November 2001

FYI: For Your Information

Licensing packets, which include license fee, trust account and MCLE reporting (C-2 Compliance Affidavit) forms, will be mailed in early December. If you have not received your licensing packet by the first week in January 2002, please call the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA, or e-mail questions@wsba.org to request a duplicate.

Now is the ideal time to check that the WSBA has your correct address in its database. You can check by going to the online lawyer directory on the WSBA Web site at http://pro.wsba.org. If your address has changed, please notify the WSBA Service Center as soon as possible by e-mailing questions@wsba.org or faxing the change to 206-727-8319.

Active WSBA members who are in Reporting Group 1 (active members admitted through 1975; or in 1991, 1994, 1997 or 2000*) will report CLE credits for activities undertaken in 1999, 2000 and 2001.

Newly admitted members are exempt from reporting CLE credits during their year of admission and the following calendar year. Thus, if you were admitted in 2000 you will not report this reporting period even though you are in Group 1. You will first report at the end of 2004. (New admittees may earn CLE credits, however, starting from their admission date, and those credits may be applied toward their first reporting period.)

If you are in Reporting Group 1, please do the following to meet your CLE requirements:

1. Complete approved CLE credits totaling at least 39 general and six ethics for the three-year period (1999 through 2001);
2. Submit these credits and attendance to the WSBA either through the sponsor or directly to the WSBA;
3. Sign the C-2 Compliance Affidavit certifying attendance of the listed courses; and
4. Send the C-2 Compliance Affidavit to the WSBA by February 1, 2002.

Your C-2 Compliance Affidavit contains all courses and credits to your record for 2001 CLE activities submitted by sponsors. Please review it carefully and make any necessary changes or additions to this credit information. If you have CLE credits for activites in 2001 that were not earned through live courses, you must enter this information. You must also enter course/credit information for activities undertaken in 1999 and 2000. You must then sign, under penalty of perjury, that the credit information you submit is true and correct.

In the near future, through a confidential password you will be able to go to your individual record in the MCLE database and make changes to your personal information, add approved CLE activities, apply for course approval, and make corrections to your credit amounts.

Remember that although sponsors are now responsible for reporting credits from live seminars, each individual attorney attending such seminars is responsible for informing the sponsor of the amount earned for that seminar. If you do not attend the entire seminar, please inform the sponsor, so the sponsor can submit the correct number of CLE credits you earned.

Pursuant to GR22, family law cases (any case filed under RCW chapters 26.09, 26.10, 26.12, 26.18, 26.21, 26.23, 26.26, 26.27, 26.50 and 26.52) will be required to submit a completed Confidential Information Form (CIF) at the time of the initial filing. The CIF and Confidential Financial Source Documents cover sheet are available at no charge at the King County Superior Court Clerk's office Web site (http://www.metrokc.gov/kcsc), in the clerk's office, or on the Washington State Courts' Web site (http://www.courts.wa.gov/). Other family law forms are available at the Washington State Courts' Web site, or may be purchased from the clerk's office.

ABA President Robert Hirshon has called upon America's lawyers to unite during this difficult time. Lawyers are working with the ABA to provide legal services to victims of the recent disasters. Areas of help include legal assistance for victims, military personnel, and lawyers whose practices were affected; and ABA programs that can provide legal information or referrals and information on how lawyers can volunteer to help or make a donation. More information is available at http://www.abanet.org/.

The American Law Institute-American Bar Association Committee on Continuing Professional Education (ALI-ABA) is accepting nominations for the 2002 Francis Rawle Award for outstanding contributions to the field of post-admission legal education. The award committee will review all nominations for evidence of exceptional service in post-admission legal education, including publications, lectures and the creation or administration of programs. Nominations are due by March 1, 2002, and should be mailed to Rawle Award Committee, ALI-ABA, 4025 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104. For more information, contact Donna Maropis at 800-253-6397, ext. 1612.

The lawyer directory on the WSBA Web site just got better! A link to your Web site can now be included in the WSBA online directory, so people can go directly from your directory listing to your Web site. This will be a significant benefit to you and those seeking information!

The regular fee for this service will be $75 annually ($50 if you sign up July 1 or later). But if you sign up before December 31, 2001, you'll pay the charter-member fee of just $50, which will cover your listing through December 31, 2002.

For more information and a sign-up form, see the WSBA Web site at www.wsba.org/lawyers/addlink.htm.

Whereas the tragic events of September 11, 2001 have taken and will continue to exact an incalculable toll on the people of our communities, our state, our nation and the world;

Whereas the legal profession in our constitutional democracy shoulders the primary and unique responsibility to represent those wishing to resolve a dispute while ensuring the equal application of the laws, the protection of longstanding cherished and fundamental values upon which the nation rests;

Whereas we, as members of the Whatcom County Bar Association, provide civil, criminal and governmental representation to all citizens of Whatcom County;

Now, therefore, be it resolved the members of the Whatcom County Bar Association:

Express our deep and collective sorrow to all who have lost loved ones, family members, colleagues, neighbors and friends in the attacks of September 11, 2001;

Reaffirm our dedication to our nation's founding principles — justice, fairness, due process of law, and respect for the dignity of each individual; and

Urge members of our community to join with us in recognizing that these founding principles do not include targeting or harming others in the aftermath of these tragic events solely because of their race, ethnicity, gender, place of birth, national origin or religion.

November 30-December 1, 2001 – Tacoma

January 18-19, 2002 – Olympia

April 5-6, 2002 – Walla Walla

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 loril@wsba.org.

When it reconvenes later this fall, the Court Rules and Procedures Committee is scheduled to review the Criminal Rules for Superior Court (CrR) and for Courts of Limited Jurisdiction (CrRLJ). Please send any suggestions for rule changes to the Supreme Court of Washington, Temple of Justice, PO Box 40929, Olympia, WA 98504-0929.

Congratulations to the following new members of the WYLD board of trustees:

• Matt Andersen, of Walstead, Mertsching, Husemoen, Donaldson & Barlow in Vancouver, was unopposed in the Southwest District.

• Aaron Dean, from Bullivant Houser Bailey in Seattle, won the King County District race against two other candidates with 70 out of 160 votes.

• Adam Torem, of the Office of Administrative Hearings in Olympia, was unopposed in the Pierce County District.

For information regarding the 2002-2005 WYLD trustee elections or the 2002-03 WYLD president-elect elections, please visit www.wsba.org/lawyers/groups/wyld/.

Law Week 2002 is an exciting opportunity for lawyers and judges to bring public legal education into the classroom. Each year, Law Week provides an enriching experience to youth through positive interactions with lawyers and judges. Law Week will take place the week of May 1, 2002. To learn more about the program or to participate, please visit www.wsba.org/media/publications/lawweek/ or contact Lisa KauzLoric at 206-733-5944.

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.

Help us stamp out some of those myths about lawyers! For more information on our new pamphlet please see Myths.pdf.

For information on Washington State Bar News Extent and Nature of Circulation please visit:  Barnews-stats.pdf.

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