The 2025 APEX Awards

The APEX — Acknowledging Professional Excellence — Awards honor exemplary members of the legal community, including legal professionals, judges, and members of the public.

Do you know a Washington state legal practitioner or organization at the APEX of the profession?

And the 2025 APEX Award recipients are...

Chief Justice Mary E. Fairhurst Award of Merit

Justice Susan Owens, Washington Supreme Court

Olympia

The Chief Justice Mary E. Fairhurst Award of Merit is the Bar's highest honor and is given to an individual for a recent, singular achievement. The singular achievement may involve an individual who has displayed exceptional courage in the face of adversity, thus bringing credit to the legal profession. It is awarded to individuals only — both legal professionals and members of the public.

Angelo Petruss Award for Lawyers in Government Service

Kristin Brewer

Olympia

Kristin currently serves as senior counsel in the Office of the Washington State Attorney General. She has litigated for the office since 2007 in the Government Compliance and Enforcement Division’s Health Section. Her work protects some of the state’s most vulnerable populations and ensures the public’s continued trust and confidence the state’s health care professionals and health care systems. Kristin has advocated on behalf of her clients in Washington’s administrative tribunals, superior courts, and appellate Divisions I, II, and III. Kristin is a tenacious litigator who teaches, mentors, and challenges those who work with her. As senior counsel, she generously mentors assistant attorneys general and the office’s support staff to ensure her experience continues to benefit those in the division. Kristin’s tenure at the Attorney General’s Office caps her career commitment to public service.

The Angelo Petruss Award for Lawyers in Government Service is named in honor of Angelo R. Petruss, a senior assistant attorney general who passed away during his term of service on the WSBA Board of Governors. It is given to a lawyer in government service who has made a significant contribution to the legal profession, the justice system, and the public.

Justice C.Z. Smith Excellence in Diversity Award

Kim Tran (posthumously)

Bellevue

Since she began her legal career, Kim was a champion of diversity and equal justice. Despite a burgeoning career and her volunteer commitments, she made time to seek opportunities and positions where she could affect change. She was never content to sit on the sidelines and hope things would improve. She worked tirelessly in our community to educate others about diversity gently revealing opportunities for growth in that area. She intuitively knew that creating opportunities for inclusion would lead to a more accepting and, in turn, more accessible community. She worked fiercely to improve the lives of the [Asian and Pacific Islander] community. Everything she did, she did with respectful strength and commitment.

The Justice Charles Z. Smith Excellence in Diversity Award is named in honor of Justice C. Z. Smith, the first African-American to serve on the Washington Supreme Court. This award goes to a lawyer, law firm, or law-related group that has made a significant contribution to diversity in the legal profession.

Lifetime Service Award

Dennis Cronin (posthumously)

Spokane

Throughout his lifetime, Dennis devoted himself to those who did not have a voice, to those who were marginalized by society, and made room at the table for everyone, regardless of your race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis for which society has discriminated against others. This commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion was a core of Dennis’s morals and ethics prior to even becoming an attorney. In his 1982 application to Gonzaga University School of Law, Dennis expressed “[f]or the past few years, the primary goal in my life has been to become a competent legal-aid lawyer… I have increasingly felt a moral commitment to aid the many disadvantaged people living in our society. This commitment is unshakable… Consequently, nothing shall prohibit my eventual fulfillment of this goal…”

The Lifetime Service Award is a special award given for a lifetime of service to the legal community and the public.

Norm Maleng Leadership Award

Erin Lennon

Olympia

For the better part of a decade, from 2016 to 2025, Erin served as the first openly LGBTQ+ clerk and deputy clerk of the Washington Supreme Court before stepping down earlier this month... Even though clerk of the court is a big job, Erin's positive influence managed to outsize her formal title. Her technical brilliance and scrupulous ethics made her an ideal fit for the clerk's role of interpreting and applying our often-Byzantine court rules. Yet Erin was always aware that neutral-seeming rules can close the courthouse doors to meritorious claims, usually with a disparate impact on members of historically marginalized communities. Fortunately for the Washington legal system, Erin has a keen eye for justice, an extraordinary talent for organizing and inspiring people, and a unique ability to devise and implement solutions where others can't even see a problem.

Presented jointly with the Access to Justice Board

The Norm Maleng Leadership Award is given jointly by the WSBA and the Access to Justice Board, in honor of the late King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng's legacy as a leader. He was an innovative and optimistic leader committed to justice and access to justice in both civil and criminal settings. Within the profession, his leadership was characterized by his love of the law and commitment to diversity and mentorship. This award recognizes those who embody these qualities.

Outstanding Judge Award

Hon. LeRoy McCullough

Kent

King County Superior Court Judge McCullough’s knowledge and experience has been consistently recognized by his colleagues who have entrusted him with leadership roles over the court and on various communities. He has served as the chief presiding judge of the Maleng Regional Justice Center and the King County Juvenile Drug Court. He has chaired the court’s Jury Committee, Personnel Committee, and Courts and Community Committee. Yet Judge McCullough’s impressive judicial service goes beyond his 36 years on the King County Superior Court bench. Prior to his appointment, he served as a chief hearing examiner for the Office of the Hearing Examiner. He worked as an administrative law Judge for more than a decade... His legal career is a legacy and amasses to nearly 50 years. But he is more than an esteemed and well-respected judicial officer. Judge McCullough believes in community and civic education. He holds in his spirit a deep commitment to bridging courts and communities. More than being present in the community, he invites the community in encouraging them to be empowered with knowledge of the system and engaging with the judges who serve at their pleasure.

The Outstanding Judge Award is presented for outstanding service to the bench and for special contribution to the legal profession at any level of the court.

Legal Innovation Award

Blake Refund Bureau

The Blake Refund Bureau has effectively streamlined the refund process for legal financial obligations (LFO) resulting from unconstitutional convictions under the landmark State v. Blake, 197 Wn.2d 170, 481 P.3d 521 (2021) decision. Launched in July 2023, the Administrative Office of the Courts’ Refund Bureau stands as the primary legal entity in Washington state responsible for reimbursing individuals who paid LFOs on convictions now deemed unconstitutional. The significance of the Refund Bureau’s work is underscored by the extensive scope of cases impacted by State v. Blake. With 626,188 simple drug possession cases across all 39 county superior courts and various courts of limited jurisdiction dating back to 1971, the scale of potential refunds is substantial. Although not every case affected by Blake will require a refund, it is estimated that between five to 20 percent of cases will necessitate processing, highlighting the Bureau’s critical role in rectifying past injustices and ensuring fairness within the legal system.

The Legal Innovation Award recognizes legal professionals, law firms, courts, law schools, individuals, or organizations who demonstrate leadership in promoting innovation in the practice of law. Innovation may be defined as programs, processes, or technology that advance or streamline the future of the profession and accessibility/delivery of legal services.

Outstanding Young Lawyer Award

Tyler Quillin

Redmond

As a member of the University of Washington School of Law Alumni Leadership Council (2024- present), Tyler continues to play a critical role in mentoring and supporting law students from underrepresented backgrounds, ensuring that they have the resources and opportunities to succeed. He has consistently used his position to guide young attorneys through the challenges of law school and early practice, as well as to connect young attorneys of all backgrounds with his extremely vast network of attorneys across the country. His work with the King County Bar Association’s New Lawyer Division (2019-2022) provided valuable mentorship for emerging legal professionals, particularly those from diverse backgrounds... Through every position he holds, Tyler continues to break down barriers and create pathways for underrepresented groups to thrive in the legal profession. His leadership, mentorship, and service are not only helping to transform the legal community but also are ensuring that diverse voices are heard and represented.

The Outstanding Young Lawyer Award recognizes one attorney who has made significant contributions to the professional community, especially the community of young lawyers, within their initial years of practice. Recipients must be active WSBA members within five years of admission to any bar association or less than 36 years of age.

Pro Bono and Public Service Award (Individual)

John Cummings

Tacoma

By using his legal prowess and commitment to empathy and kindness, John has been a lighthouse in the storm to anyone feeling lost or unheard. He has been a warm presence to navigate the stressful process of identity-document changes for so many people. His work on form and policy refinement at the county and state level for pro bono work is truly commendable. In a time when there are increasingly fleeting examples of representation in any aspect of life and law, John’s dedication to being seen, and not just heard but listened to, is crucial.

The Pro Bono and Public Service Award for Individual is presented to a lawyer or other legal professional for outstanding cumulative efforts in providing pro bono services or who gives back in meaningful ways to the public, the community, or the legal profession.

Professionalism Award

Bruce Johnson (posthumously)

Seattle

Bruce was singularly responsible for helping Washington state enact its first reporter’s shield law. He also (twice) helped to write and lobby for the passage of the sate’s anti-SLAPP [strategic lawsuits against public participation] statute. This legislative work was reflective of not only Bruce’s passion for the First Amendment but also his desire to ensure that the law protected everyone — not just [his] clients.

The Professionalism Award is awarded to a WSBA member who exemplifies the spirit of professionalism in the practice of law, as defined in the WSBA's Creed of Professionalism.