PORT ANGELES — “Why Bother?” Washington Supreme Court Justice Susan Owens will ask — and answer — that question during her keynote address at Peninsula College’s 48th Commencement Ceremonies on Saturday, June 12.
Owens, who served 19 years as a District Court judge in the West End before she was elected to the Supreme Court in 2000, will speak at 2 p.m. in the college gymnasium on the main campus at 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd., Port Angeles.
A reception will follow the ceremony.
Owens is the seventh woman to serve on the state Supreme Court.
In addition to serving as Clallam County District Court judge, the county’s senior elected official with five terms, Owens also served as the Quileute tribe’s chief judge for five years and as chief judge of the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe for more than six years.
Born in Kinston, N.C., Owens graduated from Duke University in 1971 and received her doctorate in law in 1975 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
She was admitted to the Oregon State Bar in 1975 and the Washington State Bar in 1976.
She has been active in the District & Municipal Court Judges’ Association for many years.
President-elect of the group prior to her election to the Supreme Court, she previously served as vice president, secretary-treasurer and board member.
She also served on the long range planning, diversity, conference, and education committees.
In 1990, she was co-founder and chairwoman of the rural courts committee and has taught that subject at the Judicial College.
Owens has been a national trainer for judges on domestic violence issues that impact children and judicial education in that area.
She also participated in the writing of the Northwest Tribal Judges Domestic Violence Manual and lectures at the National College of Prosecuting Attorneys’ Domestic Violence Conference.
Owens serves on the rules committee, chairs the court interpreter certification advisory commission and serves on the board for court education.
