WASHINGTON, July 21 - Gov. Jay Inslee has announced the appointment of E. Rania Rampersad to the King County Superior Court. She will replace Judge Catherine Shaffer, who retired earlier this month.

Currently, Rampersad serves as a judge on the King County District Court, a position she has held since 2021. Before joining the bench, Rampersad worked as the director of Eleemosynary Legal Services, P.S., a nonprofit organization she founded in 2016. There, she maintained an appellate practice for indigent clients. Rampersad has also worked as a criminal defense attorney and as an assistant attorney general. She began her legal career in Washington as a law clerk to Washington State Supreme Court Justice Barbara Madsen.

ampersad is also involved in the King County community. She currently volunteers with various community organizations and has founded the Joint Minority Mentorship Program, a collaboration of bar associations that provide mentorship to law students from historically marginalized backgrounds. She has also served as president of the South Asian Bar Association of Washington and is the president-elect for the William L. Dwyer American Inn of Court.

“Judge Rampersad is heavily invested in improving the community through the practice of law,” said Inslee. “I’m pleased that she will bring her skills and passion for community service to the King County Superior Court bench.”

Rampersad earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington. She earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.