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Alexander is joining the Olympia law firm of Bean, Gentry, Wheeler & Peternell, PLLC. He made the announcement Wednesday night at a retirement celebration in the Temple of Justice on the Capitol Campus attended by more than 400 friends and colleagues.
Alexander is leaving the state’s highest court at the end of the year because he has reached the mandatory retirement age of 75, a requirement spelled out in the state constitution.
Born in Aberdeen but a resident of Olympia since 1942, Alexander last practiced law in Olympia in 1973, just before he was appointed to the Thurston-Mason County Superior Court by then-Gov. Dan Evans.
“I loved being a judge from the moment I was sworn in,” Alexander told the crowd. First elected to the state’s highest court in 1994 and the longest-serving chief justice in state history, Alexander has to leave office with one year remaining on his third, six-year term.
He will maintain an office in the law firm’s main office on Olympia’s west side, joining seven other attorneys, including two old friends – longtime Olympia law firm partners Steve Bean and Fred Gentry.
“We are honored that Justice Alexander has chosen to pursue the next phase of his legal career with our firm,” said Mark Wheeler, the firm’s co-managing member.
Alexander said he plans to offer several services to the firm’s clients, including mediation, arbitration and consulting work on appellate court briefs. In an earlier interview, the justice said he also is interested in serving as a judge pro tem.
Alexander will start his new job in early 2012, after he wraps up his work on Supreme Court cases he has heard but not yet issued opinions on.
John Dodge: 360-754-5444
jdodge@theolympian.com
