Judge Kathryn (Katie) Loring was appointed to the San Juan County Superior Court by
Governor Inslee in November 2017. Judge Loring stood for election to retain the
position in 2018 and was unopposed; she ran unopposed again in 2020 and was elected
to a full four-year term.
Judge Loring grew up in St. Louis, MO and Buffalo, NY, and attended the University of
Rochester and Boston College Law School. After graduating from law school, Judge
Loring relocated to Seattle. She served as judicial law clerk to retired Chief Justice Mary
Fairhurst of the Washington Supreme Court. She then worked as an associate at Perkins
Coie, LLP practicing in employment litigation and appellate law.
In 2008, Judge Loring moved to San Juan Island with her husband, Kyle. She worked as
an associate for a small law firm with offices on Whidbey and San Juan Islands for eight
years, practicing in civil litigation, family law, business formation, estate planning, and
probate. She then formed a new law firm with three other attorneys in Friday Harbor,
where she practiced until she was appointed to the bench. She also served as a pro tem
Commissioner for Superior Court.
Prior to being appointed to the bench, Judge Loring was very involved in the San Juan
County community, sitting on boards for numerous non-profits and the local library
district, mentoring a middle school student, and volunteering broadly. Since becoming
judge, Judge Loring has had to step back from some of her community activities. But she
has been able to take on new roles of service, including presenting on constitutional law
at local high schools, speaking to Leadership San Juan Islands and other organizations
about the courts, and serving on state-wide committees of the Superior Court Judges
Association focused on Equality and Fairness, Juvenile and Family Law, and Rural Courts,
as well as the Board of Judicial Administration’s Public Trust and Confidence Committee
and a new statewide Racial Justice Consortium.
In her free time, Judge Loring enjoys cooking, bicycling, and walking with her dog and
husband.