Since becoming Judge, Katie has volunteered to serve on, and in many cases chair, Washington Superior Court Judges’ Association committees addressing:
Through these efforts, she collaborates with judges statewide to improve our justice system and to educate judges, including herself, on issues impacting court users and on changes in the law.
Katie serves as a mentor for new attorneys through the Joint Minority Mentorship Program and regularly volunteers with the Judicial Institute to encourage and support attorneys and potential judges from diverse backgrounds.
From 2021-2022, Katie served on the Washington Courts' Racial Justice Consortium to investigate and propose changes to the legal system to dismantle systemic racism in the legal system. Since the Consortium concluded, Katie has advocated from broad implementation of principles of belonging in courts state-wide.
Through the Superior Court Judges' Equality and Fairness Committee, Katie has planned education for judges statewide on interrupting bias in the courtroom, on the appropriate consideration of race, ethnicity and culture in family law and dependency cases, and on mitigating against inherent implicit bias.
Katie co-chairs the Washington Board of Judicial Administration's Alternatives to Incarceration Task Force, investigating ways to make alternatives to incarceration broadly available regardless of the resources of the community or the financial ability of an individual defendant.
Katie chairs the Washington Board of Judicial Administration's Public Engagement and Education Committee, which engages with educators, justice system partners, and the public, to improve trust and confidence in the court system.
Katie chairs the San Juan County Courthouse Security Committee, working to ensure that all those who come to the courthouse in any capacity can both feel and be safe.
Katie co-chairs the San Juan County Law and Justice Council, collaborating with justice partners to address issues in the criminal justice system.
Katie has helped to plan and update Judges in the Classroom curricula for judges to interact with high school students on the constitution, and she has taught those lessons in classrooms on San Juan, Orcas, and Lopez. Engaging with students around real life constitutional issues and how the law applies to their lives has been truly rewarding.
Katie also has welcomed students at various levels to the courthouse for civics education and tours.
Currently Katie is working with a high school student on an independent study in the law.
Katie presents to community organizations and services clubs about the San Juan County Superior Court and the legal system and welcomes opportunities to engage with the public about how we can improve the legal system together.