May 2002 

FYI: For Your Information

Board of Governors nominating petitions for the 3rd, 6th and 8th Congressional Districts have been received from Joni R. Kerr (3rd District), Howard L. Graham (6th District) and Ronald R. Ward (8th District), all unopposed. Biographical statements have been provided by the governors-elect.

Joni R. Kerr is a solo practitioner in Vancouver, WA. Her practice is limited to representing public school districts in Washington. She graduated from the Ohio State University College of Law in 1979 and clerked for the Ohio Court of Appeals from 1979 to 1981. Ms. Kerr was admitted in Nebraska in 1981, and in Washington in 1990. Before moving to Vancouver, she was a shareholder with Vandeberg, Johnson & Gandara in Tacoma. She served as president of the state board of Washington Women Lawyers in 1998-1999, and as its liaison to the WSBA Board of Governors in 1999-2000.

Howard L. Graham is a sole practitioner in Tacoma. He is a graduate of University of Louisville, 1965, and Wayne State University, J.D., 1973. He served as executive director of Puget Sound Legal Assistance Foundation, 1980-1986 (now Tacoma's Columbia Legal Services). He helped start TPCBA's Volunteer Lawyer Program in 1980. Practice focus: disability issues, Social Security, federal employees' compensation appeals, fair-housing litigation. He was co-chair of the Systems Impediment Committee of the Washington State Access to Justice Board, 2001-2002; past-chair, WSBA Administrative Law section; member, BJA Best Practice Committee, 2001-2002. He is the author of Federal Employees' Compensation Act Practice Guide, 1994. Additionally, Mr. Graham served as a Peace Corps volunteer, 1965-1967, and in the U.S. Army, 1968-1970.

Ronald R. Ward, a resident of Mercer Island, is a partner and shareholder in the Seattle law firm Levinson Friedman PS. Mr. Ward earned his J.D. in 1976 from the University of California Hastings College of Law. He is licensed to practice law in California and Washington. Before commencing private practice, he was a Washington state assistant attorney general. Mr. Ward has served as WSTLA vice-president west (1994-1996), a seven-term member of the WSTLA board (1989-1996), and co-chair of the Seattle Downtown Roundtable (1994-1996). He is a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the National Bar Association, King County Bar Association, and Loren Miller Bar Association. In 1994, Ron was the recipient of an Outstanding Achievement Award presented by Anheuser-Busch Companies at the national convention of the National Bar Association. In 1995, he was the recipient of a WSTLA Special President's Recognition Award. He was appointed to the 1996-1997 Court Composition Committee convened to study the Washington Supreme Court, and is a past member of the WSBA Judicial Recommendation Committee. He was recently nominated an associate member of the Washington Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Ron is a member of the board of trustees of the Northwest Chamber Orchestra. For some years, he volunteered as a reading tutor for first- and second-graders at a South Seattle elementary school.

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 annual business meeting. This year's meeting will be held September 12 at 6:00 p.m. at W Seattle Hotel, 1112 Fourth Ave., Seattle.

Resolutions must be filed with the WSBA executive director at least 90 days before the annual meeting (by 5:00 p.m. on June 17, 2002), 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 Executive Director, WSBA, 2101 Fourth Ave., Ste. 400, 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. Not more than 11 nor less than seven days before the annual meeting, the Resolutions Committee will hold a public hearing at the WSBA office. Proponents and opponents of resolutions may attend the hearing in person or present their views in written form for consideration by the committee. Proposed resolutions will be published in the August 2002 issue of Bar News, along with the date of the Resolutions Committee meeting and a list of committee members.

For further information, please contact WSBA General Counsel Robert D. Welden at bobw@wsba.org or 206-727-8232.

The Washington Young Lawyers Division Practice Conditions Forum will take place May 31 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. The forum will address such topics as stress management, balancing your work and personal life, résumé building, and exploring alternative careers in the law. Three CLE credits pending approval. More information will be available soon at www.wsba.org/lawyers/groups/wyld/.

The WYLD is accepting nominations for the Thomas Neville Pro Bono Award, Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year, and the Professionalism Award. All three awards recognize lawyers who epitomize the best in the legal profession. Nominations are also being accepted for Outstanding YLD Affiliate or Organization for recognition of public service and/or member-service programs. Awards will be presented at the WYLD Bridging the Gap Conference in Seattle on September 21. Letters of nomination should include the nominator's name, address and daytime phone number, as well as a copy of the nominee's résumé or list of accomplishments. Nominations must be received by July 31, 2002, and should be mailed to Lisa KauzLoric, WYLD Liaison; WSBA, 2101 Fourth Ave., Ste. 400, Seattle, WA 98121-2330.

The WSBA's Law Office Management Assistance Program (LOMAP) continues a series of presentations around the state for CLE credit. Presentations will be made in Colville, May 7, and Spokane, May 8. The cost is $65. For more information, contact the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA, 206-443-WSBA or questions@wsba.org, and cite event number LOM-0502.

There's a new Web site you'll want to bookmark: www.legalWA. org. This new site contains Washington State Supreme Court opinions from 1939 to the present, and published Court of Appeals opinions from 1969 to the present. It also includes links to the full text of the RCW, WAC, and 70 Washington city and county municipal codes.

LegalWA.org was created cooperatively by the Washington State Bar Association, Municipal Research & Services Center, and the Washington State Office of the Code Reviser to provide free public access to case law.

The site has been designed for ease of use. The full text of court decisions is searchable by keyword, and navigation around the site is simple and straightforward. The site also contains useful links to other legal resources. It will be updated weekly.

At its April meeting, the Board of Governors approved the formation of an Animal Law Section. If you'd like to join the section, please contact the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA, 206-443-WSBA, or questions@wsba.org, and you will be sent an application and dues information. If you have questions about the section, please see the WSBA Web site at www.wsba.org/lawyers/groups/animallaw/, or contact Toni Doane at 206-727-8293 or tonid@wsba.org.

The second edition of the Washington Civil Procedure Deskbook will be available June 21. It provides exhaustive coverage of the Washington Rules of Civil Procedure, plus commentary, analysis of significant authorities, practice tips, and in-depth discussion of strategic and practical considerations under the rules. The complete three-volume set with forms on diskette will sell for $375. As with all WSBA deskbooks, purchasers who sign up for the Automatic Update Service will receive a 10 percent discount on their purchase. To order the deskbook, please call 206-733-5918 or see http://store.yahoo.com/wsbastore/.

Application deadline: May 31, 2002

The 7th-East is one of four positions on the WSBA Board of Governors (BOG) up for election this year. This is the position that will be vacated by Jenny Durkan.

The WSBA did not receive any petitions for the 7-East governor position. According to WSBA bylaws, the BOG elects governors for vacant positions. Therefore, the BOG is calling for letters of interest from members who reside in 7th-East (zip codes 98105, 98115, 98118, 98122, 98125, 98144, 98155 and 98178). Letters of interest must be received by May 31. Please submit letters to: Executive Director, WSBA, 2101 Fourth Ave., Ste. 400, Seattle, WA 98121. The election will be held at the June 7 BOG meeting.

Governors serve for three-year terms. For more information, see the BOG page on the WSBA Web site at www.wsba.org/info/bog/ and the WSBA bylaws at www.wsba.org/info/bylaws/.

We are pleased to announce that informal ethics opinions are now available on the WSBA Web site at http://pro.wsba.org/. You can search by subject, key word(s), opinion number, year issued or authority.

Informal ethics opinions are issued by the WSBA RPC Committee, which researches and prepares responses to written ethical inquiries submitted by WSBA members. Informal opinions have not been approved by the Board of Governors, nor do they reflect the official position of the WSBA.

To discuss ethical questions about your own prospective conduct, phone the WSBA ethics line at 206-727-8284 (or 800-945-WSBA, ext. 8284). Your inquiry is considered confidential. If you have a question about the ethical conduct of another lawyer, please call 206-727-8235.

The 2002 WSBA Bar Leaders Conference and Access to Justice (ATJ) Conference will be held June 7-9 at the Yakima Convention Center. Conference registration brochures will be mailed this month. For bar leader registration information, please contact Toni Doane at tonid@wsba.org or 206-727-8293. For ATJ information, please contact Sharlene Steele at sharlene@wsba.org or 206-727-8262.

The WSBA World Peace Through Law Section, in coordination with the Seattle Chapter of the United Nations Association, invites WSBA members to a presentation by Professor Robert Araujo of Gonzaga University School of Law. He will speak about the international criminal court. The event will be held on June 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the WSBA office in Seattle. On-site registration fee is $10; two CLE credits pending. Pre-registration is not required. For more information, please contact Paul Schlossman at 253-473-0537.

May 10-11 – Stevenson

June 7 – Yakima

July 26-27 – Ocean Shores

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.

Hosted Reception and Networking

The WSBA Interprofessional Committee invites members to a forum discussion with members of the financial industry. The focus will be on fostering better relations, teamwork, and interprofessional dialogue. The event will be held May 16 from 3:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the Women's University Club in Seattle. For more information, please contact Toni Doane at tonid@wsba.org or 206-727-8293.