--- title: "Michael K. Ryan | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/michael-k-ryan-judge-king-county-superior-court-11330-wa" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-07-26" --- # Michael K. Ryan King County - Superior Court · Judge ## Profile - Court: King County - Superior Court - State: Washington - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-26 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### photography recording Scope: 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. Evidence excerpt: 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 judge [Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/GR/GA_GR_16_00_00.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### limitations on recording Scope: statewide If a Washington judge limits courtroom photography or recording, GR 16 requires particularized findings on the record and treats open access as presumed. Evidence excerpt: Open access is presumed; limitations on access must be supported by reasons found by the judge to be sufficiently compelling to outweigh that presumption [Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/GR/GA_GR_16_00_00.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_dir/index.cfm?fa=court_dir.persondetail&indid=11330&orgid=191) - [Official roster](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_dir/index.cfm?fa=court_dir.persondetail&indid=11330&orgid=191) - [Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_dir/index.cfm?fa=court_dir.persondetail&indid=11330&orgid=191) - [Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/GR/GA_GR_16_00_00.pdf) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/michael-k-ryan-judge-king-county-superior-court-11330-wa", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/michael-k-ryan-judge-king-county-superior-court-11330-wa", "name": "Michael K. 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Ryan", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/michael-k-ryan-judge-king-county-superior-court-11330-wa" } ] } ] } ``` ## Biography ### Professional career - Appointed to the King County Superior Court by Governor Jay Inslee on January 10, 2019, filling the seat previously held by Judge Barbara Mack - In 2015, he joined the Seattle City Attorney’s Office, defending initiatives such as the Democracy Voucher Program, hotel workers’ rights, and the city’s sanctuary city status - Began his legal career at Preston Gates & Ellis, eventually becoming a partner at K&L Gates ### Education - Judge Ryan earned his B.S. with high honors from Rutgers College, where he was captain of the Cross-Country and Track and Field teams. ### Additional information - His current term extends through January 9, 2029, and he was re-elected in 2024 without appearing on the ballot. - After law school, Judge Ryan clerked for Honorable Frank J. Magill of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. - focusing on complex civil, constitutional, municipal, and appellate litigation, including pro bono work on free speech and prisoner rights. - Judge Ryan values fairness and hard work, principles he brings to his judicial role, ensuring that every case is treated with importance for the parties involved. - He then attended Georgetown University Law Center, graduating magna cum laude, receiving the Order of the Coif, and serving as Executive Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. - He presides over both criminal and civil cases and has conducted multiple jury trials since joining the bench. - To finance his first year, he worked full-time while attending night classes, reflecting his working-class roots. - Judge Ryan has been active in civic organizations, serving as Chair of Washington Audubon and as a board member of the ACLU of Washington. - He grew up in a union family, with his father being a union electrician, and he has participated in political campaigns and donations, though he maintains a nonpartisan judicial role. - He resides in South Seattle with his wife, two daughters, and a rescue dog. ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-7133c6bd26c80972b86e0d31) — 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](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/GR/GA_GR_16_00_00.pdf). Collected 2026-07-26.