• Courtroom Number: W-864
• Bailiff: Christine Robinson
• Department: 20
• Assignment: Criminal

Biography

Judge Amini was appointed to the King County Superior Court bench on May 2, 2013, by Governor Jay Inslee. She assumed the position previously occupied by Judge Michael Heavey, who retired from the bench in January of that year.

Judge Amini was born in Iran and developed a love for the American legal system early in life. A graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law, Judge Amini began her legal career as a public defender for Associated Counsel for the Accused in south King County. Four years later, in 1994, she opened her own law practice in downtown Bellevue, focusing first on criminal defense but later expanding into family and immigration law. She represented clients from more than 50 countries in matters ranging from complex dissolution and custody disputes to asylum and Violence Against Women Act petitions. In 1994, Judge Amini also began serving as a Pro Tem Judge in King County.

In addition to her legal career, Judge Amini has served as a Hearing Officer for the Washington State Bar Association and as a trustee of the King County Bar Association. She also has served as a trustee of the Overlake Hospital Foundation, as a Human Services Commissioner for the city of Bellevue, and as a Rotarian. In 2010, she was honored by Northwest Asian Magazine as a Woman of Color Empowered.

Judge Amini is the first judge of Middle Eastern descent in Washington State history.