Linda W. Coburn at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Washington · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Linda W. Coburn
Judge · Court of Appeals - Division I
Biography
Professional career
- Elected to the Court of Appeals in 2020 after 15 years in trial court, including 8 years as a career public defender and service as Edmonds Municipal Court judge since 2015
- Previous judicial roles: Superior, District, and Municipal court; law clerk to Hon. Stephen J. Dwyer (Washington Court of Appeals) and Hon. George N. Bowden (Snohomish County Superior Court)
Education
- Seattle University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2005
- University of Washington, B.A. in Communications
- Ohio University, M.S. in Journalism
Additional information
- Committee service: Member of the Washington State Supreme Court’s Minority and Justice Commission (since 2015), Diversity Committee of the District and Municipal Court Judges Association (2016–2020), Jury Diversity Task Force, Pretrial Reform Task Force, and the Gender and Justice Commission’s Study Advisory Committee
- Her term runs until January 10, 2027
- Judge Linda W.Y. Coburn is a member of the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division I, elected in 2020 and serving a six‐year term through 2027
- Nonpartisan judge and is on the ballot for re‐election in November 2026
- Division I of the Washington State Court of Appeals, covering Snohomish County, and was elected in the November 2020 general election
- Awards: Asian Bar Association of Washington Judge of the Year (2018)
- Official bio: Washington State Courts — Judge Linda W.Y. Coburn
- Before law school, Coburn spent 13 years as a journalist and editor at the Seattle Times
- She is also an alum of Harvard’s Radcliffe Publishing Procedures Course
- Born in Taipei, Taiwan, and raised in the U.S., Coburn lives in Edmonds with her husband and two sons
- She is active in community sports, umpiring Little League games and officiating high school volleyball matches
- She also volunteers with the YMCA Mock Trial Program for high school students
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Washington GR 16 allows video recording, audio recording, and still photography by the news media in courtrooms only after the judge has expressly granted permission.
Video and audio recording and still photography by the news media are allowed in the courtroom during and between sessions, provided (1) that permission shall have first been expressly granted by the judgeWashington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media ↗
Statewide
If a Washington judge limits courtroom photography or recording, GR 16 requires particularized findings on the record and treats open access as presumed.
Open access is presumed; limitations on access must be supported by reasons found by the judge to be sufficiently compelling to outweigh that presumptionWashington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media
Court of Appeals - Division I
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 26, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 11, 2026.
Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster ↗CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View CourtListener judicial biographical directory ↗Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media ↗