Judge Katherine Lucero (ret.) is a visionary and compassionate legal expert with 22 years of experience in Family Court, Dependency Court, and Juvenile Justice Court. Committed to system accountability to support human transformation, she provides expertise in trauma-informed, therapeutic court systems that are culturally respectful, gender-honoring, and promote family healing. She is a national trainer, educator, and speaker on judicial leadership, domestic violence and child welfare, family drug courts, and the disproportionate impact of the child welfare system on children of color. She is a published author and a certified life coach. She believes in the resilience of the human spirit based on her own experience with familial addiction.
She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Davis and her Juris Doctorate from Syracuse College of Law. In 2023, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws from San Jose State University.