Former Richland High grad nominated as Eastern WA federal court judge

Annette Cary
·2 min read
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A former Richland resident has been nominated to become a federal judge for the Eastern Washington District U.S. Court.

Rebecca Pennell is currently a judge for Division III of the Washington Court of Appeals in Spokane, but lives in Yakima. She was appointed to that position by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee in January 2016 and was then elected without opposition in 2016 and 2020.

Pennell grew up in Richland, where her father worked at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Hanford nuclear site. Her mother taught math at Columbia Basin College in Pasco.

She graduated from Richland High School and then the University of Washington, according to her Washington Courts bio. She earned her law degree from Stanford Law School in 1996, graduating with distinction.

She learned Spanish and lived in Mexico for nine months after receiving her law degree and then clerked for U.S. Judge Robert Whaley in Spokane.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., (right) recommended Rebecca Pennell, a former Richland resident and Washington Court of Appeals judge, to become an Eastern Washington federal judge.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., (right) recommended Rebecca Pennell, a former Richland resident and Washington Court of Appeals judge, to become an Eastern Washington federal judge.

She next did work with TeamChild, which focused on keeping high risk students in school, before joining the Federal Public Defenders, representing clients on the Yakama Nation reservation.

She also helped establish re-entry drug courts in Yakima and the Tri-Cities.

A significant portion of her clients as an attorney were Spanish speakers, according to the office of Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.

Murray recommended Pennell for the federal judge position, after Pennell was submitted to the senator for consideration by a nonpartisan judicial merit selection committee, which includes Democrat and Republican legal experts.

“Judge Pennell’s long, and impressive, history in Washington state’s legal community has clearly earned her the respect of her colleagues, and a reputation for being a fair, and thoughtful judge. And Judge Pennell’s Washington state roots run as deep as her impressive legal knowledge,” Murray said during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday.

Pennell was describe in letters from prosecutors, law enforcement officials and judges as fair, insightful, professional and prepared, Murray said.

“It’s important that we have a court system that delivers justice for everyone, not just the powerful and well-connected,” Murray said. “That requires a judge who carefully reviews each case on its merits, shows a deep understanding of the law and respect for everyone who appears before them, and appreciates how their decisions will affect the lives of people across Washington state.”

The Eastern Washington U.S. District Court has courthouses in Richland, Yakima and Spokane.