Elizabeth J. Berns at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Washington · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Elizabeth J. Berns
Judge · King County - Superior Court
Biography
Professional career
- Judge on Department 25 of the King County Superior Court in Washington, serving since January 2013, with a background in law, public service, and judicial education
- Berns held the role of a Pro Tem Judge in municipal courts and King County District Court, and as a Pro Tem Commissioner in King County Superior Court before joining the Superior Court bench in 2013.
- Courtroom: 3J, Maleng Regional Justice Center, Kent, WA
- Adult Drug Diversion Court Judge
- Began her legal career as a deputy attorney general in the State of Washington’s Division of Labor & Industries
Education
- B.S. in Environmental Health and Law from the University of Washington in 1989 and a J.D. from the University of Puget Sound School of Law in 1993.
Additional information
- Specialized Assignments: Lead Dependency and Family Treatment Court Judge
- Project Chair of the King County Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment Coordinated Response Oversight Committee and Judicial Lead for the court’s Trauma Care Project.
- handling workers’ compensation cases.
- Also faculty for the National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges’ “Enhancing Judicial Skills in Domestic Violence Cases” program.
- Before law school, she held a position as a research scientist in chemistry and indoor air pollution.
- She has been active in domestic violence, sexual assault, and trauma response initiatives, co‐authoring chapters in the Sexual Offense Bench Guide for Judges and the Domestic Violence Manual for Judges.
- Berns has served on the American Judges Association Board of Governors, the Center for Children and Youth Justice eQuality Project advisory board, and as a National Advisor to the Battered Women’s Justice Project.
- Elizabeth J. Berns is a native of Seattle.
- She later opened her own law firm, practicing in workers’ compensation, estate planning, probate, business and intellectual property, and family law for over two decades.
- She received the Norm Maleng Award for her work educating judicial officers about domestic violence and its impact on LGBTQ+ communities.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Washington GR 16 allows video recording, audio recording, and still photography by the news media in courtrooms only after the judge has expressly granted permission.
Video and audio recording and still photography by the news media are allowed in the courtroom during and between sessions, provided (1) that permission shall have first been expressly granted by the judgeWashington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media ↗
Statewide
If a Washington judge limits courtroom photography or recording, GR 16 requires particularized findings on the record and treats open access as presumed.
Open access is presumed; limitations on access must be supported by reasons found by the judge to be sufficiently compelling to outweigh that presumptionWashington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media
King County - Superior Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 26, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 11, 2026.
Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster ↗Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media ↗