM OF PRETRIAL ORDER
LCR 17	PLAINTIFF AND DEFENDANT; CAPACITY; PUBLIC OFFICERS
LCR 18 THROUGH 22	RESERVED
LCR 23	CLASS ACTIONS
LCR 23.1	RESERVED
LCR 23.2	RESERVED
LCR 24 AND 25	RESERVED
LCR 26	DUTY TO DISCLOSE; GENERAL PROVISIONS GOVERNING DISCOVERY
LCR 27	DEPOSITIONS BEFORE ACTION OR PENDING APPEAL
LCR 28	PERSONS BEFORE WHOM DEPOSITIONS MAY BE TAKEN
LCR 29	STIPULATIONS REGARDING DISCOVERY PROCEDURE
LCR 30	DEPOSITIONS BY ORAL EXAMINATION
LCR 31	DEPOSITIONS BY WRITTEN QUESTIONS
LCR 32	USING DEPOSITIONS IN COURT PROCEEDINGS
LCR 33	INTERROGATORIES TO PARTIES
LCR 34	PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS AND THINGS AND ENTRY UPON LAND FOR INSPECTION AND OTHER PURPOSES
LCR 35	PHYSICAL AND MENTAL EXAMINATION OF PERSONS
LCR 36	REQUESTS FOR ADMISSION
LCR 37	FAILURE TO MAKE DISCLOSURE OR COOPERATE IN DISCOVERY; SANCTIONS
LCR 38	RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL; DEMAND
LCR 39	TRIAL BY JURY OR BY THE COURT
LCR 39.1	ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION
LCR 39.2	INDIVIDUALIZED TRIAL PROGRAM
LCR 40	SCHEDULING CASES FOR TRIAL
LCR 41	DISMISSAL OF ACTIONS
LCR 42	CONSOLIDATION
LCR 43	TAKING TESTIMONY; MARKING EXHIBITS
LCR 44 THROUGH 46	RESERVED
LCR 47	JURORS
LCR 48 THROUGH 50	RESERVED
LCR 51	JURY INSTRUCTIONS
LCR 52 THROUGH 53	RESERVED
LCR 54	JUDGMENT; COSTS
LCR 55	DEFAULT; DEFAULT JUDGMENT
LCR 56	SUMMARY JUDGMENT PROCEDURE
LCR 57 THROUGH 64	RESERVED
LCR 65	TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDERS
LCR 65.1	BONDS
LCR 66	RECEIVERS
LCR 67	REGISTRY FUNDS
LCR 68 THROUGH 71.1	RESERVED
LCR 72	MAGISTRATE JUDGES; PRETRIAL ORDERS
LCR 73	MAGISTRATE JUDGES; TRIAL BY CONSENT
LCR 74 THROUGH 76	RESERVED
LCR 77	CONDUCTING BUSINESS; CLERK'S AUTHORITY
LCR 78	PHOTOGRAPHY, BROADCASTING, AND PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN THE COURTHOUSE
LCR 79	RECORDS KEPT BY THE CLERK
LCR 80 THROUGH 83	RESERVED
LCR 84	RESERVED
LCR 85	TITLE AND CITATIONS
LCR 86	EFFECTIVE DATE
LCR 87	REFERRAL OF BANKRUPTCY CASES AND PROCEEDINGS
LCR 89	NOTICE OF BANKRUPTCY FILING
LCR 90 THROUGH 99	RESERVED
LCR 100	PETITIONS FOR HABEAS CORPUS UNDER TITLE 28 U.S.C 2241 OR 2254 AND MOTIONS PURSUANT TO TITLE 28 U.S.C. § 2255
LCR 101	REMOVED CASES
LCR 102	COMPLEX, MULTIPLE AND MULTIDISTRICT LITIGATION
LCR 103	PRISONER COMPLAINTS UNDER CIVIL RIGHTS ACT, 42 U.S.C. § 1983

Attorney Rules 4

Rule	Title
LCR 83.1	ATTORNEYS; ADMISSION TO PRACTICE
LCR 83.2	ATTORNEY APPEARANCE AND WITHDRAWAL
LCR 83.3	STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT; CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY TO PRACTICE; ATTORNEY DISCIPLINE
LCR 83.4	LEGAL INTERNS

Appellate Rules 1

Rule	Title
LCR 88	BANKRUPTCY APPEALS

Other Courts in the 9th Circuit

Central District of California Los Angeles, California District of Alaska Anchorage, Alaska District of Arizona Phoenix, Arizona District of Guam Hagatna, Guam District of Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii District of Idaho Boise, Idaho District of Montana Missoula, Montana District of Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada District of Oregon Portland, Oregon District of the Northern Mariana Islands Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands Eastern District of California Sacramento, California Eastern District of Washington Spokane, Washington Northern District of California San Francisco, California Southern District of California San Diego, California