Judge Dale Koch, Multnomah County Circuit Court Presiding Judge

Judge Koch is a U of O graduate (BA ’68 and JD ’71), who grew up in Springfield . He started his law career at the Multnomah County DA ’s office where he worked until 1976. Entering private practice in a small partnership was the natural next step for a lawyer who enjoyed the challenges of the courtroom, but disliked the bureaucracy of large organizations. After trying “just a little bit of everything,” family law cases seemed best suited to Judge Koch and he to them. In 1985 he started a partnership with (former) Judge Elizabeth Welch, focusing solely on family law issues.

Judge Koch was appointed to the bench in 1992 and, upon the retirement of Judge Ellis, was selected by his peers and appointed presiding judge by the chief justice in 2002.

The key to success in his courtroom: Treat opposing counsel and parties with civility. He understands that the increased litigiousness of our society has turned up the heat on disputes, but he believes that lawyers are best served by being civil to parties and each other.

Originally authored by David Bartz and printed in the March 1994 Multnomah Lawyer

Updated for the Internet in 2007