Seattle U Law promotes two civil rights leaders and adds Justice Mary Yu

Seattle University School of Law has elevated Melissa Lee and Jessica Levin into new top roles at its Center for Civil Rights and Critical Justice and added retired Washington State Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu as distinguished jurist in residence. The moves expand the center’s leadership as it deepens work on state constitutional law, civil rights advocacy and student training.

Why it matters: - Seattle University School of Law is reshaping leadership at its Center for Civil Rights and Critical Justice as civil rights litigation and state constitutional advocacy continue to gain urgency. - The center’s expanded leadership team is designed to strengthen student training, legal research and advocacy on issues tied to inequality, policing, sentencing and access to justice. - The addition of Justice Mary Yu gives the center an influential jurist with deep Washington legal experience and a record on structural inequality.

What happened: - Seattle University School of Law promoted Melissa Lee to executive director and Jessica Levin to senior director of the Center for Civil Rights and Critical Justice, effective immediately. - Lee and Levin previously served as co-directors. - The school said Lee and Levin are the first to hold these newly created positions. - Retired Washington State Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu joined the center as a distinguished jurist in residence.

The details: - Dean Anthony E. Varona said Lee and Levin have long championed equity and constitutional rights in both courtrooms and classrooms. - Lee and Levin helped establish the Center for Civil Rights and Critical Justice and expanded student opportunities through the Civil Rights Clinic and the Calhoun Family Fellowship. - Lee and Levin also played central roles at the center’s predecessor, the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, where they worked for years as staff attorneys and assistant directors. - Working with Civil Rights Clinic students and advocacy partners, Lee and Levin contributed to state constitutional jurisprudence involving juvenile sentencing, race-based prosecutorial misconduct, police seizure, capital punishment and minimum wage protections. - Before joining the faculty, Lee was managing attorney of the Institutions Project at Columbia Legal Services. - Levin completed two appellate clerkships and later practiced civil litigation at Gordon Tilden Thomas & Cordell. - Yu will provide strategic advice on advocacy issues, serve as an ambassador for the center and co-teach courses on state constitutional law and civil rights. - Yu joined the Washington State Supreme Court in May 2014 after more than 14 years as a trial court judge in King County Superior Court. - Before becoming a judge, Yu served as deputy chief of staff to King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng and as a deputy in the Criminal and Civil Divisions. - Yu retired at the end of 2025 after more than 25 years on the bench, including 11 years as a Washington State Supreme Court justice. - Yu was the first Asian, first Latina and first LGBTQ community member to serve on the Washington State Supreme Court. - Yu authored opinions in cases involving racial profiling in police encounters and the bar admission of Seattle University law graduate and state Rep. Tarra Simmons. - Yu said she chose the center because she wants to support legal advocacy on the state constitution and civil rights and work with students.

Between the lines: - The leadership changes suggest Seattle University Law is investing more heavily in state constitutional litigation as a strategy for civil rights work. - Yu’s role also signals a bridge between academic advocacy and the practical influence of a former state high court justice. - Lee’s and Levin’s promotion reflects continuity, not a reset, since both helped build the center and its predecessor over many years.

What's next: - Lee and Levin will lead the center’s day-to-day work under the new structure. - Yu is expected to shape advocacy strategy, teach students and broaden the center’s public profile. - The center will continue focusing on legal reform, civil rights education and research aimed at dismantling systems of oppression and exclusion.

The bottom line: - Seattle University School of Law is expanding the Center for Civil Rights and Critical Justice with veteran internal leaders and a high-profile jurist to deepen its influence on civil rights and state constitutional law.