Honorable Anita Crawford-Willis

Elected Term of Office: Jan. 2023 - Jan. 2027

Judge Anita Crawford-Willis was appointed to the Seattle Municipal Court bench in 2017 after nearly 30 years in public service as a Public Defender, Judge Pro Tem, and assistant deputy chief at the Office of Administrative Hearings. In the role at OAH, she ran the Seattle office (the largest in the state), which included supervising judges and staff.

A native of Seattle, Judge Crawford-Willis grew up in the Central District. Both of her parents were proud members of the Machinists Union (IAM 751) and worked on the Boeing production line for 35 years. As a graduate of Seattle University and its Law School, she has been a dedicated alumni leader—mentoring and empowering students to pursue their goals. Judge Crawford-Willis has been honored with numerous awards for her work and is currently a member of the SU's Board of Trustees. She is also the chair-elect for the District and Municipal Court Association. Until recently, Judge Crawford-Willis served as a commissioner on the Washington State Supreme Court’s Gender and Justice Commission. In 2022, she was the recipient  of the Outstanding Judge Award at the Washington State Bar Association's 2022 APEX Awards.

Judge Crawford-Willis and her husband, Pervis Willis, are the parents of a daughter and reside in South Seattle.