John McKay, JD’82

John McKay works passionately to make the legal system a “justice” system for all. In a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years, there is ample testimony to his courageous efforts to bring equal access to justice for all citizens.

A former White House Fellow and managing partner of a Seattle law firm, he went on to serve as president of the Legal Services Corporation in Washington, D.C., a Congressionally chartered nonprofit delivering civil legal services to low-income citizens throughout the United States. He served as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington from 2001 to 2007, and the Washington State Bar Association’s chair of the Equal Justice Coalition. He is currently a professor of law at Seattle University, teaching Constitutional Law, legal ethics, and national security and terrorism.

In 2013, he accepted an assignment from the U.S. State Department to spend 18 months in the West Bank helping Palestinians set up their court system in preparation for statehood. He assists the courts, prosecutors and police in promoting security, public safety and human rights. The rule of law, he believes, can be an “instrument of peace” in that troubled region.

His efforts have earned him many accolades, including the Washington State Bar Association’s Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year award in 1995, its highest award for distinguished service in 2001, and the Department of the Navy’s highest civilian award for innovative leadership in Federal law enforcement. He has also been awarded the Charles A. Goldmark Award for Distinguished Service and the Judge Learned Hand Award from the American Jewish Committee in Seattle.

He has never been afraid to speak up for those who need access to the legal system, or to speak out against inequities that deny justice. He urges law students to maintain their integrity and never be afraid to speak up when others don’t, lest justice be lost because of their silence.