Judge Kathleen Dailey, Multnomah County Circuit Court

Judge Kathleen Dailey’s background of diverse life and legal experiences prepared her for her position as Circuit Court Judge for Multnomah County.

Judge Dailey was in fifth grade at Our Lady of the Lake School in Lake Oswego when she moved with her parents, her two older brothers and two younger sisters to Fiji, where her father had business interests. The family arrived in Fiji in time for the celebration of its independence from Great Britain on October 10, 1970, and Dailey vividly remembers standing on the street waving the Fijian flag and singing the Fijian anthem as Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Ratu Sir George Cakobau went by in a horse-drawn carriage.

Dailey describes her years in Fiji as "idyllic," despite annual hurricanes. She attended a government school under the British system of exams and uniforms, and was a successful mid-distance runner during high school, competing in the Fiji Nationals her senior year. In December 1976, she graduated from the Sixth Form with a University Entrance Certificate. She took her SAT exam by herself at the American Embassy. Fiji offered Dailey a multicultural experience that greatly influences her to this day.

After graduation, Dailey returned to Portland where she faced the culture shock of tall buildings, malls and "so many people, events, and choices." She lived with her uncle, Lake Oswego attorney William Buckley, and worked as a clerk in the real estate loan division of First Interstate Bank.

Dailey entered the U of O in the fall of 1977 and graduated in June 1981 with a degree in history. She enrolled at Lewis & Clark Law School in the fall of 1981. In 1983, Dailey married an Army ranger whom she met during college and ended up finishing her law degree in the summer of 1984 at Fort Sill in Oklahoma under the long-distance supervision of professor, and later Dean, Huffman.

Dailey moved with her husband to Bad Kreuznach, Germany, where she first worked as a substitute teacher (without teacher training) and then as an Outreach Coordinator for Army Community Service.

Upon her return to Portland, Dailey clerked for Bennett Hartman Tauman & Reynolds. She took and passed the bar exam in the summer of 1988. In the fall of 1988, Dailey was hired as a staff attorney at Metropolitan Public Defender Services Inc. She stayed there for four years, defending adult and juvenile clients accused of both misdemeanors and felonies.

Dailey joined Williams & Troutwine in 1992 and became a partner in 1999. She represented plaintiffs in complex tort actions, many involving multiple plaintiffs and multi-district litigation. She also litigated elder abuse cases and one of the first toxic mold cases in Oregon.

Dailey was also an active member in the OSB, MBA and Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, where she is a past president. In 2002 she received the Joyce Ann Harpole award for exhibiting balance in career, family and community. She was pleased to be appointed to the bench on August 20, 2004 by Governor Kulongoski, to the position vacated by the retirement of Judge Dorothy Baker.

Dailey supports the concept of “restorative justice.” In her view, the goal of the criminal justice system is not to be solely punitive, but to respond to the needs of the victims and the community, and to steer offenders to accept personal accountability and motivate them to change. Dailey understands the court’s financial resources are limited, but she intends to work within existing resources to facilitate this philosophy. She looks forward to years of service to the court and the legal community.

Judge Dailey is assigned to the General Docket, presiding over both civil and criminal cases. Additionally she is assigned, along with Judge Eric Bloch, to preside over the Driving Under the Influence Intensive Supervision Program. This is a very successful treatment court for defendants with repeat DUII convictions. As with all treatment programs the emphasis is on both alcohol treatment and accountability. There are currently close to 800 defendants in the 3 year probation program.

Dailey currently serves on the Multnomah Bar Continuing Legal Education committee. She is Chair of the Multnomah County Circuit Court Juror Orientation committee including regular presentations to jurors regarding the principles of jury trials. Dailey served as Co-Chair of the Jury Standards committee May 2005-May 2007. This committee evaluated and made recommendations regarding Multnomah County Circuit Court trial practices.  

Dailey continues to participate as a speaker in many forums; including most recently Oregon Law Institute , Punitive Damages; MBA , Trial Practices ; Portland Community College, Criminal Justice; Oregon Association of Defense Attorneys, Products Liability Brown Bag; Oregon trial lawyers association, Mock Trial.

Originally authored by Susan Watts and printed in the December 2004 Multnomah Lawyer
Updated for the Internet in 2007