A Message from Our President
Reflection is a powerful thing. A few examples to consider: the wonder and
amazement that shows on the face of a baby the first time they look in a
mirror; seeing the mountains and sky perfectly drawn in reverse on the still
waters of a lake; or, simply remembering where you've been and where you are
headed. Webster's defines reflection as, "an image seen in a mirror or shiny
surface or a serious thought or consideration." As I reflect on the past
several years, it seems as if we all have experienced a decade of change within
a very short time frame. This time frame has been challenging, taxing and
overwhelming, yet our judiciary has largely weathered the storm exceedingly
well. We've had to be nimble and adapt to changes lurking around every corner.
For a system that is generally never categorized as "nimble" we have
been pretty light on our feet. COVID changed the way we do many things, and in
large part, our adaptations have improved access to justice across the State.
As I begin my tenure of service to the Judicial Officers of
courts of limited jurisdiction in Washington State, I am struck by the high
level of commitment demonstrated by our Judicial Officers to our communities,
the people we serve, and each other. And as I reflect on the past several
years, I truly believe that we are positioned to make an even greater impact
this year and in the years ahead.
In order to keep the momentum going, two words keep coming
to mind: Collaboration and Recalibration. Collaboration has
proven to be an invaluable resource. When we work together, pulling on the oars
in unison (reference to one of my favorite books and a must read in my humble
opinion: "Boys in the Boat" about the U of W crew team from the 1930's, written
by Daniel James Brown), there is no limit to what we can accomplish. And then
taking the lessons learned from the pandemic, we must recalibrate and pivot off
what we have learned, not being afraid to embrace change.
When one of our participants in our therapeutic court
graduates, I always tell them the same thing and paint this word picture for
them: In a car, you have the rear-view mirror and the windshield. You need
to occasionally look in the rear-view mirror, but it should not be your main
focus. The windshield is your main focus. What lies ahead is what is important.
The windshield is huge compared to the rear-view mirror. Look forward, but
occasionally glance backward to remind yourself where you have been.
As we begin this new year together, I encourage you to keep
your focus ahead of you, remembering where we've been, but be excited about
where we, as an organization and Judicial Officers of the DMCJA, are headed.
Looking forward to serving with you!
Judge Jeffrey Smith
DMCJA President
