November 2004

Bar Year 2004-2005: A Preview

by Jan Michels, WSBA Executive Director

The WSBA’s fiscal and governance Bar Year (BY) begins October 1, 2004, and runs through September 30, 2005. During the year, the Board of Governors will meet nine times as countless committees, task forces, work groups, and sections develop recommendations for Board consideration. Each new year is governed by a combination of factors — some ongoing, others predictable startup factors, some new and some leftover-from-last-year pressing issues, and finally the new goals of the president and governors. This preview is meant to give you a glimpse of what the WSBA targets for this new year.

Ongoing core activities

The WSBA’s core activities are defined by General Rule 12 and include the day-to-day work of the regulation of the practice of law, which includes admissions; licensing; discipline; mandatory legal education compliance; the provision of lawyer services to members such as the Lawyers’ Assistance Program (LAP), the Law Office Management Assistance Program (LOMAP), and the Ethics call line; continuing legal education; media relations; publications; and the administration of the Bar’s 120 staff and $15.8 million budget. These core functions consume the majority of the WSBA’s resources and cannot be compromised or curtailed.

Predictable startup

Predictable is not to say mundane or taken for granted. Each BY starts with a new year’s enthusiasm and energy. Committees begin their work, and new task forces and work groups have their inaugural meetings. Staff revise the Bar-leader contact lists, lay out schedules for the year, and update the website and other reference materials. Section renewal notices are sent out in October, and new section leadership kicks in (though not all section-leadership change follows the WSBA BY). The new president and I start our “dance” together and with the Board. I use the word “dance” here with the meaning of “to move together in rhythm,” since the cooperative, rhythmic working of the Bar leaders together is what creates a successful and productive year for the WSBA.

2004-2005 issues

Often a new BY is driven by issues and influences beyond the Board’s direct control. The times, political climate, members’ concerns, or interest groups can all surface issues to the WSBA. The following list highlights some of the significant issues for BY 2004-2005.

1. Promoting diversity.
 • Implement the WSBA Leadership Institute.
 • Initiate the work of the new diversity advocate.
 • Support the Initiative for Diversity commitments project.

2. Protecting “Justice in Jeopardy.”
 • Co-sponsor with the Board for Judicial Administration (BJA) measures to secure adequate funding for the courts.
 • Co-sponsor with the BJA and State Office of Public Defense improvement of defense services and adequate funding of indigent defense.
 • Support measures toward funding civil equal justice services.

3. Setting license fees for 2007 and beyond.

4. Planning the 2007 WSBA office move.

5. Sponsoring the WSBA Committee on Public Defense to implement the recommendations of the 2003-2004 WSBA Blue Ribbon Panel on Criminal Defense.

6. Implementing the recommendations of the Professional Development Implementation Committee for four hours of pre-admission skills training, and other new-lawyer skills training and client-relationship mentoring requirements.

7. Lobbying the WSBA’s and sections’ legislative proposals, and responding to other legislative issues.

8. Reviewing the Appellate/RALJ rules, based on the recommendations of the Court Rules and Procedures Committee.

9. Reviewing and revising the WSBA’s committee-appointment process.

10. Strengthening the Limited Practice Board and the accountability of limited practice officers for real estate closings.

11. Implementing electronic legal research as a member benefit.

New Board and president direction

The Board’s Long-range Planning Committee develops an operational plan for the coming year, which is linked to the Budget and Audit Committee’s projected budget. The combination of these two efforts sets the direction and ensures the resources for the year’s work. President Ron Ward detailed his focus and hopes for the year in his October Bar News column. This year, we will focus on the work lawyers do to protect rights and our democracy, taking full advantage of the richness of the diversity that surrounds us, and the professional obligations of lawyers. These noble goals are built into the Board’s fiscal and operational plans.

Conclusion — We can and will do it!

Some see the WSBA as a huge ship whose direction is not easily redirected or whose course is not easily changed. Working with the many wonderful volunteer leaders who captain this ship, we are setting off for this year’s focused work on diversity, leadership development, and new- lawyer skills training. We have the resources to fit the core work, ongoing and new issues, and new vision together into one manageable whole — and we look forward to it.

2004-2005 promises to be a great year!

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