What Is the WSBA Leadership Institute?

The mission of the WSBA Leadership Institute is to recruit, train, and retain Washington attorneys who have been admitted to practice for three to 10 years for leadership positions in the legal community and in the WSBA. Program participants ("fellows") will be selected with an emphasis on diversity (racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, disability, cultural, and geographic).  An additional benefit of this program will be expansion of leadership potential for local, minority, and specialty bar associations. Although diversity is the emphasis, no one will be left out or excluded from consideration if they meet the selection criteria and submit an application.

Why Join the Leadership Institute?

The benefits of participation:

• Training in the Law, Courts and the Bar
  By the end of the program, fellows will be much more informed about the practice of law; the inner workings of the state and federal justice systems; and local, state, and national bar associations. Top bar and judicial leaders will serve as the program's faculty.
• All CLE Requirements for Two Years Satisfied
  Participation in the program will provide fellows with 30 Continuing Legal Education credits, enough to satisfy two full years of MCLE requirements - at no cost.
• One-on-One Interaction with Judges
  Fellows will be provided with at least one training session involving judges from federal, state, and tribal courts. This will allow for one-on-one interaction with the decision makers who manage and influence the justice system.
• Exposure to Practice and Industry Leaders
  Fellows will learn practice tips from the most experienced and celebrated lawyers in public and private practice and from the major corporations located in Washington state.
• Mentorship From Well-Known Bar Leaders
  Each fellow will be assigned to a senior WSBA mentor in the practice area that the fellow is currently inclined to pursue.
• Transportation, Lodging, and Meals Provided
  The program is a no-cost endeavor for fellows. To the extent there are travel, lodging, or meal requirements, their costs will be covered by the WSBA. There is no tuition fee.

 "Access to decision makers and people 'in the know' was one of the best aspects of the program."

Kevin Diaz
Staff Attorney
Northwest Justice Project

"That so many great leaders took time out of their lives to offer us an all-access pass into their individual worlds was truly one of the greatest gifts of my career."

 
Beth Barrett Bloom
Associate
Frank Freed Subit & Thomas, LLP

"The experiential learning throughout this program was exceptional!"

Melissa Bartholomew
Lead Licensing Attorney
Office of the Attorney General

"Meeting people and speaking frankly about pressing issues, changing practices, and diversity issues were all exciting aspects of this program!"

Lisa Dickinson
Attorney at Law
Feltman, Gebhardt, Greer & Zeimantz

WSBA Leadership Institute Receives Martindale-Hubbell Fellowship

WSBA Leadership Institute Featured on TVW's The Docket

The WSBA Leadership Institute will be featured on the July edition of The Docket, a monthly half-hour magazine-style program covering the law and the courts on TVW, Washington's public-affairs channel (channel 23 on Comcast cable). The program also includes highlights from the recent Access to Justice and WSBA Bar Leaders joint conference held in Yakima June 9-11. You can catch repeat broadcasts of this episode on Friday, July 7 at 1:05 a.m., 9:05 a.m, and 5:05 p.m., or click here to watch a streaming video at TVW's website.

WSBA Leadership Institute Wins 2005 ABA Partnership Program Award

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