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April 2005Leadership with Style: The WSBA Leadership Instituteby Joslyn K. N. Donlin, J.D., WSBA Diversity Advocate The WSBA Leadership Institute (Leadership Institute) made its historical debut on March 18-19, 2005, with a star-studded cast of 12 outstanding and accomplished attorneys, the first class of the Leadership Institute. Perkins Coie in Seattle served as the launch site of the inaugural event. On hand to greet the first class of the Leadership Institute were members of the WSBA Leadership Institute Advisory Board, made up of well-recognized attorneys and nonattorneys from around Washington state. The group has been hard at work for the last six months preparing for and organizing the Institute’s eight sessions. The focus of the first session was on leadership skills. Background of the Leadership Institute The Leadership Institute is the brainchild of WSBA President Ronald R. Ward, who is the first African-American president in the history of the Association. One of the 2003-2006 strategic goals adopted by the WSBA Board of Governors is to “promote diversity, equality, and cultural competence in the courts, legal profession, and the bar.” According to President Ward, efforts are necessary to recruit and train “many lawyers, particularly those of color, women, and those from traditionally under-represented groups, for leadership positions and to [have them] be made aware of opportunities for skill development, professional growth, and leadership training that are available through the WSBA.” As a result, in 2004, the WSBA Board of Governors decided to create a leadership development program for a select group of lawyers. Thus, the first WSBA Leadership Institute began. Mission of the WSBA Leadership Institute The mission of the Leadership Institute is to develop and enhance the leadership skills of attorneys from diverse backgrounds in an experiential, individualized, collaborative, and mentorship learning environment. It is a unique program to recruit, train, and promote attorneys within Washington state, particularly those who come from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, women, and those from traditionally under-represented groups, who have practiced law between three and 10 years, for leadership positions in the WSBA, other legal organizations, and their communities. The Leadership Institute is fully funded by the WSBA. Leadership Institute Fellows Candidates chosen for the program are known as Leadership Institute fellows. The profile of the 2005 Leadership Institute fellows reflects the diversity within the WSBA. Of the 12 fellows, six represent geographic locations outside of the Seattle Metropolitan area: Bellingham, Kennewick, Port Orchard, Spokane, Puyallup, and Vancouver. The other six come from Seattle. Diversity is also reflected in the practice areas of the fellows. Five fellows are litigators; three work for government agencies, representing the city, state, and federal government; two are in private practice; one works for a nonprofit organization; and one is a member of the JAG Corps and is also a dean of a college. Nine are women and three are men. In terms of racial background, this is a diverse group. There are three African Americans, three Asians, four Caucasians, one Latino, and one Native American. All currently hold leadership positions within various legal and community organizations. The 2005 class of the Leadership Institute represents a highly accomplished and talented group of leaders and closely represents the profile of attorneys in the 21st century. Highlights of Session One Feedback from the first two-day session of the Leadership Institute indicated that it was a overwhelming success. The first day began with a warm welcome by President Ron Ward. He was followed by James Williams, the first chair of the Leadership Institute Advisory Board, who is a partner at Perkins Coie. Mr. Williams introduced the various members of the Advisory Board and the speakers. Dan Leahy, president of the Leadership Institute of Seattle (LIOS), dean of LIOS/Bastyr University School of Applied Behavioral Science, and a leadership consultant for the WSBA CLE Department served as the facilitator. As an ice-breaker, fellows shared an important aspect about themselves that they believed was important for the rest of the group to know. Mr. Leahy introduced Session One, Leadership Skills, by providing an overview of the major characteristics of three leadership styles: servant, collaborator, and commander. One of the highlights was the portrayal of these three leadership styles by Federal District Court Judge Ricardo Martinez, Supreme Court Justice Mary Fairhurst, and Defense Attorney Jeffery Robinson. Each shared their personal stories about their own leadership styles as well as their trials, triumphs, and tribulations in attaining their particular leadership position in the legal profession. Judge Martinez described how, after serving as a King County Superior Court judge, he wanted to pursue a federal judgeship. However, he knew that, in many cases, court appointments to the federal bench required political clout and influence, which was not something he was familiar with. Therefore, Judge Martinez decided to take a federal magistrate position. For the next five years, Judge Martinez demonstrated to his peers, fellow federal magistrates, judges, and attorneys who practiced in federal court that he was a very competent, dedicated, and hard-working judge who was highly capable of serving as a Federal District Court judge. Today, Judge Martinez is the first Latino Federal District Court judge from the Pacific Northwest. Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary Fairhurst shared a memorable personal story about how she first learned that she had leadership skills, through a gift from her mother. On her 16th birthday, Justice Fairhurst received a copy of a Life magazine featuring the “Most Remarkable Women.” In addition to the pictures of Katherine Hepburn and a few other outstanding women was a cut-out picture of Justice Fairhurst when she was a little girl, taped to the front of the magazine. According to Justice Fairhurst, for years she thought that the magazine with her picture on it was a strange gift from her mother. Then one day, she realized the valuable lesson she had learned — that she was a gifted leader. Although she lost her first bid as president of the WSBA, Justice Fairhurst ran again and won, serving as president for the 1997-98 term. Justice Fairhurst concluded her presentation by encouraging the fellows not to be an 85-year-old retiree reminiscing about “what could have been done, what should have been done, but what wasn’t done.” Today, Justice Mary Fairhurst is a member of the Washington State Supreme Court and a sought-after conference speaker. The Life magazine from her mother is showcased in her office in Olympia as a reminder that she is a leader. High-profile defense attorney Jeffery Robinson gave an inspirational talk about his upbringing and a shared a personal story about his family growing up in Tennessee. When Mr. Robinson was young, his parents wanted to buy a house in an all-white neighborhood. Because the Robinsons are African American, they were not able to successfully bid on a house. Then one day his parents bid on a house, only to again be outbid by a Caucasian family. Unbeknownst to the sellers, the Robinson family and the winning bidder had prearranged for the Robinsons to buy the house. This experience taught Robinson the value of persistence, a characteristic of leadership. Then Robinson described another personal example of persistence in leadership. After working for almost half a year on one of his toughest trial cases, Robinson lost the case. Although it was one of the hardest cases he had ever worked on and he lost, Robinson came to learn that “character is not made during times of crisis; character is revealed during times of crisis.” Robinson believes that losing a trial is not necessarily a failure but can be seen as an opportunity for growth and learning, which are characteristics of a good leader. Day two was spent discussing how race, gender, and sexual orientation have impacted the legal profession. Members of the Advisory Board provided insights into how these particular issues have affected them personally and professionally. The fellows were asked to reflect upon their own personal experiences relative to race, gender, and sexual orientation. This led to some lively and candid discussion among the fellows, and many reported that this was the first time that they had had the opportunity to share their personal stories with respect to these issues. Comments taken from the first session of the evaluations indicated the Leadership Institute was a tremendous success. One fellow noted: “I appreciated Dan’s opening session on leadership styles — it provided a good foundation/backdrop for the presentations. Each presenter provided valuable information and tools which I will be able to apply to my practice and to my life. I appreciated their candor. Their personal stories not only inspired but provided practical suggestions for how to be a better lawyer, leader, and a better person. I have rededicated myself to the practice of law. This was outstanding!” Another said that, “I am also very excited about learning how to be a positive role model and mentor. The most effective and informative sessions were the presentations by Judge Martinez, Justice Fairhurst, and Mr. Robinson.” The WSBA Leadership Institute Advisory Board The WSBA Leadership Institute Advisory Board is responsible for the overall mission, function, and delivery of the program. During 2005, the inaugural year of the program, the primary responsibility for the Advisory Board will be to organize, develop, implement, and evaluate the Leadership Institute. Also during the first year, tasks to be included in the institutionalization of the Leadership Institute will be the following: 1) application and selection process; 2) program and curriculum development; and 3) evaluation. The Advisory Board has curriculum execution subcommittees, which are specifically responsible for organizing, developing, and implementing the curriculum program, including the community-service project and mentorship program. These subcommittees may be composed of at least one Advisory Board member and as many other non-Advisory Board members as are necessary. The Advisory Board is made up of Washington state attorneys and nonattorneys. It includes a chairperson, the WSBA president (as an ex-officio member), representatives from minority bar associations, a WSBA Young Lawyers Division representative, a current member of the Board of Governors (who acts as a liaison to that body), a former WSBA president, two members of the state judiciary, a member of the federal judiciary, a representative from one of Washington’s law schools, and three to five practicing attorneys. The names of the distinguished members of the 2005 Advisory Board are listed on p. 34. Prospective vacancies on the Advisory Board will be filled by the WSBA President with confirmation required by the BOG. The term for an Advisory Board member will be three years. The WSBA staff liaison to the Leadership Institute is Diversity Advocate Joslyn K. N. Donlin, an attorney who joined the WSBA staff in November 2004. The inaugural session of the Leadership Institute set a high standard for future leadership sessions. The fellows and the Advisory Board look forward to their next session: “How the Bar Works.” For further information on the WSBA Leadership Institute, please contact Joslyn K. N. Donlin, J.D., WSBA diversity advocate, at joslynd@wsba.org or 206-727-8216. 2005 WSBA Leadership Institute Advisory Board Chair James F. Williams |
