The Center for Children & Youth Justice will honor Judge Patricia Clark (ret.) of Bellevue with a 2014 President’s Award for her service on the King County Superior Court. The award will be presented at the organization’s 7th annual Norm Maleng Advocate for Youth Award breakfast at 7 a.m. Thursday, March 6, at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel.

“Patricia is a visionary. Throughout her career, her innovative ideas have helped further the interests of children and bring about positive changes in the juvenile and children’s justice system,” said Justice Bobbe Bridge (ret.), founding president and CEO of CCYJ.

Clark first joined the King County Superior Court bench in 1996 as a Constitutional Commissioner. She was active in implementing the Reclaiming Futures Drug Treatment Court, a program that helps youth battle substance abuse and crime.

Clark also led the creation of King County’s Dependency Family Treatment Court, which provides drug treatment and monitoring of parents working to regain custody of their children.

A 1987 graduate of the University of Washington School of Law, Clark is a nationally known speaker on issues facing children and families in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. She retired from the bench in September 2013 and is now working as a judicial consultant focused on getting judges involved in safely reducing the number of children in foster care.

For more information or to register to attend the breakfast, go to www.ccyj.org.