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Court in recess

Judge Rothrock's court will be in recess February 17-20, 2026 and March 5-9, 2026. Any messages will be returned upon return.

Photo of Judge Averil Rothrock

  • Courtroom Number: E-942
  • Bailiff: Craig Morrison
  • Department: 16
  • Assignment: Presiding Judge
  • The Presiding Judge is the spokesperson for the court. Her responsibilities include leading the management and administration of the court’s business, recommending policies and procedures that improve the court’s effectiveness, and allocating financial resources in a way that maximizes the court’s ability to resolve disputes fairly and expeditiously.
  • If you contact the court, your message is a priority. Our goal is to fairly and promptly serve litigants and provide access to court. The bailiff strives to respond in a timely and informative way.
  • Bailiffs do not give legal advice or answer questions about the law. If you are contacting the bailiff regarding a specific case to which you are a party, you should copy all parties in your communication.
  • If you want to request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact Public Access Specialist Ronda Bliey.
  • If you wish to email the Presiding Judge with feedback or suggestions regarding the management and administration of the court's business, please put the words "feedback/suggestion" in the subject line of your email. 

  • The Presiding Judge does not review or alter court rulings by other judicial officers, or discipline other judges.

Biography

Judge Rothrock’s first name is pronounced with a long a, like April.

 

Judge Rothrock has lived in King County since 1970. She became a judge on the King County Superior Court in 2018. The judges elected Judge Rothrock to serve as Presiding Judge for two years from January 2026 to January 2028. Judge Rothrock has served in the downtown Seattle, Kent and Clark Children and Family Justice Center courthouses. 

 

Judge Rothrock grew up in Seattle and is a graduate of Garfield High School in Seattle. She obtained a B.A. cum laude from Colorado College and obtained her J.D. cum laude from Willamette University College of Law. In law school, she served as an Associate Editor of the law review and received the Van Winkle Scholarship for excellence in Constitutional Law. 

 

Before becoming a judge, Judge Rothrock enjoyed practicing law for 24 years in King County, representing clients in civil disputes in Superior Court and developing significant experience in the appellate courts. Judge Rothrock has appeared before the Court of Appeals for the State of Washington more than fifty times and represented clients in multiple matters on review before the Washington State Supreme Court. Judge Rothrock served as Chair of the King County Bar Appellate Section in 2012. She served as a trustee for the King County Bar Foundation from 2012 to 2025 and for King County Law Library from 2018 to 2025, in addition to participation in multiple work groups both as a lawyer and a judge seeking to improve access to justice.

 

For the Superior Court, Judge Rothrock’s committee service includes committees that address efforts concerning:

  • Local Rules
  • Jury
  • Courts and Community
  • Personnel
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
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