Washington Courts: Press Release Detail

Leading the Charge in Online Court Integration, Issaquah Municipal Court Administrator Named Court Manager of the Year

Issaquah Municipal Court Administrator Kristi Schorn has been named 2023 Court Manager of the Year by the Washington State Court Management Council for her leadership in innovating online court integration, the development of Issaquah’s therapeutic court model and her contributions to the Blake Refund Bureau.

“I’m proud to lead an amazing team of court professionals and thankful for the outstanding leadership and support of the District and Municipal Court Management Association members that have contributed to this award,” Schorn said after receiving the award. “I’m constantly impressed with the innovation and forward-thinking of our Courts of Limited Jurisdiction.”

The Court Manager of the Year Award is presented to a manager or administrator who demonstrates leadership of regional or statewide impact beyond what is expected of an individual court manager.

Prior to joining Issaquah Municipal Court, Schorn was the court services manager at Renton Municipal Court. There, Schorn and Renton’s Court Administrator worked with the online platform OCourt to develop a system which would allow for electronic scheduling and the preparation, digital signing and storage of court documents online.

When COVID-19 arrived, and it became apparent that Issaquah needed to rapidly develop processes that would allow the court to continue operations during a lockdown. Schorn expedited the implementation of OCourt in Issaquah, while at the same time taking all available national training on the operation of court in a virtual setting, immediately recognizing that a virtual format would require adaptations in the OCourt system.

Her work allowed Issaquah Municipal Court to begin court operations in a virtual format in April of 2020, less than one month after the governor ordered the stay-at-home order. By May of 2020 Issaquah was operating with full court calendars. 

Schorn hasn’t just helped her own courts, between her work at Renton and Issaquah, she has assisted more than 20 courts around the state in their implementation of OCourt. 

“I know that whatever direction our court system takes, Kristi will be at the forefront of working to develop new efficiencies and will always be available to assist others in implementing programs that enhance the administration of justice,” Issaquah Municipal Court’s Presiding Judge N. Scott Stewart said in his letter nominating Schorn.
 
Schorn’s statewide contributions go beyond OCourt integration, she was also a major contributor to the development of the Issaquah Municipal’s Therapeutic Court. Schorn assisted in obtaining funding, the development of policies and procedures and identifying and obtaining community resources. 

Additionally, Schorn used her knowledge of virtual court operations and courtroom technology to allow the Issaquah Municipal Court to develop a therapeutic court model that allows participants to use Zoom to join a virtual resource room where they meet with needed providers. 

For those without access to the necessary technology, Schorn set up kiosks at the courtroom allowing these persons to appear at the court where they are able to enter the virtual resource room. 

Schorn is also an active member of the Blake Project Committee. This has included work on implementation and testing protocols for the Blake Refund Bureau, as well as creating a form order to be used by courts of limited jurisdiction in addressing Blake dismissals, vacations and refunds of legal financial obligations. 

The Court Management Council is a statewide forum in which court officials work to enhance the administration of courts. The Court Manager of the Year Award was established in 1987 to honor outstanding court managers, and is awarded each year to an individual whose leadership has been transformative on a regional or statewide basis and who has mobilized and unified others to act for improvement of the state judicial system.