Hon. Brooke J. Burns is a judge for the Asotin/Columbia/Garfield Superior Court in Washington. She was elected to the bench in 2020 to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Scott Gallina (Ret.). At the time of her election, Burns became the first female Superior Court judge to preside in the three counties.
The judicial district, known as Hells Canyon Circuit, comprises Asotin, Columbia, and Garfield Counties.
Burns received a B.A. in political science from Washington State University in 2002. She then completed a J.D. at Creighton University School of Law in 2006.
After law school, Burns began her legal career in private practice in Clarkston, eventually becoming a partner alongside her legal mentor, Tom Legerwood, in 2013. After his retirement in 2019, Burns maintained a solo practice until joining the Superior Court. During that same time, she served as a commissioner in District and Superior Court cases. Burns also acted as a Guardian ad Litem and a family law mediator.
Her memberships have included the Washington State Bar and the Hells Canyon Bar Association, serving as a past president, vice president, and volunteer member of the Bar’s Library Board.
Burns has supported the Bantam Boosters, Dance Dynamix, the Asotin Middle School Band and Choir, and the Girl Scouts. She also spent time in the Rotary Club.
She was born and raised in Clarkston, Washington.