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Accolades have followed Justice Mary Yu ’79 throughout her career, and last spring, it was Dominican University’s turn to honor her.

Yu, a Washington Supreme Court justice since 2014, was presented with an honorary doctorate from the university during Spring Commencement. She was recognized for her dedication to the pursuit of truth and justice, and as a role model for many, particularly those from traditionally marginalized communities.

Yu is the first Asian American, first Latina and first openly identified member of the LGBTQ+ community to serve on the Washington Supreme Court. Prior to this, she served for 14 years as a trial court judge in Washington and was also the former deputy chief of staff in the King County Washington Prosecutor’s Office. In 2012, she officiated the first same-sex marriage in Washington.

In September, Yu announced her plan to retire from the Washington Supreme Court at the end of the year.

Yu has received numerous awards throughout her career recognizing her work in law, leadership and social justice. Most recently she was the recipient of the Outstanding Judge Award from the King County Bar Association and the Champion of Justice Award from the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, both presented in 2024.

The daughter of immigrants from China and Mexico, Yu was the first in her family to attend college, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Rosary College.

Memories of her time at Rosary are rooted in the spaces and people who shaped her education, she says—from the residence halls where “deep, quality conversations” with fellow students made impacts, to Sr. Kaye Ashe, OP, who was influential in opening her mind to “feminist ideas and equality.”

“Dominican University was a key part of my formation experience in terms of challenging me to connect my values to action,” Yu said. “The Dominican Sisters who were my professors and mentors enabled me to recognize that the realization of justice happens through human intervention. That is, we as individuals must be actively working to make justice real wherever we are and in whatever we are doing. I feel my life now is an extension of that awakening.”

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