Governor Kate Brown has announced that she will appoint Michele Rini to the Washington County Circuit Court to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jim Fun. Rini’s appointment is effective October 1, 2021.

“Michele Rini has deep roots in Washington County, and has long served her community as a juvenile hearings referee on this court,” Governor Brown said. “Her experience, compassion, and work ethic will enable her to hit the ground running.”

Rini grew up in Washington County and attended Beaverton High School. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Portland State University and a law degree from the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College. From there, Rini entered private practice, focusing on juvenile, criminal, and family law cases. She is a registered Democrat.

In 2005, Rini began serving as a part-time Pro Tem judge in Washington County, and in 2006, she was hired by the Washington County Court as a full time Juvenile Hearings Referee, where she has served ever since. In that role, she has presided over a juvenile docket, including juvenile dependency and delinquency hearings, termination of parental rights cases, and emancipation. She has also presided over other matters, including support enforcement cases, small claims motions, and landlord tenant first appearances.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Rini has served for ten years as a participant in Washington County’s model court team, served on the Oregon Judicial Department’s implementation workgroup for SB 1008, a juvenile justice reform bill which provided for criminal sentence reduction. Rini is a past president of the Washington County Bar Association and a former member of the juvenile law section committee of the Oregon State Bar.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2021-09-22 08:16:39

Last Update: 2021-09-22 10:50:08