Governor appoints new Thurston Co. Superior Court judge. He starts Thursday
Gov. Bob Ferguson announced the appointment of Kelly Wood to the Thurston County Superior Court on Wednesday, filling the vacancy left by Judge Carol Murphy’s retirement.
Wood’s appointment goes into effect Thursday.
The July 1 press release marked the first public announcement of Murphy’s retirement, which comes after 34 years of public service. Murphy served on the Thurston County bench for 17 years.
Wood has litigated environmental causes for Washington state for much of his career, and currently serves as the managing assistant attorney general for the state Department of Ecology. Wood, who has been with the Attorney General’s Office for 18 years, led Washington’s case in the federal Clean Water Act.
“Kelly Wood has done extraordinary work litigating some of the most significant issues facing the State of Washington,” Governor Ferguson said in Wednesday’s press release. “I worked closely with Kelly for many years at the Attorney General’s Office. He is an excellent lawyer and will make an excellent Thurston County judge.”
After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees with honors from the University of North Texas, Wood received his law degree with high honors from Seattle University School of Law.
Wood moved to Olympia from Seattle in 2008. He and his wife, Jocelyn, parent a college sophomore and an Olympia High School junior. In between periods with the Attorney General’s Office, Wood worked as a litigator for the Olympia law firm Phillips Burgess, which is now Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess.
Beyond the courtroom, Wood has served as a volunteer attorney for the free legal service now known as Sound Legal Aid, and as president for Friends of Capitol Forest, an organization aimed at improving South Sound recreation.
“I am humbled and honored by this appointment,” Wood said in Wednesday’s press release. “The Thurston County bench has a long tradition of integrity and rigorous legal analysis, and I am committed to carrying both forward.”
