Pierce County Superior Court Judge James Orlando has received the 2010 Washington State Association for Justice’s (WSAJ) “Judge of the Year” award. The award was presented to Judge Orlando at the association’s annual Law Day Dinner on May 6. The award is presented to “a judge, who through the exercise of outstanding judicial ruling or leadership, promotes our civil justice system to serve the people.”

“Judge Orlando is respected by all sides of the bar and is a fine example of what a judge should be,” said WSAJ President Brad Fulton. “He has worked hard in Pierce County to reduce the backlog of criminal and civil cases, and has stood up to protect access to justice in our state.”

Judge Orlando is a graduate of the University of Washington and of the University of Puget Sound School of Law. He began service with Pierce County Superior Court as a Commissioner in 1995. In September 2000, then-Gov. Locke appointed him a Judge of the Superior Court. Judge Orlando served as the court’s Presiding Judge in 2003 and 2004. He is a past president of the Fircrest Kiwanis and of the Christopher Columbus Society.

The Washington State Association for Justice formed in 1953 as the National Association of Claimants Compensation Attorneys – NACCA. It became the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association (WSTLA) in 1967 and the Washington State Association for Justice (WSAJ) in 2008.