Kathy Van Olst KCPAO Women in Leadership
This Women’s History Month, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is highlighting some of the depth and breadth of women leaders in our office as part of our “Women in Leadership” series. These profiles are only a few of the many amazing women in our office.
How long have you worked at the PAO?
I started out in 1994 working for the PAO. I’ve been here ever since, except for a two-year span where I worked for a civil law firm, and for a little under two years I was the Director of the King County Jail system.
What is your role in the PAO?
I am one of the Senior Trial Attorneys of the Economic Crimes Unit, where I work on elder abuse cases.
What were you doing before coming to the PAO?
Right after college I came to Seattle and got a Masters in Public Administration at the University of Washington. After that I went back to Washington, D.C. and worked for a number of years on Capitol Hill — for Senator Packwood, the Senate Commerce Committee, and then on a grant that addressed fishing vessel safety and insurance. Then I went to law school and returned to Seattle where I practiced law at a small civil firm before coming to the prosecutor’s office.
What are some of your goals in regards to the work you do?
One of the reasons I came to the PAO was to get more trial experience, and to do that in a way that I felt was a benefit to the community. The PAO has always focused on trying to do justice, and I’ve found I’ve been able to do that. Currently on the elder abuse project, we try and address issues of abuse and neglect with regards to elder victims. We receive elder abuse cases from law enforcement that involve the physical or sexual assault, criminal neglect and financial exploitation of older adults. One of my goals in working with elder victims to make sure that in doing justice we really listen to the elder victims who can tell us what their goals are with regard to prosecution. These cases can be really difficult for the victims because they often involve family members as the perpetrators. While an elder will want the financial abuse to stop, they may also want a continuing relationship with the offender during their final years of life. We try to craft resolutions in those cases that address all of those concerns, if that is possible.
What sort of obstacles have you faced in your field? What was it like dealing with those?
I’ll address the answer in two ways. The first is that early on in my career at the PAO, there were times when women were not listened to as advocates on an equal basis as men. Luckily some of that has changed and continues to improve. For me, trying to tackle that obstacle has involved determination, persistence and being true to the mission of the office to seek justice.
On a more personal note, this job is a demanding one. Striving for some balance between my home life and my work life can sometimes feel like an unobtainable goal. However, I have found incredible mentors and colleagues at the PAO to lean on. Also, making time to get away from work and into the outdoors to hike or ski with family and friends has been my great escape.
What advice would you give to other women who are considering a similar career path?
I would definitely recommend a job such as the one I’ve had at the PAO. The PAO has opportunities that can benefit anybody that is interested in pursuing a legal career. You learn how to try cases, can become involved in community outreach on criminal justice issues, and can have a role in shaping the office’s collective journey to do justice. The criminal justice system was constructed to be adversarial, so hearing diverse opinions is expected and essential for good decision-making. The more diverse our office can be, the more beneficial for the system as a whole.
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Catch up with the entire KCPAO Women in Leadership series on our blog at https://kcprosecutor.medium.com/.
