Pamela Scott Washington was appointed to the Anchorage District Court on August 9, 2010, by former Alaska Governor Sean Parnell. Judge Washington is the first AfricanAmerican woman appointed to Alaska’s judiciary and, at the time of her appointment, was only the second African-American judge in the state’s history. She retired from the bench on October 31, 2025, having served as Deputy Presiding Judge of the Anchorage District Court, Presiding Judge of the Mental Health Court, and Co-Chair of the Alaska Supreme Court Fairness, Diversity, and Equality Commission. Judge Washington began her retirement while serving as President of the National Association of Women Judges.
During her 15-year membership in NAWJ, Judge Washington held numerous leadership positions, including Alaska State Chair, District 13 Director, Vice President of Districts, Vice President of Publications, and President-Elect, culminating in her election as the Association’s 46th President.
Judge Washington serves on the United States Chapter of the Pan American Commission of Judges on Social Justice. In March 2023, she was one of five judges from the United States invited to the Vatican by Pope Francis to speak on the impact of colonialism on social justice. She continues to serve as a subject-matter speaker on colonization, racial disparities in the courts, and implicit bias. Throughout her judicial career, Judge Washington has been a catalyst for increasing diversity on the bench, expanding implicit bias training for judicial officers, and advancing the fair and impartial administration of justice for all people.
Over nearly 40 years in the legal community, Judge Washington has remained deeply committed to serving Alaska’s youth. Her service includes mock trial programs, We the People initiatives, Law Day events, the Court’s Color of Justice Program, Anchorage Youth Court trainings, and work with the Anchorage Chapter of The Links, Incorporated National Society of Black Engineers Jr. She is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Alaska Supreme Court Community Service Award, the North to the Future Business and Professional Woman in History Award, NAWJ’s Justice Vaino Spencer Leadership Award, and recognition as a Congressional Coalition Angels in Adoption Honoree for her advocacy on behalf of Alaska’s foster care system.
Judge Washington is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and has called Alaska home since 1975. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunications from Northern Arizona University in 1984 and a Juris Doctor from Arizona State University in 1991. She is married to Dr. Stephen Washington, a mental health clinician. Together, they have three adult children and six grandchildren.
