Allison Vanderwood slipped the black robe over her husband’s shoulders after he was sworn in as a Clark County Superior Court judge. Derek Vanderwood zipped up the robe and, looking before the crowd in the public service center, said, “I’ve never had to get dressed in front of people before.”
He’ll don the robe in his new post as judge, but — much to his sons’ disappointment, he said — he won’t be wearing a curly white wig. The 47-year-old Camas resident succeeds Judge John Nichols, who retired last month after 20 years on the bench.
Vanderwood swore under oath to “faithfully and impartially” perform the duties of a judge in a Friday afternoon ceremony attended by three of his five children and some of his extended family.
Throughout his law career, he’s been focused on litigation and helping people, Vanderwood said. More recently, he began aspiring to become a judge and applied when the opening came up. Gov. Jay Inslee interviewed him in January and appointed him to the seat. Previously, Vanderwood was a civil lawyer with English Lane Marshall & Vanderwood. He focused in auto collision, personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice and consumer safety cases and handled cases across county lines and in federal court.
His former coworker, Philip “Casey” Marshall, recalled hiring Vanderwood in 1996. He described Vanderwood as hardworking and meticulous. “It’s been what’s seemed like an all too short 19 years.”
Several months ago, Marshall got a call from the governor’s office.
“I said, ‘I’ve lost too many partners to the bench,’ ” Marshall said with a laugh. “‘Quite frankly, I don’t want you to appoint him. … Now that I’ve got that off my chest, let me tell you why he would make an excellent judge.'”
Judge Daniel Stahnke, who was at the swearing-in ceremony, also used to be part of Marshall’s firm before he got appointed in 2007.
“You’re going to do an outstanding job for the citizens of Clark County,” Stahnke told Vanderwood.
Vanderwood attended various hearings to get a taste of what’s in store for him and began judicial college after the appointment. He sees being a judge as an opportunity to serve the community.
“I will be dedicated to doing my best to respect those who are in the courtroom,” Vanderwood said.
His courtroom will be next to Judge Barbara Johnson’s courtroom.
“He truly seems to me to have a calling to be a judge,” she said.
They won’t be neighbors for long, as she retires at the end of March. Vanderwood, brand new to the bench and to criminal law, will have an even newer neighbor. Vanderwood will need to seek election in November in order to serve out the last two years of Nichols’ four-year term.
Patty Hastings: 360-735-4513; twitter.com/col_cops; patty.hastings@columbian.com
