November 2001

The WSBA: Your Bar Association

by Dale L. Carlisle, WSBA President

It is not possible to write this column without commenting on the national tragedy of September 11 and the United States' response. As Americans, we tend to take our safety, freedom and rights for granted. These events have provided a stark reminder of the high cost of these inherited rights.

The ABA reports that an estimated 14,000 lawyers occupying space in the World Trade Center buildings have been displaced. Consider that this number is more than half that of the WSBA membership. As lawyers we will respond, both internally and externally, by attempting to balance the restoration of our security and safety with protecting the freedoms and rights we enjoy.

Although undoubtedly there will be some erosion of our freedoms, we must recognize this need for balance. Because we support and maintain the rule of law inherent in our society, our judicial system will allow us to maintain a balance between increasing our individual security and preserving the principles that have served our country for more than 200 years.

In the year ahead, we expect to have increased interest from members who want to become involved in Bar activities. We very much invite and welcome your participation. There are still openings on many committees — simply contact your district governor if you're interested (see page 5 for a listing of all governors). If you're not already a member of a section, I encourage you to think about membership; it's a wonderful way to meet other lawyers in your area of practice, and keep up to date about issues and events. You can find information about the WSBA's 23 sections on the WSBA Web site at www.wsba.org/lawyers/groups/sections.htm, or you may contact WSBA Sections Liaison Toni Doane at tonid@wsba.org or 206-727-8293.

Many people connect with colleagues and friends by participating in specialty and local bar associations. There's a list of these organizations and contact information on the WSBA Web site at www.wsba.org/lawyers/groups/guide.htm. Because of our state's civil equal justice funding crisis, we are in critical need of volunteers to provide pro bono service. I encourage you to help the less fortunate members of our communities. See the WSBA Web site at http://www.waaccesstojustice.org/, or contact Sharlene Steele at sharlene@wsba.org or 206-727-8262.

A new WSBA Membership Guide, which includes information about numerous member services and Bar programs, is distributed to all new members, and other members may find it useful, too. For a copy, go to the WSBA Web site at 
www.wsba.org/info/membership-guide.htm. If you don't have Internet access, you may request a copy by contacting the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA.

Also new is a pamphlet titled 8 Myths Truths about Lawyers, which helps dispel some of those all-too-common misperceptions about lawyers and our legal system. 

Most of you are already aware of Resources, the membership directory which the Bar Association distributes annually at a very modest cost to members. The directory assists you in finding lawyers throughout the state, and includes other useful information such as ethics opinions, WSBA bylaws, the Rules of Professional Conduct, MCLE information, a state and federal court directory, and much more.

License fees are now fixed by the Supreme Court for the next two years. This is usually done in three-year cycles, and 2001 was the first year of the current cycle. The WSBA, like other businesses, has a general group of expenses which are relatively fixed, with increases based on various components of the cost of living. We also have variable factors, including the size of our staff. The Bar has a number of functions, the primary one of which is discipline, that use member license fees for their operation. Others — most notably WSBA-CLE — are fully self-supporting, and no member license fees are used. We plan to address, over the next year, our long-term license-fee structure (in an effort to keep it less than cost-of-living increases), as well as ways to continue to fund and provide services that our members wish to have available.

The financial operation of the Bar Association is reported in an audited annual financial report, which will be presented to the Board of Governors in early January. This information will be posted to the WSBA Web site at www.wsba.org/info/operations/finance/. The Board of Governors remains committed to being financially responsible in operating the Association and in budgeting for expenditure of members' license fees.

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