Page 13 - Pierce County Lawyer - September October 2024

and provide referrals to resources to comply with court orders. Expand pro tem judge program. Increase settlement conference / mediation services and access to the same. Work with Pierce Transit / County Council for reduced bus fare vouchers for parties to get to hearings.
Eliminate bias: Keep an open mind. Meet and collaborate
with community leaders, discuss the issues. Continued education on unconscious bias. Maintain transparent courtroom. Continue to travel, be exposed to different cultures and norms.
Anything else you would like our members to know?
I come from a large family and am the first person in my
family to earn a bachelor’s degree. I was raised by hard working parents without my level of education which showed me how hard work pays off. My work ethic comes from them. I have been lucky to work with the most amazing people and mentors during my 30-year career, and the last 24+ years at Alliance Law Group with the best partners. I am the proud parent of two sons. My oldest being the second to receive a bachelor’s degree in my family.
and their applications. I’m a member of the Pierce County Superior Court family court committee and diversity equity and inclusion committee. The goals of the DEI committee are to brainstorm and introduce policy change and implementation of initiatives aimed at creating a more inclusive court environment for all members of the public.
What type of judge do you aspire to be? I aspire to be the kind of judge known for efficiency, stability, professionalism and consistent outcomes. I want litigants to come into my courtroom and know I’m not learning on the job; that I’ve seen and practiced in nearly every area of law or have presided over every subject matter of law, when they appear before me. I want litigants to know they’ll be treated with fairness, respect and get a ruling based in law and fact, not preconceived notions or biases.
As a member of the legal community, what accomplishment(s) are you most proud of? I am most proud of all of the efforts I’ve made over the years in helping families stay together in a healthy, safe way. Through my work as a guardian ad litem conducting parenting investigations, or as an attorney guiding my clients through remedial services
or as a commissioner making rulings ordering parents to do certain services aimed at creating a more healthy, whole parent. I do believe I’ve positively impacted the lives of hundreds of children and their families, by helping parents reach their goals of being safer, healthier parents to their children.
What have you done or plan to do to eliminate bias or improve access to the justice system? I plan to continue to push forward the initiatives proposed by the DEI committee. We have so far successfully proposed and had implemented pronoun signage in our courtrooms and additional signage
re interpreter services throughout the courthouse. As a commissioner, I have input on proposals to bring to the judges, but no voting power. As a judge, I’ll have voting power on bringing proposals to fruition. I would continue to move our court administration forward in a progressive manner to ensure meaningful inclusion of all of our neighbors.
I am also a volunteer with the Pierce County Minority Bar Association’s Youth and Law Forum, the YMCA Moot Court Competition, UW, Tacoma’s Legal Pathways Mentorship program, and more recently the Inns of Court’s Name Change Clinic for trans youth—all of my work with these organizations is with the aim of showing the youth that people who look like me (and may look like them) are in the legal profession and thriving, along with educating our younger generations on
the various ways in which they can enter in and participate in the legal profession. It’s important to me that young people of color, LGBTQIA identifying youth, and people of historically underserved/underrepresented backgrounds, know how we got to where we are, and how they too can have a career in the law.
Anything else you would like our members to know?
I would like our members to know I don’t view the seat in Department 9 as something just for me; I view each seat the judges occupy as a seat the people are allowing us to occupy. The people decide who gets to be there. Even if a judge is
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POSITION 9
Experience: I’ve been a sitting Pierce Co Superior Court Commissioner for over 2
years; prior to that I was a pro tem commissioner for one year presiding over various dockets. I was a law firm owner and solo practice attorney for 16 years 2006-2022, a title 26 guardian ad litem for just shy of 14 years 2008 -2022, and am certified to serve as a pro tem judge (2022). As an attorney I practiced family, dependency, termination, adoption, estate planning, contract negotiations, and criminal defense law.
I was an NFLPA Certified player’s agent from 2014-2015. I have tried bench and jury trials as an attorney, along with presiding over bench trials as a commissioner. I have presided over protection order, criminal, family, real estate, probate, guardianships, minor settlements, mental health and various property law matters as a commissioner, along with entering final agreed orders on various case types and handling criminal pleas, bail hearings and arraignments on the juvenile docket at Remann Hall. I am well versed in court rules, rules of evidence,
Commissioner Doris Walkins
Campaign website:
www.electdoriswalkins.com
Education: BAS University of Washington, Tacoma 2002, JD Seattle University School of Law 2006, Judicial College, Administrative Office of the Courts, 2023.
September/October 2024 | PIERCE COUNTY LAWYER 13