May 2001

FYI: For Your Information

Pursuant to WSBA Bylaw Article VII, Section F – Resolutions, any 10 active members of the Washington State Bar Association may present a written resolution to the Board of Governors for consideration at the WSBA’s annual business meeting, which will be held this year on Thursday, September 13 at 6:00 p.m. at the W Seattle hotel, 1112 Fourth Avenue, Seattle.

Resolutions must be filed with the WSBA executive director at least 90 days before the annual meeting (by 5:00 p.m., Friday, June 15, 2001), and must be accompanied by a written report explaining the resolution. The resolution and explanatory report together shall not exceed a total of 1,000 words. Send resolutions to the Office of the Executive Director, WSBA, 2101 Fourth Ave., Fourth Fl., Seattle, WA 98121-2330.

The Board of Governors will refer any resolutions addressing issues within the purposes of the WSBA to the WSBA Resolutions Committee. Those purposes are set forth in Article I of the WSBA Bylaws and General Rule 12 of the Washington Court Rules.

Proposed resolutions will be published in the August 2001 issue of Bar News.

The Resolutions Committee will hold a public hearing to consider the views of the proponents and opponents of resolutions on Wednesday, September 5, 2001, beginning at 4:00 p.m. at the WSBA office, 2101 Fourth Ave., Fourth Fl., Seattle. Proponents and opponents of resolutions are urged to attend the hearing, or to present their views in written form for consideration by the Resolutions Committee.

WSBA Resolutions Committee: John M. Riley III, chair; William Fleck; Don Gulliford; Teresa Morris; Stephen Pfeifer; Edward Ratcliffe; John Schultz; Michael Zeno Jr. and Bob Welden, WSBA staff liaison.

King County Superior Court is seeking volunteers to serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Volunteers receive extensive training to represent children involved in custody and visitation disputes in family law cases. They conduct interviews, write reports, and testify in hearings or trials. For more information, contact Ed Greenleaf at 206-296-9320.

The Washington Young Lawyers Division (WYLD) is dedicated to public service. Participation in the Equality in Practice, Legislative and Pro Bono committees introduces young lawyers to colleagues from around the state and expands programs that benefit lawyers, the public, and those who have traditionally been denied access to the justice system. The WYLD works hard to ensure that all Washington young lawyers have the opportunity to participate in these programs. For more information about WYLD activities, visit the Web site (www.wsba.org/lawyers/groups/wyld/), or contact Lisa KauzLoric at 206-733-5944 or lisak@wsba.org. 

The Board of Governors meeting schedule is as follows:

May 4-5 — Coeur d’Alene Resort, Coeur d’Alene, ID

June 8 — WestCoast Wenatchee Center, Wenatchee

July 27-28 — Sun Mountain Lodge, Winthrop

September 13-14 — WSBA office, Seattle

With the exception of a one-hour executive session the morning of the first day, BOG meetings are open, and all WSBA members are welcome to attend. RSVPs are appreciated but not required. Please contact Lori Lee at 206-727-8244 or oed@wsba.org. 

WestCoast Hotels, the WSBA and Legal Aid for Washington (LAW) Fund have created a partnership to raise funds for low-income legal services. Through the end of 2001, WestCoast Hotels will make donations to LAW Fund, based on the number of nights that anyone associated with the WSBA stays at any of the 47 Washington WestCoast Hotels. By simply asking for the WSBA rate, guests will receive a reduced room rate, and LAW Fund will receive $5 for each night’s stay. Contact WestCoast Hotels at 800-325-4000.

The WSBA publication Managing Client Trust Accounts: Rules, Regulations and Common Sense is available to members free of charge. To order a copy, call the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA. Please note that this publication is also available on the WSBA Web site (www.wsba.org/media/publications/pamphlets/
managing.htm), and is printed in the 2000-2001 Resources (p. 478). The WSBA audit department is available to answer your questions about trust accounts. Call Julie Mass at 206-727-8242.

The American Bar Association and Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide have joined forces to offer hotel discounts to ABA members. Through the ABA Member Advantage Program, members will receive a 13 percent discount off corporate rates for business hotel stays, and a 15 percent discount on vacation packages at participating Starwood properties. Starwood has more than 725 properties including Westin, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection and W hotels in over 80 countries. For more information, contact the ABA Service Center at 800-285-2221 or http://www.abanet.org/advantage. 

The Fulbright Scholar Program is offering 155 lecturing/research awards in law for the 2002-2003 academic year. Awards for both faculty and professionals range from two months to a full academic year. A new short-term grants program (the Fulbright Senior Specialists Program) offers two- to six-week grants. While foreign language skills are needed in some countries, most Fulbright lecturing assignments are in English. Application deadlines are as follows:

• May 1, 2001 for Fulbright Distinguished Chair awards in Europe, Canada and Russia
• August 1, 2001 for Fulbright traditional lecturing and research grants worldwide
• Rolling deadline for Fulbright Senior Specialists Program

For more information, visit http://www.cies.org/, or contact the Council for International Exchange of Scholars at 202-686-7877.

The 2001 WSBA Bar Leaders Conference will be held at the WestCoast Wenatchee Hotel, June 8-10. The conference is an annual event designed to help the leadership of specialty and local bars manage their volunteer time effectively to achieve maximum results. The program will include presentations by ABA and WSBA staff, and a golf tournament. The conference will be held in conjunction with the annual Access to Justice Conference, and participants are encouraged to attend both conferences. There is no registration fee for the Bar Leaders Conference. For more information, contact Robert Miera at 206-727-8293 or robertm@wsba.org. 

The WSBA World Peace Through Law Section will sponsor an awards luncheon to honor an individual who has made significant contributions toward the goal of achieving international peace. The Ralph J. Bunche Award, named for the winner of the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize, will be presented. The award ceremony will be held in mid-June from noon to 2:00 p.m. at Plymouth Congregational Church in Seattle. The cost is $15. For information or to reserve space, contact Paul Schlossman at 253-473-0537 or Leo Garvey at 206-322-3086.

The WSBA annual awards dinner and business meeting will be held Thursday, September 13, 2001 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at W Seattle hotel, 1112 Fourth Avenue, Seattle. Future issues of Bar News will contain more information about the event.

The Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington has posted city and town profiles on their Web site. The profiles include the address, phone number, business hours, council meeting times, population, and form of government for every city and town in Washington. There are also links to city Web sites, municipal codes, budgets, staff directories and other city information. Access this information at http://www.mrsc.org/cityprofiles/profilesmenu.htm. 

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