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Judge Kuljinder Dhillon

 

Judge Dhillon was unanimously appointed to the King County District Court (KCDC) bench in 2021 by the King County Council. She is the first South Asian woman appointed to the bench in Washington State.

Her prior judicial experience includes serving as a Judge Pro Tem in all the KCDC Divisions and Renton Municipal Court. As a Judge Pro Tem, Judge Dhillon presided over an array of criminal and civil hearings.

Judge Dhillon’s legal experience also includes serving as a King County public defender for 14 years. She handled numerous jury trials in King County Superior and District Courts and secured non-life sentences for individuals facing third-strike offenses. She also served as lead defense counsel in King County Superior Court’s Juvenile Drug Court Program and has received national training on juvenile brain science and harm reduction models for substance affected youth. For the past three years, Judge Dhillon has been in private practice focused on the defense of those charged with felony crimes and consulting with other attorneys on negotiations and trial strategy.


Off the bench, Judge Dhillon previously served as an advisory committee member to the Girls Court, a project of the Center for Children & Youth Justice, and as a board member of Sawhorse Revolution, an organization that teaches carpentry skills to high school students to help them rebuild their communities.

JJudge Dhillon emigrated to the United States in 1990 and has lived in Washington State for 30 years.

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