Judge Dean Lum, Sustaining Washington Life Fellow and Washington State Co-Chair is currently an arbitrator, mediator, special master/referee and neutral evaluator for JAMS in their Seattle office. Prior to joining JAMS, he spent 23 years on the King County (Seattle) Superior Court as a trial judge, where he presided over hundreds of civil trials, heard thousands of civil motions and conducted dozens of settlement conferences. He also spent time as a deputy prosecutor and was a founding shareholder of a mid-sized Seattle litigation defense firm. He was the President of the Asian Bar Association of Washington (1992) and received the 2002 Trailblazer Award from the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.
Q: What does being an ABF Fellow mean to you?
In addition to supporting some great ABF work, the Fellows offers a tremendous opportunity to connect with and exchange ideas with dedicated, interesting and interested lawyers, judges, researchers and other professionals across the country. Many of us reflect on the irony of lack of connection in our supposedly connected world, but the Fellows offer a tangible way to make those personal connections which we all need to thrive.
Q: Where do you consider your hometown and what is your favorite thing about it?
I came to Seattle at age 9 months from Hong Kong and grew up here, so Seattle is home. Its natural beauty, cultural, racial diversity, and presence on the Pacific Rim are pluses for me. And the rain isn’t as bad as everyone says it is.
Q: Why did you decide to pursue a career in law?
Like many people, I had a particularly inspirational teacher in high school. He was a former lawyer who taught a Law & Society class and opened my eyes to the possibility of having an interesting and rewarding career helping people.
Q: If you hadn’t pursued a career in law, what would you have done?
My father owned the Four Seas Restaurant in Seattle’s Chinatown/International District, so I grew up working in the business from an early age. He wanted me to take over when he retired, and he was fine with me taking a different path, but I suspect I would have been in the hospitality industry had the law not worked out. However, the problem-solving and people skills I picked up in the restaurant have proved invaluable to my career first as a lawyer and judge and now as a mediator at JAMS, so a bit of the Four Seas is with me still.
Q: What do you do in your free time?
My wife and I love to travel, and with a restaurant background, food is usually involved in our travel adventures. We do some international travel, but we’re also trying to see all 50 states (I’m on 48).
Q: Who is your professional hero?
Former Washington State Governor Gary Locke was a few years ahead of me at Franklin High School. I followed his trailblazing career as a lawyer, legislator, governor, US Commerce Secretary and US Ambassador to China and he has always been a role model not only for us in the Asian American Native Hawaii Pacific Islander community but for many others. He has been a huge supporter and mentor and has encouraged me all along the way.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share with us?
I’m really looking forward to serving as Washington Co-Chair with Kari Petrasek. Several events are already in the works, so stay tuned for a fun and informative year.