As Judge, Katie works to ensure that everyone, including those without attorneys, can meaningfully access and understand the legal system. She also seeks to address issues contributing to involvement in the legal system with therapeutic approaches.
Katie strives to make the court less intimidating and to make sure all parties understand the process and her decisions, speaking to parties plainly and inviting questions.
Katie strives for new and better ways to make the court accessible to all members of our community. She has worked to translate more important forms into Spanish so that parties can retain court documents in a version they can readily review and understand; making interpreters more easily available; using technology to allow parties to attend hearings remotely rather than taking time away from work or school to travel to San Juan Island; creating therapeutic courts Drug Court and Family Treatment Court to address and support people facing underlying addiction and mental health challenges; and providing information and resources to assist self-represented litigants, including through informal family law trials.
Katie also works to implement principles of belonging and procedural fairness broadly, in and outside the courtroom. Katie and Superior Court staff want all persons to both be and feel welcome in the court and in accessing court services. Katie acknowledges that the courts have work to do to gain the trust and confidence of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. Katie and San Juan County Superior Court leadership commit to educate and examine themselves, the court, and its procedures on an ongoing basis, so that the court, and the entire court system, may deserve the trust and confidence of all people.
Katie worked with community advocates on Orcas Island to help immigrant families at no charge to prepare powers of attorney in the event they are detained or deported and separated from their children and property.She worked with community partners on San Juan Island on an immigration workshop. Katie prepared powers of attorney at no charge for immigrant families on San Juan Island.
Katie worked with the SJC Bar Association at the request of Judge Eaton to propose a program for local attorneys to represent lay guardians in fulfilling their statutory reporting requirements; she volunteered for the program.
Full-fee legal representation can be out of reach for many people who need legal representation. Katie provided pro bono and reduced fee representation to individuals and non-profit clients.
Through the SJC Bar Association’s Family Law Seminar program, Katie presented at group seminars on the divorce process in Washington.
The Law Offices of Christon C. Skinner provided pro bono consultations one afternoon a month at the Oak Harbor Senior Center on topics including landlord/tenant, real estate, and family law.
While President of the SJC Bar Association, Katie reviewed requests for assistance and eligibility and matched individuals with available lawyers. She also provided consultations through this program.
Katie presented at no charge to numerous local groups on topics regarding planning for aging parents and ourselves.