Jennifer Forbes

Kitsap County Superior Court

Department 7

Legal/Judicial Experience: Current Kitsap County Judge Pro-Tem (past seven years) including approximately 1,000 hours in Municipal/District Courts, Former Kitsap County Deputy Prosecutor (ten years), Private Practice (six years).

Other Professional Experience: President, Kitsap County Bar Association; Specialized training/presenter in: Date Rape Violence, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Drug Recognition, DUI prosecutions.

Education: Whitman College (B.A.), Seattle University Law School (cum laude).

Community Service: Leadership Kitsap, Red Cross (2007 Real Heroes Spirit of Involvement Award and 2008 Exemplary Service Award), Kitsap County P.A.L.S. Mentor, Rotary, Kitsap County Commission on Children and Youth, United Way, YMCA, Pierce County AIDS Foundation, Kitsap County Shoreline Master Program Task Force, and Youth Mentor.

Statement: My life has been a journey similar to many but mentioned by few. I grew up poor to the point of being homeless, living out of a car for months after my father died. I never lost sight of what education could mean to me – went to Whitman College, won scholarships, graduated from law school and started giving back to my community.

Rated “Exceptionally Well Qualified” by local bar associations, I was recently appointed Bremerton Court Commissioner and also preside over Kitsap County Municipal/District Court cases. In the past seven years, I have adjudicated more cases in Kitsap County as a Judge Pro-Tem than all of my opponents put together.

I have endorsements from almost all our local Judges, Kitsap County Labor Council, Firefighters, Troopers, Home Builder’s Association, Police Chiefs’ Association, Kitsap County Prosecutor Russ Hauge, Sen. Derek Kilmer, Rep. Jan Angel, Rep. Larry Seaquist, Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent and more than 300 other individuals. I am “approved” by local Democratic Party and supported by many local Republicans.

My life has not been easy, but I know how so many other people feel. I live to make access to justice not a program nor a cliché, but a truth.

ORGANIZATION	JENNIFER FORBES	BILL HOUSER	KAREN KLEIN	ROB MacDERMID
Cardozo Society	Exceptionally Well Qualified	*	Well Qualified	*
Joint Asian Judicial Evaluation Committee	Exceptionally Well Qualified	Well Qualified	Well Qualified	*
Kitsap County Bar Ass'n Members' Preference Poll	1st Choice: 41 2nd Choice: 41	1st Choice: 52 2nd Choice: 37	1st Choice: 2 2nd Choice: 4	1st Choice: 2 2nd Choice: 5
Latina/o Bar Ass'n of Washington	Exceptionally Well Qualified	*	Well Qualified	*
Q-Law: The GLBT Bar Association of Washington	Well Qualified	Well Qualified	Exceptionally Well Qualified	*
Washington Women Lawyers	Extremely Well Qualified	Extremely Well Qualified	Qualified	*

Important note! Each of these organizations uses its own standards and rating terms when evaluating candidates; please check their pages for further information. We do not have ratings from all organizations for all candidates, and the reasons vary. Some evaluations may still be in process, or we might not have received them yet; some candidates may not have been offered an opportunity to participate, or they may have declined to participate. Again, please check the organizations' pages for further details.

Archived Version: August 7, 2012

Kitsap County Superior Court

Department 7