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Judge Samuel Chung - Superior Court

How to contact a King County Superior Court judge and get ready for your trial or motion.
  • Courtroom Number: W-829
  • Bailiff: Jim Petersen
  • Department: 15
  • Assignment: Criminal

Biography

Judge Chung was appointed to the King County Superior Court bench in May 2014 by Governor Jay Inslee. Since then, he was re-elected in 2015, 2016, 2020 and 2024.

Judge Chung currently is assigned to the Dependency trial rotation at the King County Courthouse at the Clark Children and Family Justice Center on Capitol Hill. He has previously served in the Court’s civil trial rotation, criminal trial rotation and unified family court rotation, and also served at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.

Prior to his appointment on the King County Superior Court, Judge Chung worked in private practice, with focus on contract, real estate and commercial litigation. He began his legal career as an associate at Lane Powell Spears Lubersky, then worked as of-counsel and as a partner at Short Cressman & Burgess. Immediately prior to his appointment, Judge Chung worked as a partner at Lee Anav Chung, LLP.

Judge Chung was born in Seoul, Korea, and moved to the US, New Jersey, with his family when he was 12 years old. He attended Columbia University in New York City, earning his BA in history. He received his JD degree from George Washington University in Washington D.C. During his private practice, Judge Chung also focused on immigrant rights and representing low-income parties in civil litigation. In 1992, he co-founded a pro bono legal clinic for low income and elderly Korean immigrants, and in 1993, Judge Chung served as the founding president of the Korean American Bar Association of Washington. He also served in several local, state, national and international organizations prior to being appointed to the court.

Currently, Judge Chung serves as a trustee on the board of the Superior Court Judges Association of Washington. He has served as the President of the Superior Court Judges Association. He previously served as a co-chair of the King County Superior Court’s Jury Committee, and currently serves on the Court’s Education and Training committee as well as the Courts and Community and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committees.

Updated January 6, 2025

Requests

Rules to review before contacting the court:

Delivering documents to the court

  • Parties are encouraged (required, for attorneys) to use the Clerk’s Office E-Working Copies service.
  • Proposed orders should be submitted in Word format via eWorking Copies.
  • Judge Chung will accept stipulations and agreed orders via email.
  • Please do not email any working copies except Stipulated Orders directly to the Court without prior permission.
  • Any Working Papers over 200 pages must be submitted as hard copies in 3-ring binders.
  • The Curt does not accept delivery of working papers by email.

Dispositive motions and hearing requests

Dispositive motions are heard on Friday mornings. Parties are encouraged to contact the court far in advance of trial to schedule a dispositive motion, as time slots are limited.
Any request for a dispositive motion hearing must be emailed to the court with all parties cc’d and include at minimum:

  • Case number and caption in the subject line
  • Nature of motion

Non-dispositive civil motions

Parties must comply with all the requirements of KCLR 7 and any emergency orders in place when setting motions without oral argument.

Most non-dispositive motions do not require oral argument under the Civil or Local Rules. If a party would like to request oral argument, the motion should be noted pursuant to the applicable court rules, and you may request argument by simply noting in the upper right-hand corner of the working papers “Oral Argument Requested.” If, after reviewing all briefing, the Court determines oral argument is appropriate, the bailiff will contact the parties and set a mutually acceptable time for oral argument.

All motions should be submitted with proposed orders in Word format, submitted via eWorking Copies. Self-represented parties may submit physical working copies to the judge’s mailroom in C-203 at the King County Superior Courthouse clearly marked for Judge Scott.
Copies of signed orders will be delivered to counsel or the parties electronically if email addresses have been provided to the Court.

Appearing via Zoom

  • Court attire is required (suit and tie for males).
  • Log in at least 10 minutes before the meeting time.
  • Watch Virtual Meeting Tips.
  • Ensure your Witnesses and Clients have also watched Virtual Meeting Tips.
  • Practice with each witness/client prior to joining the hearing/trial.

Civil Trials

General trial schedule is Monday through Thursday, 9 am to 4 pm.

Judge Chung will manage all civil cases assigned until trial (including motions, motions for summary judgement and pre-trial conferences.  Your civil trial will be assigned to another judge at the time of trial. The assignment will generally take place on Thursday afternoon prior to trial. You are still required to comply with all court rules regarding pretrial submissions and deadlines. All working papers submitted will be provided to the trial judge at the time of assignment by Judge Chung’s bailiff. To determine what judge you have been assigned to for trial, please check the Civil Standby Calendar. It will be updated on Thursday afternoon prior to trial and is continuously updated (as needed) at other times.

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