Legal/Judicial Experience: Pro Tem Court Commissioner, Ex Parte Department, King County Superior Court, 2013-present.

Other Professional Experience: Attorney, Law Offices of John C. O’Rourke, 1992-2003. Attorney, Law Office of John H. O’Rourke, 2003-current.

Education: Law Degree: University of Puget Sound (now Seattle University) School of Law, 1991. Bachelor of Arts in History, University of Washington, 1988.  High School Diploma, John F. Kennedy High School, 1984.  

Community Service: Volunteer,Olympic Coast Cleanup, 2016 and prior years. Volunteer, St. Philomena Church and School, 2010 and prior years.

Statement: I believe if a judge lacks legal experience, it is the litigants who suffer. I have worked as a pro tem Court Commissioner and practiced law (both criminal and civil litigation) in King County Superior Court the last 23 years, working primarily with individuals and small businesses. I have represented parties before Divisions I and II of the Washington State Court of Appeals, and in Federal Bankruptcy Court. This is where I learned the critical need for effective representation in court regardless of income or status.

I was born in Seattle, and I grew up in Burien. I hike the Cascades, golf, and enjoy ballroom dancing with my wife of 22 years, Emily, who also practices law in King County. Our two daughters attend Washington state colleges. I have been working most my life, starting as a newspaper boy at age 12, working in the food, hospitality, and health care industries to put myself through law school.

I am committed to assisting underserved communities when access to justice is increasingly expensive. If elected, I will treat all persons before me with respect and dignity, and decide their cases fairly and impartially. I feel honored to ask for your vote.