Chun practiced law in Seattle,Washington,for nearly two decades,focusing on commercial and employment litigation.[6] He worked at Mundt MacGregor from 1995 to 2005,first as an associate and then as a partner beginning in 2002.[2][1] He then served as a partner at Preston Gates &Ellis (now K&L Gates) from 2005 to 2006,before joining Summit Law Group P.L.L.C. as a member from 2006 to 2013.[2][1]
During his time in private practice,Chun represented clients in cases before the Washington Supreme Court and the Washington Court of Appeals.[6] In Kamaya Co. v. American Property Consultants,Ltd. (1998),he successfully argued that certain contract claims should be arbitrated.[7] 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.[8]
On December 13,2013,GovernorJay Inslee appointed Chun to the King County Superior Court.[6] He began serving in February 2014,handling civil,criminal,and family law matters.[2][11] He won re-election unopposed in 2014 and 2016.[12]
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).[6][13]
Washington Court of Appeals
On June 29,2018,Governor Inslee appointed Chun to the Washington Court of Appeals,Division One.[2][12] He ran unopposed to retain his seat in the November 2019 election.[12]
Notable appellate rulings included Zaitzeff v. City of Seattle (2021),in which Chun upheld Seattle's "dangerous knife" ordinance as not violating the Second Amendment as applied to a defendant carrying a sword,[14] 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.[15]
Federal judicial service
Nomination and confirmation
Chun testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee
On September 30,2021,PresidentJoe Biden announced his intent to nominate Chun to serve as a United States district judge for the Western District of Washington.[16] His nomination was recommended by Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell through Murray's bipartisan judicial merit selection committee.[9][11]
On November 17,2021,a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[12] During the hearing,Chun was questioned by Republican senators about his 2003 amicus brief in Grutter v. Bollinger supporting race-conscious university admissions.[10] On January 20,2022,the committee voted 12–10 to report his nomination favorably to the full Senate—the narrowest margin among nominees considered that day.[10]
Chun's nomination was initially submitted on September 30,2021,but was returned to the President on January 3,2022,under Senate Rule XXXI,Paragraph 6,due to the Senate's sine die adjournment. Biden renominated him the same day.[12][17]
On March 16,2022,the Senate voted 50–45 to invoke cloture on the nomination.[12] On March 23,2022,the Senate confirmed Chun by a vote of 49–47,largely along party lines.[1][5] He received his judicial commission on March 30,2022,and was sworn in on April 11,2022,by Chief District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez at the United States Courthouse in Seattle.[1][18]
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.[19][20] The claims addressed Amazon's pricing algorithm known as "Project Nessie," Fulfillment by Amazon tying practices,"Buy Box" allocation,and anti-discounting policies.[20] He dismissed some state consumer protection claims from New Jersey,Pennsylvania,Oklahoma,and Maryland.[19] Chun also granted the FTC's request to bifurcate the case into separate liability and remedies phases.[20] Trial is scheduled for October 2026.[20]
FTC v. Amazon.com (Prime subscription)
In a separate case,the FTC alleged that Amazon used "dark patterns"—deceptive user interface designs—to trick consumers into enrolling in Amazon Prime subscriptions and made cancellation unnecessarily difficult (Case No. 2:23-cv-00932).[21]
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.[21] He found the FTC had plausibly alleged Amazon made enrollment substantially easier than cancellation and could potentially be subject to civil penalties under the FTC Act.[21]
State of Oregon v. Trump
On January 17,2026,Chun issued a 75-page ruling blocking key provisions of President Donald Trump's Executive Order 14248,which imposed requirements on federal election administration.[22][23] 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.[22]
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.[9] 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.[9][11] 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.[9]
Awards and recognition
Chun received a "Well Qualified" rating from the American Bar Association Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary.[12] 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.[1][9] 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.[1]
Personal life
Chun resides in Seattle with his wife and children.[5] He has served on the board of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance and has performed pro bono legal work throughout his career.[11][5]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
