September 11, 2026

Yakima County Superior Court

Black Horse

Gov. Bob Ferguson announced the appointment of Bree Black Horse to the position of Yakima County Superior Court Judge. Black Horse's appointment fills the new position created by a law signed by Ferguson earlier this year. This is the first new position added to the Yakima County Superior Court since 1998.

Black Horse is a career litigator with more than 12 years of experience handling criminal and civil cases in federal, state and Tribal courts. She currently practices at the law firm of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, where she represents Tribal governments and enterprises in complex civil litigation and governmental matters. She also serves as director and adjunct professor of law for the Seattle University School of Law Central Washington Hybrid Hub and leads its Pipeline Initiative, a regional partnership between Seattle University School of Law, Heritage University in Toppenish and the AccessLex Institute focused on expanding access to legal education and addressing the shortage of attorneys in Central Washington.

Black Horse previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, where she became the first regional prosecutor in the Northwest dedicated to addressing cases involving Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). Based in Yakima, she served the U.S. Justice Department's Northwest Region, covering Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and California.

Black Horse also served as a public defender and legal aid attorney for the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, where she represented Tribal members in criminal proceedings and a broad range of civil matters, including family law, probate, housing and public benefits. Earlier in her career, Black Horse served as a law clerk to U.S. District Court Chief Judge Brian Morris in the District of Montana.

Black Horse earned her bachelor's degree from Seattle Pacific University and received her law degree from Seattle University School of Law, where she co-founded and served as editor-in-chief of the American Indian Law Journal.