List of Gonzaga University School of Law alumni

This is a list of notable alumni of the Gonzaga University School of Law.

Famous Gonzaga University School of Law Graduates

Catherine Cortez Masto '90, U.S. Senator (Nevada); 32nd Attorney General of Nevada Christine Gregoire '77, 22nd Governor of Washington; 16th Attorney General of Washington Frank Burgess '66, U.S. District Judge and NBA draft pick

Federal Judges

U.S. District Judges

• Franklin D. Burgess, class of 1966, Western District of Washington (1994–2005);^[1] 1961 NBA draft pick
• William James Lindberg, class of 1927, Eastern District of Washington (1951–1961),^[2] Western District of Washington (1951–1981)^[2]
• Robert James McNichols, class of 1952, Eastern District of Washington (1979–1993)^[3]
• Justin Lowe Quackenbush, class of 1957, Eastern District of Washington (1980–1995),^[4] Lecture Series Namesake^[5]
• Thomas O. Rice, class of 1986, Eastern District of Washington (2012–present)^[6]

U.S. Bankruptcy Judges

• L. Warden Hanel, class of 1939, Eastern District of Washington (1973–1981), Scholarship Namesake
• John M. Klobucher, class of 1956, Eastern District of Washington (1981–1997)
• Frank L. Kurtz, class of 1974, Ninth Circuit U.S. Bankruptcy Appellate Panel (2013–2019), Eastern District of Washington (2005–2019)
• Madeleine C. Wanslee, class of 1988, District of Arizona (2014–present)^[7]
• Patricia C. Williams, class of 1975, Eastern District of Washington (1997–2013)

Other countries

• Beauleen Carl-Worswick, Micronesian Supreme Court judge

State Judges

Supreme Court Justices

• Edward M. Connelly, class of 1915, Washington Supreme Court (1946-1947)
• Christopher Dietzen, class of 1973, Minnesota Supreme Court (2008–2016)^[8]
• Mary Fairhurst, class of 1984, Washington Supreme Court (2002–2020);^[9] Washington State Bar Association President (1997–1998)^[10]
• Meagan Flynn, class of 1992, Oregon Supreme Court (2017–present)^[11]
• Richard P. Guy, class of 1959, Washington Supreme Court (1989–2001)^[12]
• Barbara Madsen, class of 1977, Washington Supreme Court (1992–present)^[13]
• Mike McGrath, class of 1975, Montana Supreme Court (2009–present),^[14]
• Debra L. Stephens, class of 1993, Washington Supreme Court (2008–present)^[15]
• William H. Williams, class of 1951, Washington Supreme Court (1979-1985)^[16]

From 2008–2020, with Madsen, Fairhurst, and Stephens concurrently serving on the Washington Supreme Court, Gonzaga University School of Law became the law school whose alumni constituted a majority of that Court's justices. Each of those justices also served as chief justice in succession (Madsen then Fairhurst then Stephens).

Court of Appeals Judges

• Cecily Hazelrigg, class of 2005, Washington Court of Appeals, Division I (2019–present)^[17]
• Debra L. Stephens, class of 1993, Washington Court of Appeals, Division III (2007–2008)
• Philip J. Thompson, class of 1962, Washington Court of Appeals, Division III (1983-1997)

District Court Judges

• Patrick T. Johnson Jr., class of 1998, Spokane County District Court, Position 1 (2018–present)^[18]

Municipal Judges

• Thomas P. Amodeo, class of 1976, Buffalo City Court (1994–present)^[19]

Politicians

Executive Branch

Governors and Lt. Governors

• Christine Gregoire, class of 1977, 22nd Governor of Washington (2005–2013)^[20]

Attorneys General

• Christine Gregoire, class of 1977, 16th Attorney General of Washington (1993–2005)^[20]
• Catherine Cortez Masto, class of 1990, 32nd Nevada Attorney General (2007-2014)^[21]
• Mike McGrath, class of 1975, 22nd Attorney General of Montana (2000-2008)^[14]

United States Attorneys

• Edward M. Connelly, class of 1915, Eastern District of Washington (1942-1946)
• James P. Connelly, class of 1953, Eastern District of Washington (1993-2000)^[22]
• William D. Hyslop, class of 1980, Eastern District of Washington (1991-1993, reappointed 2019-present);^[23] Washington State Bar Association President (2015-2016)
• James A. McDevitt, class of 1974, Eastern District of Washington (2001-2009)^[24]
• Michael C. Ormsby, class of 1981, Eastern District of Washington (2010-2017)^[25]
• Jeffrey C. Sullivan, class of 1971, Western District of Washington (2007-2010)^[26]

Other Executive Branch Officials

• Richard A. Davey, class of 1999, Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation (2011-2014)^[27]
• Jim Ferrell, class of 1993, Mayor of Federal Way, Washington (2014–present)^[28]
• Dennis P. Hession, class of 1979, 42nd Mayor of Spokane, Washington (2005-2007)
• Christopher Loeak, class of 1982, 6th President of the Marshall Islands (2012-2016)^[29]
• Mike Pellicciotti, class of 2004, Washington State Treasurer (2021-present)
• Mary Verner, class of 1999, 43rd Mayor of Spokane, Washington (2007–2011)^[30]

Legislative Branch

United States Senate

• Catherine Cortez Masto, class of 1990, U.S. Senator from Nevada (2017–present)^[31]

United States House of Representatives

• Lloyd Meeds, class of 1958, U.S. Congressman from Washington (second district) (1965–1979)^[32]
• George Nethercutt, class of 1971, U.S. Congressman from Washington (fifth district) (1995–2005)^[33]

State Senates

• Jeff Holy, class of 1989, Senator, Washington State Senate (District 6) (2019–present); State Representative, Washington House of Representatives (District 6) (2013–2019)
• Mike Padden, class of 1974, Senator, Washington State Senate (District 4) (2011–present)

State Houses of Representatives

• Gary Hebl, class of 1976, State Representative, Wisconsin State Assembly (District 46) (2004–present)
• Mike Pellicciotti, class of 2004, State Representative, Washington House of Representatives (District 30) (2016–present)
• Jay Rodne, class of 1997, State Representative, Washington House of Representatives (District 5) (2004–2019)
• Matt Shea, class of 1996, State Representative, Washington House of Representatives (District 4) (2009–present)
• V. Lowry Snow, class of 1979, Speaker pro tempore/State Representative, Utah House of Representatives (District 74) (2012–2022); Utah State Bar President (2007)^[34]

Educators

• Michael Farris, class of 1976, Founder and Chancellor emeritus of Patrick Henry College,^[35] President/CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom (2017–present)
• Milton G. Rowland, class of 1985, Washington State Bar Association Lifetime Service Award Recipient,^[36] Namesake for Milton G. Rowland Adjunct Professor of the Year Award

Business Leaders

• Nancy Allen, class of 2015, Co-founder of Stay Alfred Vacation Rentals
• Kelly Cline, class of 1985, Exec. Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, Entertainment for Fox Networks Group (FX, Fox Movie Channel, National Geographic Channel, and NG Wild)^[37]
• Uri Clinton, class of 1997, Exec. Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Boyd Gaming^[38][39] and adjunct professor at William S. Boyd School of Law^[40]
• Jim Parke, class of 2006, CEO for OtterBox^[41] and Blue Ocean Enterprises Inc.
• Frederick Rivera, class of 1993, Exec. Vice President and General Counsel for Seattle Mariners^[42][43]
• Bob Schroeter, class of 1990, CEO of Clallam County Economic Development Corporation (2017-2018)^[44]

Other

• Daniel D. Clark, class of 2002, first President-Elect of the Washington State Bar Association with a major disability and career as a county deputy prosecuting attorney^[45]
• Patrick J. Conroy, attended 1972-1973 but did not graduate, 60th Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives (2011–present)^[46]
• Bing Crosby, attended 1922-1924 but did not graduate, Academy Award Winner, Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee^[47]
• Chad Little, class of 1988, NASCAR Winston West Series Champion (1987) and Director for Camping World Truck Series^[48][49]
• Paul N. Luvera, class of 1959, American Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame Inductee^[50]
• Carl Maxey (1951), civil rights leader in the Pacific Northwest
• Katherine Merck, class of 2017, first Miss Rodeo America from Washington^[51]
• Bill Nyrop, class of 1986, Three-time Stanley Cup winning Defenseman for the Montreal Canadiens
• Joe Sullivan, class of 1985, President of the National Conference of Bar Presidents (2022–23, anticipated); State Bar of Montana President (2010–11)
• Jim Wickwire, class of 1967, World-class mountain climber; First American to summit K2^[52]
• Dennis P. Thompson, Class of 1994, Attorney to the Stars; Best Water Skier in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho