July 05

FYI

WSBA Board of Governors 2005 Election Results

At its June 3 meeting, the WSBA Board of Governors elected Seattle attorney Ellen Conedera Dial as the WSBA’s president-elect for the 2005-2006 board year. Ms. Dial, a partner at Perkins Coie, will take office as president-elect for a one-year term at the close of the September 15, 2005, annual business meeting, when President Ronald R. Ward will pass the gavel to current president-elect S. Brooke Taylor. Kristal Wiitala Knutson, who ran unopposed, was elected governor for the 3rd District; Salvador “Sal” A. Mungia, who also ran unopposed, was elected governor for the 6th District; Liza E. Burke was elected governor for the 7th-East District; Douglas C. Lawrence was elected governor for the 8th District; and Eric C. de los Santos was elected governor at-large. The newly elected governors will take office at the close of the annual meeting of the WSBA on September 15, 2005, and will serve three-year terms.

WSBA Wins ABA Partnership Award

The WSBA Leadership Institute has been selected for an American Bar Association Partnership Award. This prestigious award, which recognizes efforts by bar associations to increase diversity in the legal profession, will be presented at the ABA Annual Meeting in August. The fact that this is the WSBA Leadership Institute’s inaugural year makes the award especially noteworthy.

WSBA President Ron Ward is the guiding light of the WSBA Leadership Institute and the one with the original vision. The mission of the WSBA Leadership Institute is to recruit, train, and retain Washington attorneys who have been admitted to practice for 10 years or less for leadership positions in the legal community and in the WSBA. Significant features of the program include its core curriculum, which combines professional development leadership techniques; seminar modules and experiential-based learning not typically found in law school classrooms; and the Leadership Institute Handbook. Program participants (fellows) are selected with an emphasis on diversity, although no applicants meeting the selection criteria are excluded from consideration.

Seattle attorney James Williams serves as chair of the Institute’s Advisory Board, whose members are Marcine Anderson, Dale Carlisle, Noah Davis, Anthony Gipe, Judge Richard Jones, Elizabeth Li, Sandra Madrid, Judge Ricardo Martinez, Marijean Moschetto, Justice Susan Owens, Fred Rivera, Sharon Sakamoto, Dave Savage, and Ron Ward. The WSBA Leadership Institute is supported by WSBA Diversity Advocate Joslyn Donlin and Public Legal Education Manager Pam Inglesby. This year’s fellows are Melissa W. Bartholomew, Beth Barrett Bloom, Carrie M. Coppinger Carter, Angelique Davis, Lisa M. DeCora, Kevin Diaz, Lisa J. Dickinson, Tracy S. Flood, Michael R. Heath, Gloria Ochoa Lawrence, Daniel C. Russ, and Kim M. Tran.

Congratulations to all who have made the WSBA Leadership Institute a success. Their dedication and talents are greatly appreciated.

Young Lawyers Division Elects New President-Elect

The WSBA’s Young Lawyers Division (WYLD) elected Wenatchee lawyer John M. Brangwin to serve as its 2005-2006 president-elect. His term as president-elect will begin October 1, 2005, and end September 30, 2006. Mr. Brangwin will begin his one-year term as president on October 1, 2006. As president-elect and president, Mr. Brangwin envisions leading the WYLD to re-establish a statewide young-lawyer conference, focusing on member service by assisting young lawyers with professional marketing techniques, and continuing its current membership and public-service activities and programs. Mr. Brangwin also hopes to address student-loan debt, which he sees as the primary challenge facing young lawyers today.

CLE Publications Announces 2005 Member Appreciation Online Summer Sale

Shop the WSBA-CLE online store July 18 through July 29 for great discounts on audio seminars, coursebooks, and deskbooks. Stock up on A/V credits and expand your practice library. Visit the online store at www.store.yahoo.com/wsbastore and choose from dozens of titles on sale in a variety of practice areas at substantial discounts!

Seeking Applications from Judicial Candidates

Application deadline: September 16, 2005

The WSBA Judicial Recommendation Committee is accepting applications from attorneys and judges seeking consideration for appointment to fill potential Washington Appellate and Supreme Court vacancies. Interested candidates will be interviewed by the committee in October 2005. The committee’s recommendations are reviewed by the WSBA Board of Governors and then referred to the governor for review. If you are interested in scheduling an interview, please contact the WSBA at 2101 Fourth Ave., Ste. 400, Seattle, WA 98121-2330 or call 206-727-8239. To obtain a questionnaire, e-mail barleaders@wsba.org. Please specify whether you need the questionnaire designed for a judge or an attorney. Completed questionnaires must be received by the WSBA office by 5 p.m., Friday, September 16, 2005.

Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys Elects New Officers

The Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys (WSAMA) has elected new officers for the 2005-2006 term. The elections were held at the 49th Annual WSAMA Spring Conference in Victoria, B.C., on April 27–29, 2005. Cynthia McMullen was elected president; James Pidduck was elected first vice president; and Michael Weight was elected second vice president. Charles Zimmerman is immediate past president. Board members Londi Lindell and Heidi Wachter were re-elected to two-year terms, and Milt Rowland and Joseph Svoboda were elected as new board members. The WSAMA also gave out its annual awards. Daniel B. Heid and Richard Andrews received the Ernest Campbell Award for Excellence in the Practice of Municipal Law, and Gail Gorud received the Outstanding Service Award.

Does Your Résumé Make the Grade?

Available through August 1, 2005, the WSBA and the American Bar Association’s Career Resource Center invite you to submit your résumé for critique. A legal-career counselor will confidentially assess your résumé for presentation, accuracy, organization, and persuasiveness. You’ll receive suggestions for upgrading your résumé’s effectiveness. Résumés e-mailed in “.doc” or “.rtf” format will be revised and returned via e-mail with a comment sheet. WSBA members receive a special $95 rate. To order online, visit www.abanet.org/-careercounsel (click the “Résumé Review” button and enter code ABAWSB05). Submit résumés via e-mail to careers@abanet.org. You can fax the online order form to 312-988-5368. Mail your check to: Jill Eckert McCall, ABA Career Resource Center, 321 N. Clark St., Ste. 1900, Chicago, IL 60610. For more information, call 312-988-6215.

Usury Rate

The average coupon equivalent yield from the first auction of 26-week treasury bills in June 2005 was 3.151 percent. The maximum allowable interest rate for July is therefore 12 percent. Compilations of the average coupon equivalent yields from past auctions of 26-week treasury bills and past maximum interest rates for June 1988 to June 1999 appear on page 53 of the June 1999 issue of Bar News. Information from January 1987 to date is on the WSBA website at www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/usury.htm.

Third-Party Liability Information

If your client is involved in a personal injury case and has received or is receiving medical assistance (Medicaid) payments for their medical care, you are required to contact the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). RCW 43.20B.060 places a lien against any settlement or judgment your client receives from a third party, which means also their own insurance coverage, that is responsible for your client’s injuries in order to reimburse the medical bills that have been paid by Medicaid. Before settling your client’s claim with the third party and/or their insurance company, please contact the COB Casualty Unit of DSHS at 1-800-562-6136 or COB Casualty Unit, PO Box 45561, Olympia, WA 98504-5561 to supply the information that DSHS requires; or view our website at http://fortress.wa.gov/dshs/maa/ltpr. Failure to pay any lien imposed by the department on any settlement or judgment obtained by your client can subject you to personal liability for any funds improperly distributed. (RCW 43.20B.070)

Learn More about Case-Management Software

The WSBA’s Law Office Management Assistance Program (LOMAP) office maintains a computer for members to review software tools designed to maximize office efficiency. LOMAP staff are available to provide materials, answer questions, and recommend options. To make an appointment, contact Pete Roberts at 206-727-8237 or peter@wsba.org.

Computer Clinic

The WSBA offers a hands-on computer clinic for members wishing to learn more about what Microsoft Office programs, such as Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word, as well as Adobe Acrobat 6.0, can do for a lawyer. Are you a total beginner? No problem. The clinic teaches helpful tips you can use immediately in your practice. Computers are provided and seating is limited to 20 members. There is no charge, and no CLE credits are offered. The clinic runs from 10 a.m. to noon on Monday, July 11, at the WSBA. Contact Pete Roberts at 206-727-8237 or peter@wsba.org.

More LOMAP Events

LOMAP hosts a meeting of contract lawyers the first Tuesday of each month. The next meeting will take place July 7 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the WSBA office. The upcoming dates for “LOMAP…on the Road” are July 26 in Moses Lake, July 27 in Wenatchee, August 16 in Vancouver, August 17 in Montesano, and August 18 in Olympia. Registration is $79 and each seminar has been approved for four CLE credits, including two ethics credits. For more information, contact Pete Roberts at 206-727-8237 or peter@wsba.org.

Job Seekers Discussion Group

Looking for a job or making a transition? Join the Job Seekers Discussion Group the second Wednesday of each month from noon to 1:30 p.m. The group discusses where to look for jobs, how to use your network of contacts, strategies for drafting résumés and cover letters, and how to keep yourself organized and motivated. For more information, contact Rebecca Nerison at 206-727-8269 or rebeccan@wsba.org.

Senior Attorneys Discussion Group — A Matter of Connection

The group is meeting on a quarterly basis this year. If you’re interested in an early-September meeting, please contact Jenny Favell at 206-727-8267.

List Yourself in the Online ADR Provider Directory

Sponsored by the WSBA Dispute Resolution Section, the ADR Provider Directory is an online attorney and citizen resource for locating appropriate alternative dispute-resolution service providers. If you are a provider, don’t miss the opportunity to be listed for the current year. The directory subscription year is January 1 to December 31, and fees are not prorated. The annual listing fee is $50 for members of the WSBA Dispute Resolution Section and $75 for nonmembers. To register online, go to www.adr-wa.com/directoryRegister-drPro.cfm.

Random Acts of Professionalism Program

The WSBA Professionalism Committee has created a way for lawyers and judges to recognize their colleagues who have conducted themselves in a professional manner consistent with the Creed of Professionalism. Through the Random Acts of Professionalism Program, lawyers and judges may nominate their colleagues for the award. Nominating a lawyer or judge is easy: simply send his or her name, along with a brief description of why you are nominating the person, to Judy Berrett, staff liaison to the Professionalism Committee, at judithb@wsba.org, or fax to 206-727-8319. That’s all there is to it! The nominee will receive a letter, a certificate, and a copy of the WSBA Creed of Professionalism.