APR 8(e) Emeritus/Pro Bono Membership
Emeritus/Pro Bono membership provides a limited license for lawyers otherwise retired from the practice of law to practice on a volunteer basis for Qualified Legal Services Providers. A list with direct contact information is available to members upon request. The Emeritus rule is APR 8(e).
More information about Public Service Opportunities.
Application for Emeritus/Pro Bono Membership
If you are a Washington lawyer, there is no application fee. If you are a lawyer not admitted in Washington, you must pay a fee to the National Conference of Bar Examiners for a background investigation.
All Emeritus/Pro Bono members must pay the annual inactive license fee, currently $200.
To qualify, you must have actively practiced law for at least 5 of the last 10 years and complete training. Training consists of completing 6 hours of online and/or live training and orientation with your qualified legal services provider. A training certification form will be provided upon receipt of a qualifying application.
If you are a WSBA member, print and complete the Application for Emeritus/Pro Bono Membership. For more information about Emeritus/Pro Bono membership, WSBA members may contact us by sending an email to membershipchanges@wsba.org or by contacting Membership Changes at 206-239-2131.
If you are a non-WSBA member, contact Doug McManaway at (206) 727-8228 or dougm@wsba.org for a non-member Emeritus/Pro Bono application packet.
If you are an emeritus member and stop providing volunteer services through the qualified legal services provider with which you applied, you must notify the WSBA. You should contact membershipchanges@wsba.org to coordinate a change to a different qualified legal service provider. Or, if you no longer are going to volunteer for any qualified legal services provider, your Emeritus/Pro Bono membership must be terminated. (See APR 8(e)(7)). If you are a WSBA member and you do not apply for a different membership class, you will be transferred to Inactive membership.
Emeritus/Pro Bono lawyers licensed in another jurisdiction and admitted only as Emeritus/Pro Bono lawyers in Washington may not transfer to any other membership when their Emeritus/Pro Bono membership is terminated.