Background
Mary Alice Theiler was born on August 2, 1949, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. She is the daughter of John Xavier Theiler and Dorothy Catherine (Ager) Theiler.
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Mary Alice Theiler
Edit ProfileEducation
She studied at the University of Michigan, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in 1971. She later earned a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University in 1974.
Career
Mary Alice Theiler began her legal career in 1974 as a staff member at the National Lawyers Guild National Office in New York City, where she worked until 1976, focusing on public interest and civil rights issues.
In 1976, she became a partner at the law firm Smith, Kaplan, Withey, where she practiced until 1979. That same year, she joined the Seattle-based firm Theiler, Douglas, Drachler & McKee as a partner, continuing her legal career in private practice with an emphasis on advocacy and litigation.
From 1988 to 1992, she also served as legal counsel to the Washington State chapter of the National Rainbow Coalition in Seattle, contributing to legal support for social justice and political advocacy initiatives.
She was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 1976, as well as the United States District Court for Washington in the same year. She was admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 1980 and to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1990.
Achievements
Membership
Theiler has held numerous leadership roles within the legal community. She served as president of the Law Center for Economics and Social Justice from 1990 to 1994 and was a member of the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission as well as the Access to Justice Board of the Washington Supreme Court.
She has been actively involved in professional organizations, including serving as president of the National Lawyers Guild from 1980 to 1982. She later became a member of the executive committee of the National Conference of Bar Presidents starting in 1995.
Within Washington State, she has played a significant role in the Washington State Bar Association, serving as a governor since 1996. She was president of the Seattle-King County Bar Association in 1993 and served as its trustee from 1986 to 1989. She also served as president of the Seattle-King County Bar Foundation in 1989.
Her additional affiliations include fellowship in the American Bar Foundation and membership in organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Trial Lawyers Association, the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, and Washington Women Lawyers.
