Judge Bui came to the United States in 1975 as a refugee from Vietnam. She started her American schooling as a second grader at Mercer Crest Elementary School, learning English and American culture. After school, she helped her family maintain and clean the church that sponsored her family to settle in the United States.

Since arriving in Washington State, Judge Bui has never left. She is a graduate of the University of Washington and the University of Puget Sound School of Law (now Seattle University Law School). Her first job as a lawyer was at the Washington Appellate Defender Association handling appeals to the Court of Appeals, Division One, the same court where she now seeks a seat.

Judge Bui continued her appellate work while employed at the Snohomish County Public Defender Association. She helped indigent clients, handled jury trials, and served as the “go-to” person for other lawyers on legal and appellate issues.

Tam’s judicial experience began when she was appointed as an Administrative Law Judge. For four years, she decided civil cases, including family, elderly, employment, and licensing matters. She was elected as a Snohomish County District Judge in 2006, a position she has held since January 2007.

Her 23+ year  tenure as a judge is rooted in her passion for an educated judiciary and her commitment to the equitable and fair administration of justice. Her long judicial record include these accomplishments:

• Establishing the first Mental Health Court in Snohomish County in 2012
• Teaching incoming judicial officers at Washington Judicial College
• Training individuals to serve as substitute (pro tem) judges
• Assisting in the Administrative Office for the Courts interpreter certification process.
• Serving on a workgroup to design a statewide case management system for courts of limited jurisdiction
• Serving on the Washington Judges Foundation Board and distributing grants to fund civics-oriented groups and educational programming
• Mentoring law students, lawyers, and new judges