The public is invited as Phil Sorensen is sworn in as a Pierce County Superior Court judge on Thursday, April 3.

The ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. in Courtroom 100 of the County-City Building, 930 Tacoma Ave S. A reception will follow.

Sorensen was appointed to the bench in early March by Gov. Jay Inslee. He fills a seat vacated when Superior Court Judge Linda Lee was appointed to the Washington State Court of Appeals.

Sorensen spent the past 24 years with the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s office, most recently as chief criminal deputy. He began his tenure in the family support division and has served with multiple units, including the drug and robbery/assault sections. He has prosecuted numerous high profile cases, including the Tacoma Mall shooter and the getaway driver for Maurice Clemmons, the man who killed four Lakewood police officers.

Sorensen earned undergraduate and law degrees from Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Puget Sound, respectively. He and his family live in Lakewood.