2003 Judicial Candidate Questionnaire

SECTION I               

BASIC CANDIDATE INFORMATION

1. Name as it will appear on the ballot

First Name	Middle Initial or Nick Name	Last Name
Anne	L.	Ellington

2.   Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):

Court of Appeals Judge, Division 1, Position 3

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  Yes              

4.   How long have you resided in this district/city?

Since 1969

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

Since 1969

6.   Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?         Nonpartisan         

7.   If partisan, please indicate party: 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

Campaign Name:	Committee to Reelect Judge Anne Ellington
Address:	720 Third Ave #1400
City/State/Zip:	Seattle, WA 98104
Campaign Phone:	206 233 0349
Campaign Fax:
Campaign E-mail:
Campaign Website:

POLITICAL BACKGROUND

1.   Beginning with the most recent position, please list public offices which you have held.  Include positions on appointive Boards or Commissions.

Public Office	Elective or Appointive?	Dates Held	Leadership Role (if any)
Judge, Court of Appeals	Elective	1995-present	Please see resume
Judge, Superior Court	Elective	1984-1995	Please see resume
Sentencing Guidelines Commission; Minority/Justice Commission; Community Protection Task Force	Appointive	1986-1992; 1996-present; 1989	Please see resume

2.   If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:

Office Title	Year of Run
n/a

SECTION III

In this section, we are seeking responses that reflect the four ratings criteria: involvement, effectiveness, character, and knowledge.  These are defined as follows:

• Involvement: What has the candidate done previously in family, neighborhood, community, volunteer work, employment or public life to suggest readiness to accomplish challenging objectives? How do these activities demonstrate readiness for the challenges unique to the office sought?

• Effectiveness: Has the candidate demonstrated promise of being productive in the office sought?  Has the candidate shown the ability to work with other people?

• Character: Do the candidate's personal traits show the ability to take on the responsibilities of campaigning for and holding the public office she or he is seeking? Is the candidate a leader, participant or observer?  Is the candidate trustworthy, reliable and candid?

§ Knowledge: Has the candidate demonstrated the willingness and ability to learn and adapt?  Does the candidate understand the duties and challenges of the office sought?  Does the candidate have a firm grasp of the issues important to his or her constituency and their potential effects?

1. In a page or less, why are you running for this office?  (Note: the interview committee will be given a copy of this statement before your interview; at the beginning of your interview you will have the opportunity to expand on this statement in any way you wish.)

I have been privileged to serve my community since 1984 as a judge, first on the Superior Court and now on the Court of Appeals.  Judging is a unique honor and responsibility.  It also provides the stimulation of constant challenge, and the steady reward of work that makes a difference.  I look forward to  every case, and there is still  much to be done to make sure our courts serve the people well.

2. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.

Probably the most important personal characteristics for all judges are integrity, intelligence, dedication, intellectual curiosity, courage, compassion, and a strong sense of fairness.  I hope I have all of these in good measure.  I believe also that --  because I  have sometimes to make lists like this, and because I have a job where people must stand upon my entrance -- it is important to have humility, humor, and good friends who speak the truth.

3. Please describe in sufficient detail, one to three accomplishments or contributions of which you are most proud.  These examples should illustrate effective skills and capabilities you think apply to the office you are seeking.  These accomplishments may have occurred at any time in your personal, professional, or public life. 

The King County Superior Court elects its leaders.  I am proud to have been the first woman to be elected Presiding Judge.  During that time, on March 2, 1995,  three people were shot and killed in our courthouse.  The court will never forget that day, but  I am  proud that the court was strong and sure in its response and in its insistence that our calls for security, which had been long ignored, must be heard and honored.  (They were, literally overnight, and it is my hope that never again will someone have to place their life at risk to conduct their legal affairs.)  Finally, while this is not my accomplishment, I am proud to come from a strong family where I was expected to do well and do right, and not make a big deal out of it.

4. Please list or describe your current and past activities in the community in which you have acquired skills that relate to the office you seek.  Include your role in the activity and the year(s) in which you were involved.  Involvement consists of many areas such as family, neighborhood, community, employment, or public life.

Please see attached resume.  Selected examples include: I served as a trustee of the Young Lawyers Association, as a founding board member of the Northwest Women's Law Center, and founding board member of statewide Washington Women lawyers. I was involved in numerous activities at Superior Court, including serving as co chair of the plan drafting committee of the Delay Reduction Task Force, Chair of the Mental Illness, Adoption and Budget Committees, Chair of the Protocol Committee, and was the first woman elected as Presiding Judge.  I was a member of the Sentencing Guidelines Commission and for 5 years its chair.  At the court of appeals I chaired the long range planning committee, and presently chair the appellate judges' education committee.  I am co-chair of the Access to Justice Impediments to Justice Committee.  I also serve on the Midic One Foundation Board.

5. Please describe the duties of the office you seek.  Which are the most important duties and why?

The Washington Court of Appeals is an intermediate appellate court which is nonetheless the court of last resort for most litigants.   Approximately 2000 cases per year are filed in Division 1; the 10 judges there are responsible for the proper handling of those cases, about 500 of which are heard in oral argument.  We must be clear in our opinions, prompt in our decisions, and respectful of the litigants and their arguments.  Our most important single duty is to find the just result, under the law, for each case.  So for each case we must know the record and understand the arguments, find and apply the correct legal principles, and give clear and understandable decisions.  We must be pay proper deference to the legislature and the Supreme Court, and we must be mindful of the developing common law.  We must also administer the court in a manner that ensures all those duties can be satisfied. 

EDUCATION BACKGROUND SUMMARY

FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT

The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report is distributed to voters in print and/or on our website.  It includes a summary of the candidate’s education.  Please summarize your education in 120 characters (letters, punctuation, and space all combined).  The League will delete material that exceeds the space limit by beginning with the last entry.  Suggested order is (degree)  (subject)  (school)  (year, if desired). 

Note: If this question is left blank the League will not include education information in your candidate profile.

JD, UW Law School, 1974; BA (English), University of Colorado, 1969.

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT SUMMARY

FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT

The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report also includes a summary of each candidate’s civic involvement.  Please summarize your civic involvement in the space below.  We will make every attempt to include the information in the Candidate Evaluation Report as submitted.  Due to space restrictions in the Report, your response is limited to 500 characters (letters, punctuation, and spaces all combined).  It is important that you list your involvement beginning with the most important and ending with the least important.  If you exceed the length of response permitted, or if the League should find it necessary to shorten responses for publication purposes,  deletions will be made beginning with the last item listed. 

Note: This information will appear verbatim on the League’s Candidate Evaluation Report.  If this question is left blank, the Municipal League will not include information on your civic involvement in the Report.

Check here if you would like the Municipal League to copy the first 500 characters from Question 4 to paste into this section.

Supplemental Judicial Candidate Questionnaire

1.   Briefly describe the nature of your current practice/position including types of clients and areas, if any, of specialization.  State what percentage involves civil litigation, criminal litigation, and/or nonlitigation.

I presently serve as Judge on the Court of Appeals.  We hear all types of litigation appeals.

2.   Identify all your experience as a neutral decision maker (e.g. judge, permanent or pro tem, in any jurisdiction, administrative law judge, hearing officer, arbitrator, etc.)

Judge, 1995-present, Court of Appeals, Division 1

Judge, 1984-1995, King County Superior Court

Pro Tem Judge, King COunty Superior and District courts, 1981-84

Arbitrator, King COunty, 1981-84

3.   If you have been a judge, identify any court committees on which you have served or administrative positions you have held, including dates.

numerous--please see resume.

4.   List the approximate percentage of your time over the last five years you have made appearances in:

% municipal court

% state district court

% superior court

% federal district court

100	% appellate court

% administrative tribunals

5.   Are you now an officer or director of any business enterprise other than your law practice?  If so, what role do you expect to play if elected?

no

6.   Have you ever been disciplined or determined to be in breach of professional conduct by any court, administrative agency, bar association, disciplinary committee, judicial conduct commission, or other professional group?  Have you ever had a formal complaint filed against you with the WSBA?  If so for either or both questions, give the particulars, including the outcome.

no

7.   ADDITIONAL REFERENCES:

a) List the names, daytime and home phone numbers of three recent opposing counsel, including at least two cases that went to trial.

Name of Opposing Counsel	Daytime Phone	Home Phone
n/a

a) If you have served as a neutral decision maker, list the names, daytime and home phone numbers of the last four attorneys who have appeared before you.

Name of Attorney	Daytime Phone	Home Phone
please see King County Bar Questionnaire

Finished!

If at all possible, send your response to the Municipal League electronically as an attachment, or insert it into an e-mail message (rebecca@munileague.org).  Mail and fax numbers are listed below.  If the League has not contacted you to schedule an interview, please call the League office at your earliest convenience.

Don’t forget to send the following to the Municipal League:  a resume, a photo, campaign literature, and, if you are an incumbent, constituent newsletters and other materials.  Please use the check-off list on the cover sheet of this packet to indicate which items you have sent.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND GOOD LUCK IN YOUR CAMPAIGN!

THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE OF KING COUNTY

Candidate Evaluation Coordinator:  Rebecca Cooper

810 Third Avenue, Suite 224                  Phone: 206-622-8333                Email: rebecca@munileague.org

Seattle, WA 98104-1614                        Fax: 425-671-0506                        Website: www.munileague.org