The Honorable Katherine Tennyson, Circuit Court Judge in Multnomah County, Ore. is the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges’ (NCJFCJ) 2016-2017 president of the board of directors.
“Judge Tennyson’s reputation throughout Oregon is that of a thinker and a creative leader,” said Ray Heysell, Oregon State Bar president. “She brings to her judicial role a commitment to fairness, but also a deep understanding of the impact of legal proceedings on families and children. She has, on many occasions, embraced a leadership role in creating positive, impactful change for the courts and the community. She’ll be a great leader for the NCJFCJ.”
Since July 2002, Judge Tennyson has served in the unified Family Law Department, hearing cases involving probate and protective proceedings, dissolution, custody, parenting time, support enforcement, domestic violence, juvenile delinquency and dependency, and termination of parental rights. Judge Tennyson became the Chief Probate Judge for the county in January 2007. Judge Tennyson has served as faculty in the national training Enhancing Judicial Skills in Elder Abuse Cases which is sponsored in part by the NCJFCJ. She is a 1981 graduate of Duke University and a 1984 graduate of Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College and was admitted to practice law in both Oregon and Washington in 1984.
Judge Tennyson also serves as faculty for NCJFCJ’s Child Abuse and Neglect Institutes, which have educated more than 1,000 judicial officers since 1996. Recently, the Oregon State Bar awarded the prestigious Wallace P. Carson Jr. Award for Judicial Excellence to Judge Tennyson.
“I am honored to work in tandem with a leader like Judge Katherine Tennyson,” said Joey Orduna Hastings, JD, chief executive officer of the NCJFCJ. “I know with Judge Tennyson at the helm, the possibilities are endless for the NCJFCJ as we continue to strive doing our best and most inspiring work in our nation’s courtrooms improving the welfare of children and helping families live free of violence.”
About the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ):
Founded in 1937, the Reno, Nev.-based National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, is the nation’s oldest judicial membership organization and focused on improving the effectiveness of our nation’s juvenile and family courts. A leader in continuing education opportunities, research, and policy development in the field of juvenile and family justice, the 2,000-member organization is unique in providing practice-based resources to jurisdictions and communities nationwide.
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