Theo Angelis
Nonpartisan · WA · Justice of the Washington Supreme Court
Theo Angelis is a justice of the Washington Supreme Court who began serving on April 4, 2026, after appointment by Governor Bob Ferguson. Before joining the court, he practiced for 26 years at K&L Gates, where he led appellate and intellectual-property practices, handled litigation in state, federal, and administrative courts, and performed extensive pro bono work for children, immigrants, veterans, and people experiencing homelessness. He earned a J.D. from Yale Law School and clerked for Judge Stephen F. Williams on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He is running to retain Washington Supreme Court Justice Position 5 in 2026.
Track record
Public Safety and Crime Control
· 1 record
Theo Angelis co-chaired the Law Enforcement Committee of the Washington Attorney General's Youth Internet Safety Task Force. The task force delivered its final report to the Legislature, and Washington Courts credits the committee's work with helping change state law to facilitate prosecution of online crimes against children.
September 3, 2009For
Source: app.leg.wa.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Civil Rights
· 7 records
Theo Angelis joined the Washington Supreme Court's statement for the Declaration of Independence's 250th anniversary, which recommitted the court to fair and open administration, transparency, accessibility, civic education, community engagement, liberty, equality, and the rule of law.
July 2, 2026For
Source: courts.wa.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Theo Angelis joined every Washington Supreme Court justice in a letter acknowledging historical and continuing dehumanization of Indigenous people in state legal systems, calling on judges and lawyers to confront harmful precedent and bias, and committing the court to continued work with Tribal communities and courts.
June 5, 2026For
Source: courts.wa.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Theo Angelis's campaign materials identify equal access to justice as a guiding principle and connect that position to his prior pro bono representation of asylum seekers and children.
March 17, 2026For
Source: justiceangelis.com · researched July 13, 2026
At the announcement of his Supreme Court appointment, Theo Angelis said his legal career had focused on using law to help people in need, promoting access to courts, and supporting the rule of law. The governor's release also documented his asylum, immigrant-child, veteran, and appellate work.
March 9, 2026For
Source: governor.wa.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Theo Angelis was one of the K&L Gates lawyers representing the Duwamish Tribe when a federal court vacated the Interior Department's prior federal-recognition ruling, ordered reconsideration of the Tribe's petition, and allowed new evidence concerning continuity with the historic Duwamish Tribe.
February 7, 2025For
Source: klgates.com · researched July 13, 2026
Theo Angelis participated through K&L Gates in filing the nationwide J.E.F.M. class action challenging the federal government's practice of placing children in deportation proceedings without appointed counsel. He publicly argued that pro bono representation could reach only a fraction of affected children.
July 9, 2014For
Source: aclu.org · researched July 13, 2026
Theo Angelis and a K&L Gates team represented U.S. Army veteran and naturalized citizen Rennison Castillo after ICE wrongfully detained him for more than seven months. The team defeated a motion to dismiss on qualified-immunity grounds and obtained a $400,000 settlement, a formal apology, and revised ICE operational instructions for citizenship claims.
February 24, 2011For
Source: files.klgates.com · researched July 13, 2026
General
· 1 record
An Olympian report documented criticism concerning Theo Angelis's lack of prior judicial service and his 2025 donations to Governor Ferguson and Democratic committees and candidates. The report also stated the donations predated his February 23, 2026 judicial application and quoted a legal-ethics professor who did not regard the amounts as ethically improper.
March 27, 2026
Source: courts.wa.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Impartiality
· 1 record
Theo Angelis's campaign materials state that courts must remain independent and impartial and that consistent, fair application of Washington law is a core role of the Supreme Court.
March 17, 2026For
Source: justiceangelis.com · researched July 13, 2026
Integrity and Ethics
· 7 records
Theo Angelis joined the Washington Supreme Court's statement for the Declaration of Independence's 250th anniversary, which recommitted the court to fair and open administration, transparency, accessibility, civic education, community engagement, liberty, equality, and the rule of law.
July 2, 2026
Source: courts.wa.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Theo Angelis joined every Washington Supreme Court justice in a letter acknowledging historical and continuing dehumanization of Indigenous people in state legal systems, calling on judges and lawyers to confront harmful precedent and bias, and committing the court to continued work with Tribal communities and courts.
June 5, 2026
Source: courts.wa.gov · researched July 13, 2026
At his formal swearing-in, Theo Angelis described deciding cases and supervising the statewide justice system as distinct parts of the court's work, identified continual re-examination and reform of that system as important, and connected judicial decisions to their effects on Washington residents and people appearing before the court.
May 18, 2026
Source: courts.wa.gov · researched July 13, 2026
An Olympian report documented criticism concerning Theo Angelis's lack of prior judicial service and his 2025 donations to Governor Ferguson and Democratic committees and candidates. The report also stated the donations predated his February 23, 2026 judicial application and quoted a legal-ethics professor who did not regard the amounts as ethically improper.
March 27, 2026
Source: courts.wa.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Theo Angelis's campaign materials state that courts must remain independent and impartial and that consistent, fair application of Washington law is a core role of the Supreme Court.
March 17, 2026
Source: justiceangelis.com · researched July 13, 2026
Theo Angelis's campaign materials state that the Washington Supreme Court's foremost responsibility is to faithfully interpret and apply the state Constitution and laws, and identify careful legal analysis and thoughtful decision-making as the basis for public confidence.
March 17, 2026
Source: justiceangelis.com · researched July 13, 2026
At the announcement of his Supreme Court appointment, Theo Angelis said his legal career had focused on using law to help people in need, promoting access to courts, and supporting the rule of law. The governor's release also documented his asylum, immigrant-child, veteran, and appellate work.
March 9, 2026
Source: governor.wa.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Legal Competence
· 5 records
At his formal swearing-in, Theo Angelis described deciding cases and supervising the statewide justice system as distinct parts of the court's work, identified continual re-examination and reform of that system as important, and connected judicial decisions to their effects on Washington residents and people appearing before the court.
May 18, 2026For
Source: courts.wa.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Theo Angelis's campaign materials state that the Washington Supreme Court's foremost responsibility is to faithfully interpret and apply the state Constitution and laws, and identify careful legal analysis and thoughtful decision-making as the basis for public confidence.
March 17, 2026For
Source: justiceangelis.com · researched July 13, 2026
Theo Angelis was one of the K&L Gates lawyers representing the Duwamish Tribe when a federal court vacated the Interior Department's prior federal-recognition ruling, ordered reconsideration of the Tribe's petition, and allowed new evidence concerning continuity with the historic Duwamish Tribe.
February 7, 2025For
Source: klgates.com · researched July 13, 2026
Theo Angelis and a K&L Gates team represented U.S. Army veteran and naturalized citizen Rennison Castillo after ICE wrongfully detained him for more than seven months. The team defeated a motion to dismiss on qualified-immunity grounds and obtained a $400,000 settlement, a formal apology, and revised ICE operational instructions for citizenship claims.
February 24, 2011For
Source: files.klgates.com · researched July 13, 2026
Theo Angelis co-chaired the Law Enforcement Committee of the Washington Attorney General's Youth Internet Safety Task Force. The task force delivered its final report to the Legislature, and Washington Courts credits the committee's work with helping change state law to facilitate prosecution of online crimes against children.
September 3, 2009For
Source: app.leg.wa.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Elections
- Justice of the Supreme Court, Position 5 · August 4, 2026 · Washington · incumbent
Profile last researched July 13, 2026.