About

Work at the Court

Judge Paul M. Crisalli was appointed by the Governor as a superior court judge in 2023. He currently is assigned to a general trial calendar at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. This means he presides over jury and bench trials for all kinds of cases, including criminal matters, commercial and contract disputes, property disputes, and dissolutions, to name a few. With each case, he treats the parties with impartiality, dignity, and respect. He ensures that parties are heard and receive timely, easy-to-understand decisions.

In addition to his caseload, Judge Crisalli serves on the King County Superior Court’s Rules Committee, Personnel Committee, and Technology Committee. He also serves on the Washington State Superior Court Judges Association’s Civil Rules Committee and Education Committee. This work improves court processes and staff and educates judges.

Legal Career

Before joining the bench, Crisalli worked for well over a decade at the Washington Attorney General’s Office, starting in the Labor and Industries’ Division where he handled workers’ compensation appeals, complex worker safety matters, and appellate matters. He co-supervised all superior court matters for that division across the State.

In 2018, he moved to the Complex Litigation Division within the Attorney General’s Office, where he served as the division’s statewide appellate adviser and co-chair of the office-wide Ethics Committee. At the Complex Litigation Division, Crisalli worked on campaign finance enforcement, worker safety, protection of reproductive health care, immigration rights, and recovery of damages for wildfires and fraudulently stolen pandemic unemployment benefits. He litigated in superior court matters around the State, the State Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, federal trial courts, and the Ninth Circuit. He also frequently presented Continuing Legal Education programs on litigation and ethics to fellow attorneys at the Attorney General’s Office.

Crisalli started his legal career when he externed for three years for Justice Paul J. De Muniz of the Oregon Supreme Court while an undergraduate student at Willamette University. After obtaining his bachelors’ degree in Politics and Economics, Judge Crisalli attended the University of Oregon School of Law. During law school, he clerked for the Oregon Department of Justice, working first in the Trial Division and then in the Appellate Division. As a law student, he argued several times before the Oregon Court of Appeals, and assisted on briefs to the Oregon and federal trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

After graduation, Judge Crisalli clerked for Justice Mary E. Fairhurst of the Washington Supreme Court. He then worked in private practice at two boutique firms, first handling real estate and trust and estate matters, and later working on appellate matters. He also clerked for Judge Joel Penoyar of Division II of the Court of Appeals, as well as Commissioners Eric Schmidt and Aurora Bearse.

Ratings

  • Latino/a Bar Association of Washington, Exceptionally Well Qualified
  • King County Bar Association, Well Qualified
  • QLAW, Well Qualified
  • Joint Asian Judicial Evaluation Committee, Well Qualified
  • The Cardozo Society, Well Qualified

Education

  • Willamette University, B.A. in Politics and Economics, cum laude (2005); American University Washington Semester Program with focus on Public Law (2003)
  • University of Oregon School of Law, J.D. (2008)

Community Engagement

  • Washington State Bar Association Rules and Procedures Committee, Past Chair
  • Washington State Bar Association Judicial Recommendations Committee, Past Chair
  • King County Bar Association Board of Trustees, Past Secretary
  • King County Bar Association Membership Committee, Past Chair
  • King County Bar Association Appellate Section, Past Chair
  • William Dwyer Inn of Court, Member
  • Programs to educate youth about the courts, organizer and panelist

Personal

Judge Crisalli lives in Seattle and enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters. His free time is spent improving (or improvising) recipes and enjoying outdoor activities in the Pacific Northwest.