Stanley C. Soderland (March 15, 1917 – November 28, 2001) was a judge of the
King County Superior Court
The Superior Court of Washington for King County (more commonly, the King County Superior Court) is the largest trial court in Washington state. It is based at the King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, in downtown Seattle, Washington. It als ...
, who clerked for Justice
William O. Douglas
William Orville Douglas (October 16, 1898January 19, 1980) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who was known for his strong Progressivism, progressive and Civil libertarianism, civ ...
of the
U.S. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point ...
.
Early life and education
Stanley Carl Soderland was born in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
, to Carl and Irene Soderland. Stanley grew up on a farm near
Snohomish, Washington
Snohomish is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,098 at the 2010 census. It is located on the Snohomish River, southeast of Everett and northwest of Monroe. Snohomish lies at the intersection of U.S. ...
. In 1936, he graduated from the
University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seat ...
, and was made a member of ''
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...
''. In 1939, Soderland received a LL.B. degree from the
University of Washington School of Law
The University of Washington School of Law is the law school of the University of Washington, located on the northwest corner of the main campus in Seattle, Washington.
The 2023 '' U.S. News & World Report'' law school rankings place Washing ...
, graduating first in his class.
He served as the first full term clerk for Justice William O. Douglas of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1939 to 1940.
Legal career
Soderland practiced personal injury law in Seattle from 1943 to 1964.
In 1964, he was appointed a judge in King County Superior Court and served until his retirement in 1979.
In 1971, he oversaw the grand jury led by prosecutors
Chris Bayley
Christopher T. Bayley served as the King County prosecuting attorney from 1971 to 1979. He remains active in the political, business, and legal communities of Washington state.
Early life and military service
Bayley received his Bachelor of A ...
and
Evan Schwab investigating police payoffs, and helped lead an investigation into poor conditions at the King County Jail, which resulted in a report recommending reforms. Drawing on his years as a trial lawyer, also in 1971 he published pattern jury instructions for use in civil cases. In 1976, the
Washington State Trial Lawyers Association voted him "Judge of the Year."
Family
He was married twice, and had one daughter, Diana Crittendon, and four sons, Stephen, Douglas, David and Carl.
The family resided in the Laurelhurst neighborhood of Seattle, and had a second home on
Shaw Island
Shaw Island is the smallest of the four San Juan Islands served by the Washington State Ferries. The island has a land area of and a small year-round population of 240 ( 2010 census). During the summer time, weekends swell with other re ...
.
See also
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soderland, Stanley C.
1917 births
2001 deaths
University of Washington alumni
University of Washington School of Law alumni
People from Vancouver
Washington (state) state court judges
20th-century American judges
Lawyers from Seattle
Law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States
American people of Canadian descent
Superior court judges in the United States
University of Michigan alumni
20th-century American lawyers
Canadian emigrants to the United States