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- Courtroom Number: E-942
- Bailiff: Rebecca Hibbs
- Department: 50
- Assignment: Presiding Judge
Biography
Judge Ketu Shah was appointed to the King County Superior Court in May 2019. Previously, Judge Shah served on the King County District Court from 2013 to 2019. Judge Shah is currently the Presiding Judge for King County Superior Court and is the former Chief Criminal Judge, Assistant Presiding Judge, Chief Judge for the Maleng Regional Justice Center. Judge Shah also presided over the Regional Mental Health Court and the Regional Veterans Court for 3.5 years.
Judge Shah has been a faculty member for Judicial College since 2017 and a Dean for Judicial College in 2019 & 2021. He is a member of the Minority and Justice Commission, and several King County Superior Court Committees, including executive, budget, and education committees. He is also co-chair of the SCJA Education Committee
Since 2017, he has been a board member of Washington Judges Foundation and is currently the Treasurer. Judge Shah also is member of King County’s Mental Illness & Drug Dependency (MIDD) Advisory Committee since 2016 and was co-chair from 2019 to 2022. He has presented at the WSBA Pro Tem training on ethics, virtual voir dire, and immigration and competency issues at judicial conferences. Judge Shah has been a panelist with the Washington Leadership Institute and Judicial Institute for Diversity. He has also volunteered as a judge for the University of Washington Law School Gates Scholarship, Seattle University Legal Clinic, ABAW Mock Trial, Renton High School, and Hazelwood Elementary School.
Judge Shah is a graduate of Whitman College and the University of Minnesota Law School where he was a Managing Editor for the Journal of Law and Inequality. Judge Shah clerked for Judge Carol Schapira of King County Superior Court and was a public defender intern. He also prosecuted domestic violence cases, helping implement a domestic violence court in the City of Vancouver and assisted in forming a domestic violence unit for the City of Bellevue. Judge Shah also had his own private practice focusing on immigration law, and as part of his work, volunteered extensively representing pro bono clients through API Chaya, REWA, Immigrant Family Advocacy Project, and Eastside Legal Assistance Program (ELAP).
Judge Shah was on the board for several years with the South Asian Bar Association of Washington and served on the Judicial Evaluation Committee for the Asian Bar Association. He took on Chaya’s first pro bono case in 2001 and then later served as Board Chair for over 6 years. He was awarded the 2008 Community Service Award by the South Asian Bar Association and 1998 Community Award by the City of Vancouver. He coached select soccer for over 15 years for girls and boys after playing soccer in college and is a former board member of his local youth soccer club.
Requests
Non-dispositive motions
Parties must comply with all the requirements of KCLR 7 when setting motions without oral argument. All non-dispositive motions will be considered by the Court without oral argument unless a party requests oral argument and the Court deems oral argument to be necessary. If you wish to request oral argument, please so indicate on the front page of your motion or opposition. Judge Shah will consider the request when he reviews the motion on the date noted for hearing without oral argument. If at that time the Court decides to hear oral argument, the bailiff will contact the parties regarding scheduling. If the Court does not grant oral argument, you will receive a courtesy copy of the Court’s order on the non-dispositive motion once the Court enters a ruling.
Dispositive motions and hearing requests
Dispositive motions are typically heard on Fridays. You may request a hearing by emailing or telephoning the bailiff.
Any email request for a dispositive motion hearing must include
- Case name and cause number
- Names and email addresses of all parties
- Type of hearing and dates requested
Judge Shah typically allots 1 hour for dispositive motions. Additional time may be provided on hearings involving multiple parties or multiple related motions. Please advise the bailiff of your request for additional time when scheduling.
Proposed orders and working papers
Department 50 is a paperless court and prefers all working copies submitted via e-working copies.
Judge Shah requires a Word version of all proposed orders. You may submit your proposed order via the e-filing portal by using the e-working copies application, or by email to shah.court@kingcounty.gov. Working copies of motions and declarations must be submitted via the e-filing portal, or if you cannot e-file, then by delivery to the Judges’ Mail Room (C-203) of the King County Courthouse. The Court cannot accept delivery of working papers by email or by delivery to the courtroom. Please notify the Court immediately if your case settles or you need to strike a motion.