Dave Larson

David A. Larson (born 1958) is an American attorney and jurist from the U.S. State of Washington. Larson was appointed as city of Federal Way municipal judge in 2008. He was formally elected in 2009 and elected again in 2013. He has never won a contested election.
His long career as a trial lawyer is best known for spearheading the landmark School Fair Funding Case, which was ultimately reversed by the Washington State Supreme Court.
Larson was one of the attorneys who helped prevent the former owners of the Seahawks from moving the team from Seattle.
Early life and education
Larson was born in 1958 and was raised in Federal Way, Washington, where he attended Federal Way Public Schools.
In 2000, Larson unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Washington State Supreme Court. Larson is currently running for Justice for the Washington State Supreme Court.
Larson was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Federal Way Metropolitan Court in 2008. He was formally elected to the same bench in 2009, and elected again in 2013.
Federal Way School Board v. State of Washington
In 2006 the Federal Way School Board brought a lawsuit against the State of Washington to obtain greater income equity for teachers and staff. The lawsuit was nicknamed the Fair Funding action.
Dave Larson was a member of the Federal Way school board during the lawsuit, and with his considerable experience as a trial attorney, Larson was the architect of the Fair Funding lawsuit.
About the school board's motivation for the Fair Funding lawsuit, Dave Larson explained "They're using a 1970s system to fund 21st century expectations."
At the time the lawsuit began against the State of Washington, Federal Way ranked 263 out of the 296 districts in dollars-per-student funding.
Federal Way is the seventh-largest school district in the state. If the district had received the same amount as the highest-funded districts in the state, in the 2006-2007 school year, when the lawsuit was started, Federal Way could have received an additional $11.5 million in funding.
Personal life
Larson married his wife, Debby, in 1982. They have two sons.
Awards, positions, and honors
*2014 Recipient of the Judge William Nevins Justice Award, presented by former Chief Justice Gerry Alexander of the Washington Judge's Foundation
*Member of the Legislative Committee, Technology Committee, and Long-Range Planning Committee of the District and Municipal Court Judges Association (DMCJA)<ref name="Federal Way bio"/>
*Past member of the Rules Committee and the Education Committee.<ref name="Federal Way bio"/>
*DMCJA representative to the Washington State Bar Association Council on Public Legal Education and the DMCJA representative to the Data Management Steering Committee<ref name="Federal Way bio"/>
*Instructor at the Washington State Judicial College<ref name="Federal Way bio"/>
*AV Peer Review Rating as a lawyer. Per Martindale-Hubbell "(An AV Peer Review Rating) is a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him...at the highest level of professional excellence."<ref name="Federal Way bio"/>
*Member of the City of Federal Way Human Services Commission<ref name="Federal Way bio"/>
*Chair of the City of Federal Way Board of Ethics from 1991-94.<ref name="Federal Way bio"/>
*Former Member of the Federal Way School Board<ref name="Federal Way bio"/>
*Former commander of the Civil Air Patrol (Air Force Auxiliary) Squadron at McChord AFB<ref name="Federal Way bio"/>
*Founder of the Aktion Club of Federal Way for disabled people<ref name="Federal Way bio"/>
*Former President of the Washington State Kiwanis<ref name="Federal Way bio"/>
*Former Scout Leader and other positions in the Boy Scouts of America<ref name="Federal Way bio"/>
*Former Little League and Junior Football Coach<ref name="Federal Way bio"/>

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