December 2001

The Practice of Law Board

by Robert D. Welden, WSBA General Counsel

The Practice of Law Board (PLB), created by GR 25, was adopted by the Washington Supreme Court on September 1, 2001. The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) is working with the Supreme Court to implement the new rule. A committee, chaired by WSBA President Dale Carlisle, has been appointed to guide the implementation. One of the first steps the committee is undertaking is nominating persons for consideration for appointment to the PLB by the Supreme Court. Nominations may be made by the Board of Governors (BOG), and other people and organizations.

GR 25 provides that the purpose of the board is to:

• promote expanded access to affordable and reliable legal and law-related services;

•  expand public confidence in the administration of justice;

•  make recommendations regarding the circumstances under which nonlawyers may be involved in the delivery of certain types of legal and law-related services;

•  enforce rules prohibiting individuals and organizations from engaging in unauthorized legal and law-related services that pose a threat to the general public; and

• ensure that those engaged in the delivery of legal services in the state of Washington have the requisite skills and competencies necessary to serve the public.

The board is composed of 13 members, at least four of whom shall be nonlawyers. The BOG believes that it is important that the board represent the broad public interest in the delivery of legal services. Who those persons should be, how many of them should be lawyers, and how many should be nonlawyers are issues the BOG is considering in proposing nominations to the Supreme Court. Also, the BOG is concerned that the board reflect the broad range of diversity of individuals who are part of or who use the legal system.

Persons interested in seeking nomination by the BOG for appointment to the board should submit a letter describing their background and qualifications to the address below. Applicants should have a demonstrated commitment to the board’s purposes as set out in GR 25. Members of the board will not be compensated for their services, but will be reimbursed for necessary expenses consistent with the reimbursement policies of the WSBA. The board will set its own meeting schedule; and it is anticipated that it will meet several times a year, perhaps monthly. The term of appointment is three years.

The BOG will hold a public hearing on the composition and nomination process to the Practice of Law Board on December 17, 2001 at the WSBA office. The purpose of this hearing is not to consider specific individuals for nomination to the board, but rather to solicit views on how those nominations should be selected. Any written comments on board composition and the nomination process should also be submitted by that date to the address below. Persons wishing to speak at the hearing are encouraged to contact WSBA General Counsel Bob Welden in advance (bobw@wsba.org or 206-727-8232).

Please submit letters seeking nomination no later than February 15, 2002 to the WSBA, Practice of Law Board, 2101 Fourth Ave., Fourth Fl., Seattle, WA 98121-2330. More information is available at www.wsba.org/practiceoflawboard.

Robert Welden is general counsel for the Washington State Bar Association.

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