Judicial Reappointments

WCA Judges Couture and Skinner Reappointed to Five-Year Terms

Albuquerque, N.M., April 10, 2024 – Workers’ Compensation Administration Director Robert E. Doucette, Jr., announced that judges Tony Couture and David Skinner have been reappointed to new five-year terms, effective April 10, 2024. By law, workers’ compensation judges are appointed for an initial one-year term, which may then be followed by subsequent five-year appointments. The WCA judges both began their initial one-year terms April 6, 2023. Judge Tony Couture graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2007. He was in private practice in the areas of workers' compensation, general liability and complex civil litigation. Before entering the legal field, he was a registered nurse and computer scientist. His nursing experience has helped him have a deep understanding of the complicated medical issues that often accompany workers' compensation matters. Couture is passionate about working to advance the New Mexico Workers' Compensation Administration's mission to assure the timely delivery of benefits to injured workers at a reasonable cost to employers. Couture is a member of the State Bar of New Mexico and the American Bar Association. Judge David Skinner has practiced in the area of New Mexico workers’ compensation law for more than 35 years. He was recognized as a specialist in workers’ compensation law by the State Bar of New Mexico prior to his initial WCA judge appointment in 2011. Skinner has taught New Mexico workers’ compensation law at numerous accredited Continuing Legal Education seminars. He graduated from Mesa State College, Grand Junction, Colo., in 1981 with a bachelor of science degree in agronomy and received his juris doctorate degree cum laude from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1987. Skinner previously worked as a WCA judge from 2011 to 2017. Since July 2022, he has served as a judge pro tempore for the WCA, handling lump-sum settlement and Director’s Enforcement hearings.