June 24, 2026

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit have selected Corey Endo as the next federal public defender for the Western District of Washington. She succeeds Rene Valladares, federal public defender for the District of Nevada, who served as interim defender after former defender Colin Fieman entered private practice in January 2026. Endo began her four-year term on June 17.

Endo joined the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington in 2005 and has served as a research and writing attorney, assistant FPD, and, most recently, first assistant FPD. In these roles, she has handled direct appeals, federal habeas litigation and complex federal criminal cases, including challenges to the Bureau of Prisons' implementation of the First Step Act and prolonged immigration detention.

Endo earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology and society from Cornell University in 1995. She received her Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law in 2002, graduating magna cum laude and Order of the Coif.

The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington is headquartered in Seattle and maintains a branch office in Tacoma. The office employs approximately 54 staff members, including attorneys, paralegals, investigators and administrative personnel. In fiscal year 2025, the office opened 1,204 cases and closed 1,136 cases.