Today Gov. Jay Inslee announced the appointment of Meng Li Che to the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division Two. She will replace Judge Lisa Worswick, who is retiring at the end of this month.
Since 2010, Che has worked at the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals (BIIA). She currently serves as an Assistant Chief Industrial Appeals Judge, where she handles workers’ compensation appeals and alleged workplace safety violations. Before joining the BIIA, Che maintained a busy public defense practice with the Pierce County Office of Public Defense and the Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel, representing indigent criminal defendants.
Che is active in the community. From 2011 to 2015, she served on the Board of Trustees and as treasurer for the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts (now Tacoma Arts Live). She is also a senior fellow with the American Leadership Forum, after being a member of Fellow Class XV.
“For years, Meng has built a reputation as an outstanding jurist at the BIIA,” said Inslee. “Her breadth of experience handling these complex administrative matters as a judicial officer, as well as her history as a criminal defense attorney, have prepared her well to tackle the challenging caseload at the Court of Appeals.”
Che earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of San Diego. She obtained her law degree at Seattle University School of Law.