Helen Whitener


Grace Helen Whitener is a Trinidadian-American attorney and jurist who serves as an Associate Justice of the Washington Supreme Court. Whitener was nominated by Governor Jay Inslee on April 13, 2020 to fill the seat of retiring justice Charles K. Wiggins.

Early life and education

Whitener was born and raised in Trinidad. She moved to the United States when she was 16 to receive medical care. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in International Marketing and Trade from Baruch College, followed by a Juris Doctor from the Seattle University School of Law.

Legal career

After graduating from law school, Whitener worked as a public defender, prosecutor, and private defense attorney.

State judicial service

She served as a judge on the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals for two years and then on the Pierce County Superior Court from 2015 to 2020, having been appointed by Governor Inslee and elected unopposed in 2015 and 2016.

Washington Supreme Court

On April 13, 2020, she was appointed to the Washington Supreme Court by Governor Jay Inslee. She will run for election in 2020 for the remaining two years of Wiggins's term.

Personal life

She is the first black LGBTQ judge in Washington and second black member of the Washington Supreme Court after Charles Z. Smith. She also identifies as disabled and her appointment represents the Supreme Court becoming more reflective of the state's diversity. She is co-chair of the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission.
Whitner is married to Lynn Rainey, a fellow graduate of the Seattle University School of Law and LGBTQ activist.