Justice Faith Ireland (Ret.) is highly sought after for her skills in arbitration, mediation and neutral analysis. Justice Ireland has a reputation for quickly getting to the heart of each matter by relating to all parties using empathetic listening skills. She helps parties assess risk and the financial and emotional costs of litigation, and is tenacious in achieving resolution. In addition to her experience as a justice, her tenure as a superior court judge qualifies her as a court- or party-appointed special master or discovery referee. 

Justice Ireland’s 20-plus-year judicial background includes being a justice of Washington State Supreme Court for civil, criminal and constitutional matters, as well as matters relating to the administration of justice in all courts in Washington. While serving as a King County Superior Court judge, she dealt with matters involving criminal felony, civil litigation, juvenile offenders, child welfare and mental illness. Prior to joining JAMS, Justice Ireland spent nearly 15 years as a neutral, offering services such as mediation, arbitration and appellate neutral analysis. While in private practice, as an attorney, her experience included representing insurance carriers, individuals and corporations in tort litigation, business, tax, family law and real estate matters.

Representative Matters

• Business Commercial
• Breach of contract disputes regarding a membership platform that provides business tools for content creators to run a subscription service
• Business dispute involving automobile dealership 
• Consumer credit dispute involving unreasonable account closure
• Partnership dispute that involves intellectual property and breach of fiduciary duties claims between two environmental non-profits
• Mediation of contract, business and investment disputes
• Scott v. Trans-System, Inc., Supreme Court 148 Wash.2d 701
• Trucking company dissolution and survival
• Labriola v. Pollard Group, Inc., Supreme Court 152 Wash.2d 828
  Consideration in noncompete agreement
• Kitsap County v. Mattress Outlet/Gould, Supreme Court 153 Wash.2d 506
  Constitutionality of restriction of commercial speech
• State v. WWJ Corp., Supreme Court 138 Wash.2d 595
  Manifest error of constitutional magnitude in civil cases
• Construction
• Dispute of claims of defective roofing shingles resulted in damage to two properties 
• Neutral analysis of indemnity agreement effect on judgment
• Employment Law
• Title IX education discrimination dispute
• Dispute over final paycheck claim alleging punitive damages and attorney fees
• Claims of employment discrimination 
• Employment discrimination on basis of disability discrimination 
• Employment discrimination on basis of gender & military discrimination 
• Dispute between different govt agencies regarding overtime for employees 
• Employment dispute over compensaton and severance pay 
• Neutral analysis matters
• Wrongful withholding of wages
• Employment discrimination and wrongful termination
• Employment discrimination, intentional interference element
• ERISA constitutional issues
• Arbitrations in cases involving school employment, auto sales employment retaliation, medical employment wrongful termination and breach of contract
• Mediations of matters involving discrimination allegations, wrongful termination and wage disputes
• Retired Public Employees Council of Washington v. Charles, Supreme Court 148 Wash.2d 602
  Benefit plans; employer contribution rates 
• Wingert v. Yellow Freight Systems, Inc., Supreme Court 146 Wash.2d 841 
  Lost wages during overtime
• Drinkwitz v. Alliant Techsystems, Inc., Supreme Court 140 Wash.2d 291 
  Minimum Wage Act; employees’ exempt status
• Estate Probate Trusts
• Trials involving probate including cases with torts litigation and competing heirs.
• Mediations in will contests or intestate succession where stock portfolios, real estate or business interests at issue
• Family Law
• Neutral evaluation of a CR 60 motion to vacate dissolution
• Mediations in  dozens of family law cases involving high-net-worth estates, including disputed values for stock portfolios, real estate,  family-owned businesses or professional practices
• Governmental & Public Agency
• Neutral evaluation in case involving disclosure of records obtained by agency from company
• Neutral evaluation in case involving prevailing-party attorneys’ fees under a public records request
• Neutral evaluation in case involving writ of prohibition against government agency
• King County v. Central Puget Sound Growth Management Hearings Bd., Supreme Court 142 Wash.2d 543
  Zoning and planning; prime agricultural lands
• Benchmark Land Co. v. City of Battle Ground, Supreme Court 146 Wash.2d 685
  Zoning and planning; conditions of development
• Insurance
• Dispute over distribution of life insurance proceeds 
• Neutral evaluation in case involving duty of good faith to investigate as well as policy period condition
• Neutral evaluation in case involving refusal to defend and the Consumer Product Safety Act
• North Pacific Ins. Co. v. Christensen, Supreme Court 143 Wash.2d 43
  Determining operator for purposes of UIM claim
• Ellwein v. Hartford Acc. and Indem. Co., Supreme Court 142 Wash.2d 766
  Bad faith and unfair practices; expert witness
• Hayden v. Mutual of Enumclaw Ins. Co., 141 Wash.2d 55
  Loss of use exclusion regarding loss of crop
• Schwindt v. Commonwealth Ins. Co., Supreme Court 140 Wash.2d 348
  Action against insurer; statute of limitations accrual
• Harris v. Drake, Supreme Court 152 Wash.2d 480
  Insurer work product; privilege for expert
• Personal Injury
• Personal injury dispute involving a dog attack
• Discrimination dispute involving treatment of a minor of Asian descent by a product demonstrator at a big box store 
• Mediations of wrongful death and personal injury cases, including vehicle and aviation cases
• Neutral analysis matters
  • Public property, licensees and liability of property owners to licensees employees
  • Appellate court decision tolling statute; violation of separation of powers
  • Damages in auto case where plaintiff died from unrelated illness
  • Relief from judgment, alleging perjury
  • Scope of new trial for juror misconduct
  • Evidence admissible in childbirth suit
  • Class action case under consumer protection; individual reliance element
  • Consumer protection; apparent manufacturer 
  • Vicarious liability of sellers for defects caused by third parties
• Wagg v. Estate of Dunham, Supreme Court 146 Wash.2d 63
  Action for recovery against insurance proceeds
• Sackett v. Santilli, Supreme Court 146 Wash.2d 498
  Constitutionality of court rule regarding jury trial
• Thompson v. King Feed & Nutrition Service, Inc., Supreme Court 153 Wash.2d 447
  Damages regarding destroyed building
• Philippides v. Bernard, Supreme Court 151 Wash.2d 376
  Wrongful death; financial dependence in loss of consortium action
• Right-Price Recreation, LLC v. Connells Prairie Community Council, Supreme Court 146 Wash.2d 370
  Defamation at government hearing
• Professional Liability
• Mediation of significant professional liability tort matters
• Neutral analysis matters:
  • Medical malpractice, wrongful death and recovery by parent
  • Legal malpractice attorneys’ fees for the subsequent lawsuit
• Miller v. Jacoby, Supreme Court 145 Wash.2d 65
• Need for expert testimony in malpractice claim
• Winbun v. Moore, Supreme Court 143 Wash.2d 206
  Discovery rules in malpractice case
• Real Property
• Neutral evaluation in case involving liability of company for acts of agent
• Neutral evaluation in case involving redemption statute and former condominium lenders
• Neutral evaluation in case involving municipality and eminent domain
• Neutral evaluation in case involving the Washington State Deeds of Trust Act; liability of guarantors
• Grundy v. Thurston County, Supreme Court 155 Wash.2d 1
  Seawater applicability of common enemy doctrine
• Denaxas v. Sandstone Court of Bellevue, L.L.C., Supreme Court 148 Wash.2d 654
  Escrow duties regarding legal description
• Kim v. Lee, Supreme Court 145 Wash.2d 79
  Equitable subrogation; priority of creditors
• Manufactured Housing Communities of Washington v. State, Supreme Court 142 Wash.2d 347
  Eminent domain regarding mobile home parks
• Halverson v. Skagit County, Supreme Court 139 Wash.2d 1
  Damage from levees owned by independent entities; county liability

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

Current Memberships and Affiliations

• Member, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, American Bar Association
• Member, King County Bar Association
• Member, Washington Defense Trial Lawyers
• Member, Washington State Association for Justice
• Admitted to Practice
  • Washington
  • S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
  • Supreme Court of the United States

Professional Service and Training

• Advanced Mediation Practice, Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law, 2005
• Board Member, Law Fund (funding indigent civil legal services, 2004
• Executive Committee Member, Council on Public Legal Education, 2002
• Chair, Judicial Education Committee, Washington State Supreme Court, 2000
• President, Washington Chapter, American Judicature Society, 1997
• Founding Member, Judicial Education Leadership Institute, 1989
• President, Superior Court Judges Association, 1995
• Member, Gender and Justice Task Force, Washington Supreme Court, 1988
• Conference Chair, National Association of Women Judges, 1987
• Board Member, Washington Women Lawyers, 1974
• Board Member, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, 1972

Community Service

• Chair, TVW (statewide public access television), 2005
• Vice-Chair, Sheriff's Blue-Ribbon Panel (seeking performance improvements in King County law enforcement), 2006
• President (1998) and Advisory Board Member, Austin Foundation (enriching the lives of at-risk youth through free fitness training)
• Member, Board of Directors, Seattle No. 4 Rotary, 1999
• President, Wing Luke Asian Museum, 1970

Representative Awards and Honors:

• Carl Maxey Award (promoting diversity), Washington State Association for Justice, 2010
• Judicial Leadership Award, Access to Justice, 2005
• Passing the Torch Award, Washington Women Lawyers, 2004
• Woman of Distinction Award, Puget Sound Business Journal, 2004
• William O. Douglas Award, Washington State Trial Lawyers, 2003
• President's Award, Washington Women Lawyers, 1994
• Distinguished Service Award, Judicial Education Leadership Institute, 1994
• Judge of the Year, Washington State Trial Lawyers, 1991
• Chinese Man of the Year, Chinese Community Service Association (for efforts establishing the Wing Luke Asian Museum), 1972

Representative Publications and Speaking Engagements

• WSBA: Webinar, Sept. 2021
  Appellate Mediation and Fundamentals of Appeal
• JAMS Sponsored Webinar: Dec. 2020
  Ethical Dilemmas in Litigation and ADR
• WSAJ: Auto Deskbook, Vol. II, Oct. 2019
  Chapter 11: Successful Mediation: The Mediator's Perspective
• Seattle University School of Law, Aug. 2019
  Participatory Mediation Practical with Professor Ronald Clark
• WSBA: Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act, Dec. 2018
  Ethics: Competence, Conflicts and Concealment
• KCBA Appellate Section, Oct. 2018
  Using an Appellate Coach to Win in the Supreme Court
• WSBA: Legal Lunchbox, Jan. 2018
  Sex Trafficking Justice: Aspiration, Inspiration, Risk and Reward in the “Impossible” Case
  Ethics Program Originator and Panel Moderator
• WSBA: Trial Advocacy Program, Oct. 2017
  Effective Trial Court Performance: How to Stay Out of Trouble With the Judge and Staff
• WSBA: Cutting-Edge Civil Rights Issues, Nov. 2016
  Panelist: Police Misconduct, Homeless Rights and Prisoners’ Rights
• WSBA: Senior Lawyers, June 2014
  Identity, Learning Theory and the Law
• WSAJ: Wow Conference, June 2011
  Toward Eliminating Bias in the Courtroom 
• Rubric CLE, Oct. 2010
  Democracy Under Citizens United
• WSAJ: and Oregon Trial Lawyers Convention, Aug. 2010
  Overcoming Implicit Bias
• AARP: Diversity and Aging in the 21^st Century, June 2009
  Age Discrimination: Remedies and Resources
• WSBA: Sidebar With the Bench, Dec. 2008
  Effective Mediation Preparation 
• Washington Women Lawyers, Sept. 2008
  Credibility and Gender in the Courtroom
• WSTLA Conference, Aug. 2008
  Finding Justice in Mediation
• WSBA: Civil Settlement Strategies, Sept. 2006
  Mediation: Distributive or Integrative Bargaining

Background and Education

• Owner, Faith Ireland, Just Results, 2005–2019
• Justice, Washington Supreme Court, 1999–2005
• Judge, King County Superior Court, 1983–1999
• Faith Enyeart and Associates, 1974–1984
• McCune, Godfrey & Emerick, 1970–1973
• M.S., with honors, Taxation, Golden Gate University, 1984
• J.D., Willamette University School of Law, 1969
  • Editor, Law Review
• B.A., University of Washington, 1965