|
|
|
 |  |
 |
 |
WSBA Info | |
|
For Lawyers | |
|
For the Public |  |
 |
For the Media |  |
|
CLE |  |
| | Bench Bar Guidelines | News Releases | Publications | |
|
|
February 2004Around the StateAround the State reports are welcome from county and specialty bar associations. There are no rules for writing them, except to mention lots of your members. We leave it up to each organization to decide who does it, and to the correspondent to decide how often. Many counties are still available. Contact the editor at tradelaw@thompson-law.com for more information. Cowlitz County Report The final After Hours of 2003 was held at the law offices of Steve Pond, Paul Roesch, and Kevin Rahn. Partygoers were shocked at the cleanliness of Steve Pond's office, noting that it was the first time they had seen the floor in years. Odine Husemoen was there and was really happy. Surprising, because Paul Roesch was in charge of serving the drinks but didn't return from his depo until 30 minutes shy of closing time. That didn't stop Bar President Michael Evans from donning a lampshade — although he claims it was because of his happiness upon learning that Spike Evans is due in June. The building that houses the law office was once a bank. It has a vault with 18-inch steel walls with reinforced concrete. Apparently Mick Frey and Tierra Busby could use such a setup. Tierra heard something outside their home at around 2:00 a.m. While Mick waited safely and securely inside the home, Tierra ventured outside to confront the wrongdoer. The bad guy emerged from their garage with an axe in his hand. Tierra's overwhelming stature and presence were too much for the burglar, and he dropped the axe and fled on foot. Dennis Maher has an M.A. in international relations. Dennis also won the professionalism award this year as voted by his peers. The award was presented at the annual bar Christmas party. Approximately 100 people attended the affair. The Salvation Army was the recipient of the corresponding food drive. Wayne Purcell and his wife, Joyce, were also recognized. Wayne is considered the patriarch of the local bar association. John Hays continued his winning ways. He was awarded a door prize for the fifth year in a row. Steve Pond was a lucky winner of a magnificent snowman lamp. It reminded all of us of the "major award" lamp from A Christmas Story. Ah, what an heirloom. Tierra Busby discretely ate her salmon while the other seven people seated at her table consumed the flesh of a fellow mammal — a.k.a. New York steak. Jamie Imboden was recognized by the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Legal Aid Program as the volunteer of the year for his tireless efforts in assisting the downtrodden and powerless. He even took a pro bono case to jury trial. Legal Aid also recognized Wes Johnson for his efforts as a Legal Aid board member since its inception. Ian Northrip was the proud winner of a set of assorted highlighters.
Governor Gary Locke appointed two veteran county prosecutors to new judgeships in eastern Washington in December. Margaret Sowards, a senior deputy prosecutor and a member of the Ellensburg City Council, was appointed to the Kittitas County Superior Court. She graduated from the University of Puget Sound School of Law and was admitted to the Bar in 1993. Before coming to Kittitas County, she worked for the Seattle city attorney and the Pierce County prosecutor. The post pays $121,972 a year. Sowards will have to stand for election next fall. Governor Locke also appointed Carrie Runge to the Benton-Franklin Counties Superior Court. Runge spent 17 years with the Benton County prosecutor's office, rising to chief deputy prosecutor for Benton County when she received her appointment. Runge received her bachelor's degree in psychology and a secondary-education certificate from the University of Washington. She graduated from the University of Puget Sound School of Law. The King County District Court building in Shoreline, north of Seattle, was renamed the Robert A. Wacker Memorial Building in ceremonies held in December. Wacker served 28 years on the district court bench before his death last April 1, two weeks after being diagnosed with cancer. Wacker was one of the longest-seated judges in King County and served as presiding judge of the county's district court in 1976 and 1977. The Metropolitan King County Council unanimously approved an ordinance for the name change in late July. Seattle attorney James Robart, who successfully challenged the constitutionality of Washington's $30-car-tab initiative in 2000, was nominated by President Bush to become a U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of Washington in December. If confirmed, Robart will succeed Judge Thomas Zilly, who is taking senior status after 16 years on the bench. Zilly has said he will continue to carry about 80 percent of his full-time caseload as a senior judge. Robart, 56 years old, spent his career with Lane Powell Spears Lubersky, where he was managing partner when nominated. He holds degrees from Whitman College and Georgetown University School of Law. A bipartisan committee chaired by Seattle attorney Jenny Durkan chose Robart.
Highlights of 2003 The nomadic Clem Barnes stayed with the same law firm for one calendar year. For the 15th consecutive year Dave Gossard's gross income was substantially less than that of his son, Stone Gossard, of the band Pearl Jam. William Leedom answered a set of interrogatories and produced requested documents after only two motions to compel discovery, obviously reflecting the fact that Bill is going soft. Mike Hunsinger's criminal law practice income was down, as he only had to defend half of the UW football team for various transgressions. On the CLE front The Washington State Trial Lawyers Association presented a speaker at a seminar who had actually tried a case in the past five years, a rarity. Of course, the speaker's experience was limited to representing a defendant on a jay-walking case in Algona Municipal Court. Rob Aronson resigned his position as UW Athletics Department faculty representative and now teams with a recently fired UW football coach offering lectures on successful wagering for the NCAA "March Madness" basketball tournament. Office Moves New associates in Seattle law firms include the following: At Miller Nash are John Chung, Adele Conover, and Adam Hughes; Brian W. Esler is of counsel; at Short Cressman & Burgess — Beth M. Prieve, Michael R. Parker, M.D., and Janet S. Kim; at Riddell Williams — Wendy Lyon, Mona McPhee, Richard Ross, and Skylar Sherwood; Michelle Kurtz Peterson at Lane Powell Spears Lubersky; and Bernadette Bulacan and Wendy Kearns at Leary Franke Droppert. Toni Y. Davis is with Bullivant Houser Bailey. Mark K. Funke has opened a solo office in Seattle, as has Brendan Patrick. Honors Michael H. Runyan is now a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Marcia K. Fujimoto and Wendy S. Goffe were elected fellows of the American College of Trusts and Estate Counsel. Douglas J. Smart was appointed to the National Board of Regents for the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. Carl P. Gilmore has been appointed to the foundation of the Federal Bar Association. Clifford Webster was elected president of the State Capital Global Law Firm Group. Seattle University Law School Dean Rudolph C. Hasel received an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the Far Eastern National University in eastern Russia. Oregon Report
By the time this article appears in print, another annual grand opening of Erickson, Knudsen, Williams and McLean will be history, Brett & Daugert will have hosted the annual Christmas party, and the rest of us will be about our mundane tasks. Just prior to the end of the year, we swore in a whole slew of new attorneys, and Dominique Zervas-Foley probably achieved the plum of the lot by being employed with Langabeer, Tull and Lee. Tanesha Canzater and Mary Neil will be working with the Lummi Indian Nation; Deborah Frederick and Anna Gigliotti will be employed by Whatcom County — Deborah with the public defender and Anna with the prosecutor. Lynette Korb, Tejpal Hansra, Laura Riquelme, Amir Showrai, Ziad Youssef, and Jag Dhillon are either looking for or will be opening offices in the county. A quick reading of those names tells what was obvious to us that this is a very diverse cultural group. William Belanger is setting up office in Blaine, practicing with Roger Ellingson, and Frank Belden, after all those years of study, etc., will be heading off to Iraq for the next one and a half years. Both Judge Nichols and I have let it be known that we will be retiring next year, and, so far, at least five attorneys have expressed strong interest in our jobs. That should pump of lot of money into the local economy. More to follow.
In November, Timothy J. Carlson, Donald A. Boyd, and Roger Bailey, formerly of Halverson Applegate, formed a new law firm, Carlson, Boyd and Bailey, PLLC, together with two associates, Paul H. Williams and Joshua J. Busey. They will serve Central and Eastern Washington emphasizing business, real estate, agricultural law, debtor/creditor relations, and bankruptcy.
Warren Doolittle Time magazine called Warren Doolittle one of Seattle's "100 Newsmakers of Tomorrow" in 1953, and he stayed busy and involved in his community for the next half century. Doolittle studied at UW before winning a scholarship to Columbia Law School and a commission in the Navy in 1941. He spent the war training naval aviation cadets, and left the service as a lieutenant commander. After the war he married his law school fiancée, a Barnard College faculty member, and they moved to Seattle. Doolittle joined the old Seattle firm of Schweppe, Doolittle, Krug, Tausend & Beezer. He spent his career there, retiring in 1979 during the firm's centenary. Active as a Mason and a considerable trombonist, he enjoyed a long retirement. Survivors include two children and eight grandchildren. Warren Akin Doolittle was born in Seattle April 26, 1917, and died there December 2, 2003, aged 86. Joel Haggard A born debater who became a nuclear engineer and then a lawyer, Joel Haggard had a "catalog-type" mind where every politician and regulation he needed to remember had its place. Born in Portland and raised in Seattle, he held degrees from Notre Dame, University of Oklahoma, and UW School of Law. He settled in Magnolia in a home with a view of the Sound, and lived there the rest of his life. Haggard built a practice representing land developers, and could almost always point out a project he'd had a hand in as he drove round the Seattle area. He was also active in the Catholic Church and civic matters, serving on the Seattle Symphony Board. President Ford appointed him to the Columbia River Interstate Compact Commission, and every president since reappointed him. Survivors include his wife, three children, and two sisters. Joel Edward Haggard died December 6, 2003, in Seattle, aged 64. John Mucklestone's wife, Patricia, was badly injured in a 1986 car accident. He spent the rest of his life caring for her, even keeping her WSBA fees current for the day she could return to practice. Born in Seattle, Mucklestone grew up in California and served in the Army in World War II. He served as a company commander in the 11th Airborne Division. After the war, he got his undergraduate and law degrees at UW. Admitted to practice in 1952, Mucklestone fell in love with Patricia Shanahan, then secretary-treasurer of the WSBA. They married in 1956 and opened Mucklestone & Mucklestone in Seattle. Survivors include his wife, two children, a brother, and 10 grandchildren. John Presley Mucklestone died December 2, 2003, in Seattle, aged 78. David Trachtenberg Portland native David Trachtenberg graduated from Willamette University and Lewis & Clark Law School, and then joined Kobin & Meyer, a long-established construction law firm in Portland. He later moved to Seattle and the firm of Groff Murphy Trachtenberg & Everard. Admitted to practice in Washington, Alaska, and Oregon, Trachtenberg was a frequent speaker on construction law, insurance, and bond matters. After a seven-year courtship, Trachtenberg proposed to his wife, Diane, in front of Van Gogh's painting Starry Night. They married in 2001. She survives him, as do a son, daughter, and stepson. David Robert Trachtenberg collapsed and died September 2, 2003, while on his morning walk. He was 50 years old.
|
