John H. Chun

John Hyungseung Chun (born 1970) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington since 2022. He previously served as a judge on the Washington Court of Appeals, Division One, from 2018 to 2022, and on the King County Superior Court from 2014 to 2018. Chun is the first Asian American man to serve as a district judge on the Western District of Washington.

Early life and education Chun was born in 1970 in Portland, Oregon, to parents who immigrated from South Korea. He then attended Cornell Law School, where he served as a note editor and associate editor of the Cornell Law Review. He received his Juris Doctor in 1994, becoming the first member of his family to graduate from law school.

Legal career Judicial clerkship After law school, Chun served as a law clerk to Judge Eugene A. Wright of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1994 to 1995. He worked at Mundt MacGregor from 1995 to 2005, first as an associate and then as a partner beginning in 2002. He also argued before the Washington Supreme Court in Piel v. City of Federal Way (2013), defending the city against a wrongful termination claim, though the court ruled against the city 4–3.

From 2002 to 2005, Chun served as an adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law.

In 2003, while at Mundt MacGregor, Chun co-authored an amicus curiae brief to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the King County Bar Association in Grutter v. Bollinger, supporting universities' use of race-conscious admissions policies.

State judicial service King County Superior Court On December 13, 2013, Governor Jay Inslee appointed Chun to the King County Superior Court. He won re-election unopposed in 2014 and 2016.

In a notable ruling, Chun rejected a challenge to Washington's charter school initiative, ruling that the lottery funding mechanism did not divert funds from public schools. His decision was affirmed by the Washington Supreme Court in El Centro de la Raza v. State (2018).

Washington Court of Appeals On June 29, 2018, Governor Inslee appointed Chun to the Washington Court of Appeals, Division One. and State v. Daniels (2019), holding that a trial court judge could not admit a defendant into Drug Diversion Court over the prosecutor's objection.

Federal judicial service Nomination and confirmation

On September 30, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Chun to serve as a United States district judge for the Western District of Washington. His nomination was recommended by Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell through Murray's bipartisan judicial merit selection committee.

On March 16, 2022, the Senate voted 50–45 to invoke cloture on the nomination.

Notable cases FTC v. Amazon.com (antitrust) In September 2023, the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, alleging the company maintained illegal monopoly power in online retail and marketplace services (Case No. 2:23-cv-01495).

On September 30, 2024, Chun issued a ruling on Amazon's motion to dismiss, allowing nearly all 20 counts to proceed, including all federal antitrust claims under Sherman Act Section 2. The claims addressed Amazon's pricing algorithm known as "Project Nessie," Fulfillment by Amazon tying practices, "Buy Box" allocation, and anti-discounting policies.

On May 28, 2024, Chun issued a 49-page opinion denying Amazon's motion to dismiss, allowing the case to proceed against both the company and three senior executives. Chun found the President exceeded his constitutional authority in ordering documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration forms and requiring all mail ballots be received by Election Day.

Professional memberships Chun has served on the boards of the King County Bar Association and the Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington. He is a member of the Korean American Bar Association of Washington, the Asian Bar Association of Washington, and the International Association of Korean Lawyers. He has chaired the Washington State Center for Court Research Advisory Board and served on the Court of Appeals Rules Committee and the advisory board of the Judicial Institute.

Awards and recognition Chun received a "Well Qualified" rating from the American Bar Association Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary. He received the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from Catlin Gabel School in 2020 and the Community Leadership Award from the Korean American Bar Association of Washington in 2007. He was named a "Washington Litigation Star" by Benchmark Litigation in 2014 and a "Top 100 Washington Super Lawyer" by Super Lawyers in 2007, 2011, and 2013.

Personal life Chun resides in Seattle with his wife and children. He has served on the board of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance and has performed pro bono legal work throughout his career.