Governor Ferguson appoints Doris Walkins to Pierce County Superior Court

OLYMPIA - Today Governor Bob Ferguson announced the appointment of current Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Doris Walkins to the position of Pierce County Superior Court Judge. Walkins' appointment, effective Feb. 25, fills the position that Judge Karena Kirkendoll's resignation will vacate.

Walkins is a career litigator with more than 20 years of legal experience. She has served in her current role as a Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner in Tacoma since 2022, presiding over a wide range of civil and juvenile criminal dockets. Prior to becoming a full-time court commissioner, Walkins was a civil practice attorney in Pierce County, where she focused on family law, dependency, adoption and estate planning. As a private attorney, she also handled misdemeanor and occasional felony criminal cases, served as a pro tem court commissioner and was a Title 26 guardian ad litem for 13 years. Walkins has extensive experience litigating in Washington state courts and has also appeared in tribal court.

Walkins' community service efforts and performance on the bench earned her the 2025 Tacoma Pierce County Bar Association's Community Service Award for "Outstanding Jurist."

"Doris Walkins has spent her entire legal career in the south Puget Sound area doing exceptional work on behalf of Washingtonians," Governor Ferguson said. "Her expertise and passion for public service will serve Washington well on the Pierce County Superior Court bench."

"I've dedicated my professional life to doing my part to ensure access to justice is not just a buzz word, but an actual action on behalf of some of our most vulnerable neighbors," Walkins said. "As a Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner, I have been able to continue ensuring that litigants appearing before me have meaningful access to our courts, and are treated fairly and respectfully, within the bounds of the law. I look forward to carrying on those efforts in continued collaboration with my benchmates, as a Pierce County Superior Court Judge."

Prior to starting her legal career, Walkins worked as a domestic violence survivors' advocate at the Tacoma Pierce County YWCA Women's Support Shelter for five years.

In her spare time, Walkins enjoys attending concerts and plays, visiting museums, roller skating and reading.

Walkins earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Washington Tacoma and her law degree from Seattle University School of Law.