Joely was born and raised in Edmonds, Washington and is a graduate of the University of Washington. Joely has dedicated almost her entire career to public service. Shortly after graduating from Gonzaga University School of Law, Joely felt drawn to a career in federal law enforcement following the tragic events of September 11, 2001. In January 2003, Joely became a special agent with the Naval Crim
inal Investigative Service (NCIS), where she investigated major crimes involving military installations ashore, abroad and afloat. Joely also worked in counter-terrorism, where she was assigned as the intelligence liaison providing threat assessments to Commanding Officer Naval Base San Diego, Rear Admiral Dixon Smith. Joely also served on protection details for Vice President Richard Cheney, Secretary of the Navy, Honorable Donald Winter, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Pakistan. In May 2008, Joely traveled to Galway, Ireland to testify as the investigating special agent in a trial against an international terrorist, who threatened to kill President George W. Bush and blow-up several Naval Aircraft Carriers. In 2009, Joely began working at the Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office as a Deputy Prosecutor in the criminal division. During her tenure at the Prosecutor’s Office, Joely prosecuted violent offenses, specifically, domestic violence assaults, sex offenses and crimes against children. Additionally, Joely served as the Drug Court Prosecutor and was a member of the Multi-Disciplinary Task Force, which was an agency comprised of professionals tasked with preparing child sexual abuse cases for prosecution. In 2014, Joely accepted the position of Lewis County Public Defender for the day, where she currently represents defendants at their first appearance on criminal charges. Joely also is an attorney for the Lewis County Family Treatment Court, where she represents parents in dependency actions. Joely has served numerous times as a Pro-Tem Commissioner for Lewis County Superior Court. As a Pro-Tem Commissioner Joely has presided over cases involving family law, domestic violence, criminal law, and she has served as a Drug Court Pro-Tem Commissioner. Joely has also served as a Pro-Tem Judge for Centralia Municipal Court where she presides over criminal cases. Joely resides in Chehalis with her husband, Shane O’Rourke, and their son. Shane is also a local attorney and partner at the firm of Buzzard O’Rourke. The O’Rourkes are actively involved in the community, including volunteering within the Chehalis School District, Chehalis Rotary, Chehalis Little League, Lewis County Relay for Life, the Drug Court Gives Back program, and they are both currently on the board of Lewis County Legal Aid.
