FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2006
Contact: Alfredo Tryferis
Communications Specialist
206-733-5932; alfredot@wsba.org
Walla Walla County Superior Court Judge Donald W. Schacht
Receives WSBA Local Hero Award
Seattle, Washington, April 25, 2006 — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) announced today that Walla Walla County Superior Court Judge Donald W. Schacht received the WSBA's Local Hero Award, presented to lawyers who have made noteworthy contributions to their communities. WSBA President S. Brooke Taylor presented the award to Judge Schacht at the WSBA Board of Governors meeting on April 21 at the Marcus Whitman Hotel in Walla Walla.
Judge Schacht, a native of Dallas, Texas, received his law degree from Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Ore., in 1972, and was in private practice in Walla Walla until 1977. From 1977 to 1986, Judge Schacht served as the Walla Walla County deputy prosecuting attorney, and then as prosecuting attorney from 1986 to 1988. He was elected to the Walla Walla County Superior Court in 1989.
During his distinguished 18-year career on the bench, Judge Schacht has worked tirelessly to improve the justice system in Walla Walla County. He has been a strong advocate for increased court security — an ongoing challenge for rural counties with limited budgets — and, thanks in part to his efforts, Walla Walla County has significantly upgraded security at its courts. Judge Schacht has also championed the increased availability of court services for domestic violence victims, including making courthouse office space available to advocacy groups.
It is for these efforts, as well as for his unimpeachable professionalism on the bench, that the WSBA is proud to call Judge Schacht its Local Hero.
About the WSBA
The WSBA is part of the judicial branch, exercising a governmental function authorized by the Washington State Supreme Court to license the state's 29,800 lawyers. The WSBA both regulates lawyers under the authority of the Court and serves its members as a professional association — all without public funding.
As a regulatory agency, it administers the bar admission process, including the bar exam; provides record-keeping and licensing functions; and administers the lawyer-discipline system. As a professional association, the WSBA provides continuing legal education for attorneys, in addition to numerous other educational and member-service activities.
The governance of the WSBA is vested in its 14-person Board of Governors. There are three governors from the seventh congressional district; one from each of the other eight districts; and three at-large members, one of whom represents the Young Lawyers Division. The 2005-2006 president is S. Brooke Taylor, of Port Angeles, and the 2005-2006 president-elect is Ellen Conedera Dial, of Seattle.
The Board meets regularly (every six weeks) at various locations around the state, and its meetings are open to the public. Much of the work of the Bar is carried out through 23 standing committees; 25 sections; and a Young Lawyers Division, with its many committees.
