Faith Ireland

Faith Enyeart Ireland (born September 15, 1942) is an American lawyer, mediator, and former judge in the state of Washington. She was a county trial judge for 15 years before serving as an associate justice on the Washington Supreme Court from 1999 to 2005. Ireland is also a world champion powerlifter.

Early life Faith Enyeart was born on September 15, 1942, in Seattle, Washington. She was raised in neighboring Burien where she graduated from Highline High School in 1960. Following high school she attended the University of Washington in Seattle where she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in 1965. She then graduated from law school at Willamette University College of Law in 1969, earning a Juris Doctor from the Salem, Oregon, school. After discussing the situation with her parents, she went to a special home for single mothers in Colorado where she gave birth. Ireland put the baby up for adoption, in what she called "...one of the worst things that ever happened in my life" and "the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my life." Ireland is married to William (Chuck) Norem.

Legal career Ireland entered private legal practice in Seattle at the law firm of McCune, Godfrey and Emerick where she worked from 1970 until 1973. While on the court she changed her last name to Ireland. Ireland's mother's maiden name was Janice Marcia Ireland.

In 1998, she ran a second time to join Washington's highest court in a bid to replace the retiring James M. Dolliver. In the primary election she finished first out of seven candidates and faced James Foley in the November general election. Ireland defeated Foley in November and won a six-year term on the court. With the election of Mary Fairhurst in 2002, Ireland became part of the only state Supreme Court at that time to have a majority of women.

In 2004, Ireland announced she would not seek re-election, and left the court at the end of her term on January 10, 2005. After several years of unsuccessful physical therapy, Ireland turned to weightlifting to attempt to permanently fix the back pain. Ireland continued to lift and became a powerlifter, participating in competitions in the US, Europe, India, and South America.

Later years In May 2006, Ireland wrote the majority opinion in a case where the state and private parties had sued the state's largest teachers' union for failing to comply with Initiative 134. The initiative, passed in 1992, prohibited unions from spending dues collected by non-members on political issues without first getting their permission.

Ireland and fellow former justice Robert F. Utter sued the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) in 2008 over allegations the BIAW had violated campaign finance laws in its support of Dino Rossi, the Republican candidate for governor.

Running against Democratic incumbent Christine Gregoire, Rossi was accused of encouraging the BIAW to raise campaign funds for him before he had officially announced his candidacy. In April 2016, the plaintiffs settled with BIAW for $582,000. Utter and Ireland received no part of the proceeds. In addition a penalty fee to the State of Washington was assessed.

Civic involvement Ireland is a member of several boards of directors for local community groups. She is the longest serving woman member of Seattle 4 Rotary admitted in 1987, the first month that women were allowed to be members. She has served on its Board of Directors. She was named "Chinese Man of the Year" for her work to help build the Wing Luke Asian Museum, even though she is neither Chinese nor a man.

Other positions in the legal community have included first female president of the state Superior Court Judges Association, president of the local chapter of the American Judicature Society, chairperson of the Superior Court Education Committee, member of the Appellate Judges Education Committee for the State Supreme Court, and the executive committee for the Council on Public Legal Education. Awards include being named as a Distinguished Alumni in 2000 at Willamette University, and a Woman of Distinction by the Puget Sound Business Journal. She received the Judge of the Year and the Carl Maxey award from the Washington State Associatioin for Justice and the Passing the Torch Award and the President's Award from Washington Women Lawyers.