Judicial Coaches

HONORABLE MARCINE ANDERSON (RET.)

Honorable Marcine Anderson is a retired judge for the King County District Court in Washington. She retired from the bench in 2023 and began serving as an Inquest Administrator for King County.  She was appointed to the bench by the Metropolitan King County Council on March 12, 2010. Retired Judge Anderson was the first woman and the first Asian American to serve as a district court judge at the Shoreline District Court. Prior to her appointment, she worked for the King County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney. She was a senior deputy prosecuting attorney, where she specialized in all aspects of technology law–software licensing, cable television regulation, and telecommunications. Before that, she worked with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and clerked for the Hon. Joyce London Alexander of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Her memberships have included the Board of Governors of the Washington State Bar Association, the Advisory Board of the WSBA Leadership Institute, the Board of the Japanese American Citizens League (Seattle), the William L. Dwyer Inn of Court (president), and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Judicial Council. She is a recipient of the Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellowship from the Legal Services Corporation. She was also named Judge of the Year by the Asian Bar Association of Washington. Marcine Anderson earned a bachelor’s degree and a certificate in Ethnic Studies from the University of Oregon in 1977. She then completed a J.D. at Suffolk University Law School in 1984. Judge Anderson joined the faculty of the National Judicial College in 2022.

HONORABLE PENNEY AZCARATE

Honorable Penney Azcarate is the Chief Judge of Fairfax County Circuit Court in Virginia. Judge Azcarate has served for the past 17 years both on the circuit court and the general district court level. As a judge, she implemented the Fairfax County Drug Court and the Veteran Treatment Docket. Judge Azcarate is the chair of the Supreme Court of Virginia’s Veteran Specialty Docket Council, and she serves as a mentor judge and a facilitator peer coach for the Office of the Executive Secretary. She has made presentations to various organizations and judiciaries to include the Fairfax Bar, the Virginia State Bar, Virginia New Judge Training, various police organizations, local, state, and federal representatives, law schools, military organizations, the Judicial Council of California, and the Judicial Conclave of New Mexico. Judge Azcarate received her law degree from George Mason School of Law and served in the United States Marine Corps.

HONORABLE HELEN A. BROWN BRYANT (Ret.)

Judge Helen Brown Bryant was appointed an Associate Justice of the Juvenile Court in 2014 and has been First Justice of the Suffolk County Juvenile Court since 2020. Prior to her appointment to the bench, she had a solo law practice in the areas of juvenile law, probate and family law, special education and disability law, and criminal law as a Middlesex Bar Advocate. Judge Brown Bryant received her B.S. degree in Education of the Deaf from MacMurray College and was a public elementary school teacher for two years before attending Howard University School of Law to receive her Juris Doctor degree.

HONORABLE TANYA FELTON

Judge Tanya Felton currently serves as the Chief Judge of the Virginia Beach Circuit Court. A native of Virginia Beach, she earned her undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University and her Juris Doctor from Regent University School of Law. Following law school, Judge Felton began her legal career as a prosecutor in the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Offices of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. She later transitioned into private practice, co-founding a law firm with her identical twin sister, Wanda Cooper. In 2012, she was appointed by the Governor to the Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, where she served with distinction for ten years. In March 2022, she was elevated to the Virginia Beach Circuit Court. In addition to her judicial responsibilities, Judge Felton is an adjunct professor at both Norfolk State University and Regent University School of Law.

MR. CRAIG FRASER; HR DIRECTOR

Mr. Craig Fraser has over 30 years of human resources management experience in several Western states. He worked effectively in a variety of industries, including hospitality, manufacturing, renewable energy, and consulting. Mr. Fraser is the HR Director for the National Judicial College and is actively feeding his passion for the judicial system.

HONORABLE JILL S. JURRIES (Ret.)

Judge Jill Jurries retired from the bench on May 5, 2025, after serving almost 10 years as a magistrate judge in Boise, Idaho, where she presided over family law and probate matters. During her service on the bench, Judge Jurries also dedicated her time to championing greater security and wellness for the judiciary. Prior to her service on the bench, Judge Jurries was a solo legal practitioner and mediator. Following her departure from the bench, Judge Jurries has resumed her mediation practice and is teaching ADR/Negotiations at the University of Idaho’s College of Law in Boise as an adjunct professor. Judge Jurries is also a certified coach, and in these next phases of her professional life seeks to grow her coaching business to promote leadership and personal development with an emphasis on mindfulness and self-care.

HONORABLE KATHERINE KWAN MACDONALD

Assistant Chief Administrative Law Judge Katherine Kwan MacDonald joined the California Public Utilities Commission as an Administrative Law Judge in 2009. In addition to supervising Administrative Law Judges and Retired Annuitants, she has subject-matter responsibility for appeals of enforcement actions including Citation Appeals and Request for Hearing on Administrative Enforcement Orders, Water, and Communications policy for the division.  Judge MacDonald leads the Judicial Training Program which consists of comprehensive internal training and mentoring for new Administrative Law Judges joining the Commission. Prior to becoming an administrative law judge, she practiced law in general civil litigation and served as a hearing officer for the State Board of Equalization. Judge MacDonald holds a bachelor’s degree in history/art history from UCLA. She earned her J.D. from Whittier Law School and an LLM in Taxation from Golden Gate Law School. Judge MacDonald joined the National Judicial College faculty in 2018.  She currently teaches Administrative Law Fair Hearing, Best Practices with Self-Represented Litigants, and custom courses for the NJC.

HONORABLE R. JIM MCCUNE (Ret.)

Judge R. Jim McCune began serving the people of Marion County, Florida, as a County Court Judge on March 1, 2002. He was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush. In 2004, 2010, and 2016, he was elected to serve full 6-year terms. Judge McCune is a graduate of Washington & Lee University in Virginia [Bachelor of Arts], Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana [Juris Doctor] and Emory University School of Law in Georgia [Master of Laws]. He was admitted to practice law in Indiana in 1982, in Florida in 1984 and in Texas in 1997. Upon completing his J.D., Jim worked for 3 years as a Law Clerk for a Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court in Indianapolis. He later moved to Florida to work as an Assistant Attorney General, handling civil RICO cases throughout Florida. Then worked as an Assistant State Attorney in Florida’s 5th Judicial Circuit for 13 years before becoming a judge.

At the State Attorney’s Office, Judge McCune supervised the Public Interest Unit for 6 years and prosecuted the Circuit’s economic crimes, crimes against the elderly, environmental crimes, and crimes involving public officials. He also worked for 6 years as a murder prosecutor assigned to the Circuit’s death penalty cases. Judge McCune grew up in Montclair, New Jersey. From July 2013 until July 2014, he served as President of the Conference of County Court Judges of Florida. Judge McCune has also served on many Court and Bar committees, including the Court Interpreter Certification Board and Chairing the Florida Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism. Judge McCune retired from full-time judicial service in January 2023, at the end of his last term. Since then, he has been appointed and is currently serving as a Senior Judge in both the County and Circuit Courts of Florida. For the past 10 years, he has helped teach a course through the National Judicial College while also serving on that College’s Faculty Council.

When Judge McCune first retired, he and his wife took a trip around the world, and then he returned to Europe to walk the entire 500 mile Camino de Santiago. This past year, he substitute taught in the Marion Public Schools and served as Board President of the Marion County Children’s Alliance. Judge McCune cares about matters pertaining to legal/judicial education, professional ethics, and community volunteerism.

HONORABLE LYNN NORTON

Judge Lynn Norton attended the University of Alabama, receiving both a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and her Juris Doctorate degree.  She served for ten years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force as a judge advocate throughout Alaska, Europe, and Alabama.  In 2000, she left active duty and moved to Boise, Idaho.  Since her time in Boise, she worked as a deputy prosecutor for Ada County, Idaho, for a decade, while serving at the same time in Air Force Reserve in assignments in Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, and Texas. She retired as a Colonel from the Air Force in 2012.  Governor Butch Otter appointed Judge Norton as a District Judge in Idaho’s Fourth Judicial District in July 2011. For the past fourteen years, she has served as a district judge in Idaho’s most populous district in Idaho’s highest trial court. She presides as a general jurisdiction judge over civil and felony cases, some appeals, and has also presided as a drug court judge and as a veterans treatment court judge.

HONORABLE RACHEL PICKERING

Judge Rachel Pickering is the first Hispanic to serve on the Court of Appeals. She comes to the Court following service as a district court judge in Kansas’ 3rd Judicial District. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Pickering was assistant solicitor general in the Attorney General’s Office and assistant district attorney in Shawnee County. She also spent a decade in criminal defense, both at the appellate and trial levels. Earlier in her career, Judge Pickering specialized in intellectual property. She earned her law degree from the University of Missouri School of Law in 2003, with a certificate in e-commerce and intellectual property. Judge Pickering is an adjunct professor at Washburn University School of Law, teaching Advanced Oral Argument.

HONORABLE EDWINA G. RICHARDSON

Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Edwina G. Richardson leads the New York State Unified Court System’s Office for Justice Initiatives (OJI), which is tasked with promoting meaningful access to justice in all New York State courts regardless of income, background, or ability. Recognizing how crucial judicial wellbeing is to this mission, Judge Richardson is developing robust coaching support systems for New York State Judges. Since Judge Richardson was appointed to her position in 2017, the OJI’s portfolio has grown to house the following divisions and offices: Access to Justice, Child Welfare & Family Justice, Diversity & Inclusion and Equal Justice in the Courts, Guardianship Matters & Elder Justice, Judiciary Civil Legal Services, Problem Solving Justice, and Youth & Emerging Adult Justice. Judge Richardson first joined the court system as a Court Attorney-Referee in Queens County Family Court after representing clients in New York City Housing, Family, and Supreme Courts. Judge Richardson became a Family Court Judge in 2003, the Queens County Family Court Supervising Judge in 2008, and the New York City Family Courts Administrative Judge 2009. She currently sits on the New York Court of Claims. Judge Richardson earned her law degree from CUNY Law School and holds a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the CUNY Graduate Center. She maintains active membership and leadership positions in bar associations, judicial associations, and court committees in pursuit of improving our legal system’s delivery and quality of justice services. Judge Edwina G. Richardson joined the National Judicial College faculty in 2022.

HONORABLE J. WESLEY SAINT CLAIR (Ret.)

Judge Saint Clair joined JAMS Mediation, Arbitration, and ADR Services after a sterling 30-year career as a judge in the King County court system. Initially as a District Court judge and then as a Superior Court judge, a court of general jurisdiction. As a trial judge, Judge Saint Clair presided over thousands of cases, and where he developed expertise in skillfully handling numerous case types: complex personal injury and product liability. Judge Saint Clair has received numerous awards and acknowledgments for his work in therapeutic courts, resulting in a New York Times article about his court. Judge Saint Clair ended his career as Chief of the Juvenile Court and was introduced to restorative practices as a more holistic and humanistic of engaging with children and families. His program and passion resulted in a TED presentation in 2016. Judge Saint Clair remains committed to addressing issues that plague our systems: homelessness, mass incarceration, and systemic and institutional racism.

HONORABLE EDWARD T. WAHL

Judge Edward (Ned) Wahl is a general jurisdiction trial judge in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  He was appointed in 2012, served in Family Court for four years, and has handled civil cases for over eight years. Judge Wahl teaches evidence, writing, and civil topics to judges in Minnesota and at the National Judicial College, and teaches lawyers at Minnesota CLE.  He also teaches trial practice at the University of St. Thomas Law School. Judge Wahl was selected as Civil Advocate of the Year (2025) by the Minnesota State Bar Association and as Trial Judge of the Year 2025 (Minnesota) by the American Board of Trial Advocates.  Before he was a judge, he was a litigation partner at Oppenheimer, Wolff & Donnelly and at Faegre & Benson.  He clerked for the Hon. Gerald W. Heaney on the United States Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit. Judge Wahl earned his B.A. at Northwestern University, his M.A. at the University of Virginia, and his J.D. at the University of Chicago. Judge Wahl joined the National Judicial College faculty in 2016.

HONORABLE DANE H. WATKINS JR.

Judge Dane Watkins, Jr. is a District Judge in the Seventh Judicial District of Idaho.  He has presided over a hundred civil and criminal jury and court trials since 2011. Judge Watkins served four years as the Administrative District Judge over ten counties. Prior to his judgeship, he served for nine years as the elected Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney.  His first legal employment came while working for the Department of Justice in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba interpreting asylum interviews between fleeing Haitian refugees and U.S. asylum adjudicators.  Judge Watkins has worked for a legal software company, an attorney’s title company, a U.S. Senator and the Immigration and Naturalization Service.  He attended the J. Reuben Clark School of Law.  Judge Watkins is married to Angela Giles (Ph.D. of Midway, Utah who teaches Health Care Administration. They are the parents of four children.

HONORABLE DEBORAH C. WELSH (Ret.)

Hon. Deborah C. Welsh was the Chief Judge of the General District Courts for the 20th Judicial District, presiding in the General District Court (GDC) for Loudoun County. She received her B.A. (1976) and her J.D. (1980) from the University of Richmond, Virginia. Judge Welsh was in the private practice of law for over 30 years before her judicial appointment in 2012. She is currently a member of the Education Committee of the Judicial Conference of Virginia for District Courts, the Loudoun County Community Criminal Justice Board, the Virginia Association of Women Judges, the National Association of Women Judges and Second Vice President for the Association of District Court Judges (Treasurer 2019-2021). Judge Welsh has been a lecturer for the mandatory Judicial Conference for District Courts, the Virginia CLE, the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and the Pre-Bench Orientation for New Judges for the Virginia Supreme Court. She has presided over the Mental Health Docket for the GDC in Loudoun County, since its authorization in 2018. Judge Welsh is also trained as a mentor judge in the Judicial Mentor Program.

HONORABLE GAYLE WILLIAMS-BYERS (Ret.)

Judge Gayle Williams-Byers previously served as Administrative and Presiding Judge of the South Euclid Municipal Court until her retirement in August 2022. During her time on the bench, she was responsible for the creation and implementation of several innovative achievements, including the creation of a specialized Mental Health docket. Judge Williams-Byers joined the faculty of the NJC in 2018 and has used her civil and criminal background as a judge and prosecutor to hone expert skills in the area of commercial drivers licensing by providing instruction to judges nationally on the topic of masking and related federal penalties. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Williams-Byers served as a Legislative Aide to the United States Senate Clean Air Sub-Committee, tasked with drafting Energy, Environment and Transportation legislation. She earned her Bachelor’s, Juris Doctorate and Masters in Nonprofit Organizations degrees from Case Western Reserve University. Judge Williams-Byers is an active member and past President-Elect of the American Judge’s Association (AJA), one of the largest judges-only organizations in North America.