Page 16 - Pierce County Lawyer - September October 2024

As a judicial officer, I have participated in numerous workshops to improve access to justice. During the Covid pandemic, I developed the Zoom protocols for our Domestic Violence hearings to improve litigant participation. I have also participated in a 5-year research pilot project for the establishment of new procedures in our criminal courts. The goal of the project is to assess and monitor the processes of arraignments for biases, prejudices, efficacy and best practices to achieve just, fair, and effective pre-trial practices. As the judicial officer now assigned to the arraignment court, I have implemented the project’s new “pre-trial screening and public safety assessment” tool in our arraignment procedures.
Anything else you would like our members to know?
Experience matters. I have served Pierce County for 34 years
as a local lawyer and Court Commissioner. Experience brings wisdom, wisdom earned from representing all members of our community in various areas of the law – from our most serious crimes to creating equitable and workable parenting plans for families. Experience brings patience and empathy. I have gained insight from the voices of crime victims, and from parents involved with CPS. Experience brings creativity. My unique experiences help to inform a wise, nimble, and creative thought process. Experience brings courage. I possess the knowledge, empathy, and integrity to distinguish myself as a Judge.
POSITION 15
Experience: Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner, 2021-present; former civil litigator in private practice helping families and small business owners navigate challenging life circumstances; faculty, Washington Judicial College; presenter at multiple legal and judicial education programs; 2023-24 President of the Bryan Inn of Court; and former appellate law clerk.
What type of judge do you aspire to be? I am committed to being respectful to everyone who appears in my courtroom; prepared, open-minded, and steadfast in resolving cases based on the law and the facts of each case. I aspire to be the type of judge where each litigant leaves the courtroom feeling heard,
understanding the basis for the court’s decision, confident that the proceeding was both procedurally and substantively fair, and with improved trust in our court system.
As a member of the legal community, what accomplishment(s) are you most proud of? I am proud of both the breadth and depth of my legal experience. As an appellate law clerk, I assisted the Court of Appeals in analyzing and resolving dozens of civil and criminal appeals. As a civil litigator, I litigated cases from business dissolutions to usury, and everything in between. I supported clients through challenging circumstances while helping refine the law through successful appeals to the Court of Appeals and Washington Supreme Court. As a Commissioner, I have firsthand experience actually deciding our court’s cases, including presiding over hundreds of bench trials in Involuntary Treatment Act cases.
What have you done or plan to do to eliminate bias
or improve access to the justice system? Throughout my career, I have endeavored to both improve access to justice and eliminate bias in the justice system and legal profession. As an attorney in private practice, I volunteered with other members of the TPCBA’s Guardianship Committee to develop plain language instructions and information
Commissioner
forms to increase access to justice for unrepresented persons navigating the guardianship process. As a judicial officer,
I remain committed to increasing access to justice for all, including through working to develop and continually refine our Court’s best practices in adjudicating minor guardianship cases; developing informational resources for self-represented litigants in guardianship, conservatorship, family law, and
civil protection order cases; and serving on many local and statewide committees focused on improving access to justice and eliminating bias in the courts. For example, I serve on both the Pierce County Superior Court’s DEI Committee and the statewide Superior Court Judges’ Association’s Equality and Fairness Committee. While I recognize that there is additional work to do, I am thankful to have had a hand in ensuring
our Court’s commitment to fair and impartial administration of justice is included on our Court’s homepage and the Administrative Office of the Courts’ pronoun inclusive signage is displayed in our courtrooms.
Anything else you would like our members to know?
In recognition of the breadth of my experience, integrity and independence, four local bar associations - including the TPCBA - evaluated me as Exceptionally Well Qualified for the position of Superior Court Judge. I am profoundly grateful
to have earned over 250 endorsements, including from every current Pierce County Superior Court Judge; a majority of Justices on the Washington Supreme Court; a majority of Judges on the Court of Appeals, Division II; attorneys from every practice area, with a balance of current and former career prosecutors, defense attorneys, and civil litigators; and many more as listed at www.ingridmcleodforjudge.com/ endorsements.
Ingrid McLeod
Campaign website:
www.ingridmcleodforjudge. com
Education: J.D., Seattle University; M.A. in French, New York University; B.A.
in French and K-8 Teacher Certification, University of Washington, and A.A., Tacoma Community College.
16 PIERCE COUNTY LAWYER | September/October 2024