United States Senate
Kitsap County Superior Court. Photo: Chetsford, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kitsap_County_Courthouse.jpg)
United States Senate
Kitsap County Superior Court. Photo: Chetsford, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kitsap_County_Courthouse.jpg)
Maria Tsao Tu was born on March 21, 1963, in Taipei, Taiwan. She later established her professional career in the United States, becoming licensed to practice law in Washington in 1989 and in Texas in 2004. Her career has included legal practice and public service in both the Pacific Northwest and North Texas.
Tu studied at The Evergreen State College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983. She then attended the University of Puget Sound School of Law and received a Juris Doctor in 1988. She subsequently pursued advanced legal study at the University of Washington, earning a Master of Laws degree in 1990.
Tu began her working life as a correspondence assistant for United States Senator Daniel J. Evans in 1984–1985 and later served as a legal intern with the Washington Education Association from 1986 to 1988. After completing her law degree, she clerked at Kitsap County Superior Court from 1988 to 1989. She joined Williams, Kastner & Gibbs in 1989 and became a partner, remaining with the firm through 1993. From 1995 to 2001, she was president of Yamamoto Sushi. In 2004–2005, she served as an assistant district attorney in the Collin County District Attorney's Office. In 2005 she established the Law Offices of Maria Tu, P.C., in Plano, Texas, where she practices law in areas including criminal, family, immigration, civil, and business matters. Tu has also served in municipal government as a member of the Plano City Council, representing Place 1, and as deputy mayor pro tem.
Tu has been associated with the Washington State Bar Association, Washington Women Lawyers, the Sections of International Law and Young Lawyers, and the Asian American Bar Association. Her professional memberships reflect continuing involvement in bar, women-lawyer, international-law, young-lawyer, and Asian American legal organizations.
Member of the Washington State Bar Association.
Washington State Bar Association , United States
Member.
Washington Women Lawyers , United States
Member of the international-law and young-lawyer sections.
Sections of International Law and Young Lawyers , United States
Member.
Asian American Bar Association , United States
Quotes from others about the person
Clients have described Tu as direct, responsive, and forceful in litigation, and have praised her explanations, personal attention, and commitment to protecting clients' interests.
Tu's professional life connects legal practice in Washington with later private practice and public service in Texas. She has served the public both as an assistant district attorney in Collin County and as an elected member of the Plano City Council.
