Judge Kristin D. Shotwell: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

The Hon. Kristin D. Shotwell is a judge for the King County District Court in Washington. She was appointed to the bench by the Metropolitan King County Council in 2021.

Prior to her appointment, Shotwell worked as a public defender, a trial attorney, and an attorney supervisor for civil commitments and felonies. She has represented more than 2,000 people in felony, misdemeanor, and involuntary civil commitment proceedings.

Shotwell earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Yale University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Washington. She spent the next several years conducting social work assessments and preparing treatment plans for clients at inpatient psychiatric hospitals, assisted living facilities, and the criminal justice system. She then completed a J.D. at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, William S. Richardson School of Law.

She is a state-certified Spanish language interpreter.