Gov. Gregoire appoints Hickman to new Pierce County judgeship

For Immediate Release: November 10, 2005

OLYMPIA - Nov. 10, 2005 - Gov. Chris Gregoire has named Fife attorney John R. Hickman to Pierce County Superior Court, Department 22. Authorized by the legislature in 1997, Pierce County recently passed an ordinance funding the newly created judicial department - Department 22. The Department went into effect Oct. 1, 2005. It will be on the ballot in November of 2006.

�John Hickman�s reputation as an honorable practitioner with the highest of ethics is complemented by his passion for the law and friendly demeanor,� said Gov. Gregoire. �I am pleased to appoint him to this office and know that his experience will serve the court and the Pierce County community well.�

Mr. Hickman has been a pro tem judge in just about every court system in Pierce County since 1985, including Pierce County Superior Court, the Municipal Courts of Fife, Milton, Steilacoom and Tacoma, and Pierce County District Court. His private law practice includes family law, estate planning and probate, juvenile law and family law.

He received the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association�s Young Lawyers Section�s Liberty Bell Award for integrity and honesty in the legal profession in 2005. He was the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar�s Family Law Attorney of the Year in 2003.

Mr. Hickman is a past chairman of the Judicial Qualifications Committee for the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association, and a trustee for the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar. His has been a frequent speaker on mediation and family law matters, and is a volunteer member of the Guardian ad Litem Advisory Committee for Pierce County Family Law Guardian ad Litems. He is a participating attorney in the National Education Associations Referral Program and a member of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association.

Mr. Hickman, 54, is a 1973 graduate of the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Puget Sound�s School of Law in 1977 and was admitted to the state bar in 1978.

Mr. Hickman is active in leadership roles in Mason United Methodist Church of Tacoma. He is the secretary and board member for the Tacoma Actors Guild, and a volunteer mediator for the Pierce County Center for Dispute Resolution. He is a member of the Fife Area Chamber of Commerce, and a past president of the Rotary Club of Fife-Milton. He and his wife of 30 years are the parents of two adult children.

# # #