Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Allyson Zipp to fill a vacant judgeship on the Thurston County Superior Court, according to a Friday news release.
Zipp replaces Judge Erik Price who Inslee appointed to the state Court of Appeals, Division Two in September. The announcement comes a few days after Indu Thomas started as the county's ninth Superior Court judge.
Since 2014, Zipp has worked in the Torts Division of the Washington State Attorney General's Office as a division section chief. From 2009 to 2012, she served as a deputy solicitor general in the Attorney General's Solicitor General's Office, the news release says.
"In addition, Zipp's tenure at the Attorney General's Office has included significant management and budget responsibilities, and she has demonstrated the ability to implement organizational change to improve overall operations," the release says.
Between 2012 and 2014, Zipp worked as an assistant counsel at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, according to the release.
Zipp also has volunteered with Thurston County Volunteer Legal Services, a non-profit that provides free legal advice to low-income residents in Thurston, Mason, Grays Harbor and Pacific counties. The release notes she previously served on the organization's board of directors.
"Through her career, Allyson has obtained a breadth of outstanding experience — from complex litigation to regulatory compliance," Inslee said in the release. "And she has demonstrated excellence throughout her career. I am thrilled that Allyson is continuing her career in public service."
Zipp's legal career started in 2006 when she worked as a judicial law clerk for former Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst. That same year, Zipp earned a law degree at the University of Washington School of Law, according to the release.
She previously earned her bachelor's degree from Colgate University, a private liberal arts college in New York state, per the release.
The release does not indicate when Zipp would start in her new position on the court. The Olympian has reached out to Inslee's office for more information.
