October 2002

FYI: For Your Information

The WSBA notes with sadness the death of our friend and co-worker Clare Cox, who passed away suddenly on September 9. Clare was a talented desktop publisher who was known for her delightfully quirky sense of humor. During her six-year career at the WSBA, Clare worked with many section newsletter editors on their publications. She also designed and produced CLE brochures, the WSBA Membership Guide, and numerous other materials. We will miss her.

December 6-7 – Everett

January 17-18 – Olympia

February 6 – 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 Lisa KauzLoric at 206-733-5944 or lisak@wsba.org. The complete BOG schedule is available on the WSBA Web site at www.wsba.org/info/bog/.

Now is the ideal time to check that the WSBA has your correct contact information in its database. You can check by going to the online lawyer directory at http://pro.wsba.org/. If any of your contact information has changed, please notify the WSBA Service Center as soon as possible. You may contact us by e-mailing questions@wsba.org, faxing the change to 206-727-8319, or calling us at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA.

WSBA's Law Office Management Assistance Program (LOMAP) kicks off its annual traveling seminar series in October 2002. LOMAP Manager Pete Roberts and Professional Responsibility Counsel Chris Sutton present "Smart Strategies for Improving Efficiency." Topics include case-management software and client management, plus a segment about transitions in lawyers' careers. The course offers 4.0 credits, including 2.0 ethics credits (CLE credits pending at press time). Cost is $69. For more information, please see www.wsba.org/lawyers/help/lomap.htm or contact the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA. Reference event code LOM1102. "LOMAP on the Road" will visit:

October 21 Pullman Quality Inn Paradise Creek Conference Center

October 22 Walla Walla Holiday Inn Express

October 23 Richland Hampton Inn Richland

October 24 Yakima West Coast Yakima Center Hotel

November 5 Vancouver Phoenix Inn Vancouver

November 6 Ocean Shores Quinault Beach Resort

November 7 Olympia Phoenix Inn Olympia

The Washington State Equal Justice Coalition (EJC) honored three legislators, Senator Lisa Brown, Representative Frank Chopp and Representative Barry Sehlin, with its 2002 Champion of Justice award. The annual award goes to individuals dedicated to achieving civil equal justice for low-income people in our state. The three legislators listened to their communities' needs for access to justice and responded despite a $1.6 million state-funding deficit. House Speaker Chopp and caucus budget writers Senator Brown and Representative Sehlin advocated for restoration of critical funds for civil legal-services programs in the supplemental budget. It was their leadership, along with the grassroots communication from EJC supporters, which prevented the $2.4 million cut in funding. The EJC is proud to honor these legislators for their courageous action and commitment.

On September 5, the Supreme Court adopted the Rules for Enforcement of Lawyer Conduct (ELC), replacing the Rules for Lawyer Discipline. The rule changes include related amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct and the Admission to Practice Rules. The changes are effective upon publication, which is scheduled for the October 1 advance sheet of Washington Reports.

The changes, published for comment in April, were developed by the Discipline 2000 Task Force and were recommended by the Board of Governors. A link to the new rules is available on the WSBA Web site at www.wsba.org/lawyers/rules/.

A "Call to Justice" and the Washington Juvenile-Justice Assessment Project

Are children in Washington able to access counsel and receive quality representation? As part of the ABA's National Juvenile Defender Center's "Call to Justice," several organizations across the state have joined together to learn what is working in our state and where we need to make improvements. The study involves a written survey to defense attorneys representing children in juvenile delinquency and/or Becca (CHINS, YAR, truancy) matters. This will be followed by visits to several counties across the state by trained volunteers who will interview juvenile court professionals, talk with children and their parents, and observe court proceedings.

We need your help! If you represent juveniles in offender or Becca proceedings in Washington, please complete the online survey (anonymously or signed) at www.defensenet.org/survey, or call Sarah Yatsko at 206-623-4321 for a hard copy of the survey or with questions.

Collaborating agencies include the American Bar Association's National Juvenile Defender Center, the Governor's Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee, the Northwest Regional Juvenile Justice Center, TeamChild, the Washington Defender Association and the Washington State Bar Association.

There's a new Web site you'll want to bookmark: http://www. LegalWA.org. This site contains Washington State Supreme Court opinions from 1939 to present, and published Court of Appeals opinions from 1969 to 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 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, and is updated weekly.

The Washington Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has unveiled a newly automated program to find appearance dates for cases in Washington district and municipal courts. Located at http://www.courts.wa.gov/calendars, the program enables the public to locate future proceeding dates by entering a valid name or case number. This new program utilizes information from the Judicial Information System, which provides case-management automation to Washington courts. The program includes systems for appellate, superior, limited jurisdiction and juvenile courts.

We are pleased to announce that informal ethics opinions are 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 WSBA Law Office Management Assistance Program (LOMAP) office maintains a computer for members to review software tools designed to maximize office efficiency. LOMAP staff are available to provide materials, answer questions and recommend options. To make an appointment, contact Pete Roberts at 206-727-8237 or peter@wsba.org.

The WSBA uses e-mail to communicate with members quickly, efficiently and inexpensively, and increasingly it is becoming the preferred method of communication among committees and sections. Please consider providing us with your e-mail address. Contact the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA, 206-443-WSBA or questions@wsba.org. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The WSBA's Lawyer-to-Lawyer Program matches newer admittees with experienced lawyers. Help new lawyers get a head start on learning those lawyering skills not found in any textbook. The program is not a structured mentoring program and does not supplant any similar programs of local or specialty bars. We connect lawyers with similar practices in the same geographic area for mutual information-sharing and goodwill. For more information, contact Pete Roberts at 206-727-8237 or peter@wsba.org.

Liberty International Underwriters has been selected to replace Great American Insurance Company in the WSBA-sponsored professional liability insurance program. Liberty has committed to continuing the current program's focus on broad coverage at competitive rates. They have also agreed to maintain all of the current policy features such as claims expense outside the limits of liability, an aggregate deductible providing first-dollar defense, broad prior-acts coverage, and a 50 percent reduction in deductible for early claims reporting. The WSBA program continues to be administered by Marsh Affinity Group Services. For more information about the carrier change, contact Pamela Blake at 206-613-7802 or John Chandler at 206-613-7804.

The Northwest Indian Bar Association (NIBA) is a nonprofit organization of Indian attorneys, judges and advocates in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. The association aspires to improve the legal and political landscape for the Pacific Northwest Indian community. For more information about joining NIBA, contact Gabriel S. Galanda at 206-628-2780 or ggalanda@wkg.com.

CLE Credits for Pro Bono Work? Limited License to Practice with No MCLE Requirements?

Yes, it's possible! Regulation 103(g) of the Washington State Board of Continuing Legal Education allows WSBA members to earn up to six hours of credit annually for providing pro bono direct representation under the auspices of a qualified legal-services provider. APR 8(e) creates a limited license status of emeritus for attorneys otherwise retired from the practice of law to practice pro bono legal services through a qualified legal-services organization.

For more information, contact Access to Justice Liaison Sharlene Steele at 206-727-8262 or sharlene@wsba.org.

Using the online MCLE Credit-Tracking System, you can do the following:

•  View your CLE courses and credits on your online attendance roster.

•  Make changes to your online attendance roster.

•  Search for approved courses.

•  Apply for course approval.

To enter the MCLE Credit-Tracking System, go to http://pro.wsba.org/ and click on the Member tab. Select Member Login, and follow the onscreen instructions. If you have questions, please contact the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA.

A link to your Web site can be added to your directory listing, so current and potential clients can find out more about you and your practice at the click of a button.

The fee is $75 annually ($50 if you sign up July 1 or later). If your firm has seven or more lawyers, you'll save through our special pricing structure. Special pricing is also available for those who work for nonprofit or government agencies. For more information and sign-up instructions, see www.wsba.org/
media/publications/barnews/addlink.htm.

The average coupon equivalent yield from the first auction of 26-week treasury bills in September 2002 is 1.615 percent. The maximum allowable interest rate for October is therefore 12 percent.

The WSBA Store Is Open

The WSBA online store is open at www.wsba.org/store. Purchase Cutter & Buck polo shirts, twill baseball caps, ballpoint pens, and brass luggage tags emblazoned with the WSBA logo. The store features secure online credit-card ordering. You can also purchase logo merchandise by calling the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA.

• Polo shirt (pewter or white, size L or XL) – $56

• Baseball cap (stone) – $24

• Ballpoint pen – $12

• Luggage tag – $7

Prices include shipping and handling. Sales tax (8.8 percent) will be added to orders shipped within Washington.

As part of Past-President Jan Eric Peterson's Proud to Be a Lawyer initiative, in 2000 the Board of Governors began to honor "local heroes" as they traveled around the state for their meetings. The tradition continues, and it is a pleasure to recognize some WSBA members who serve their communities in so many ways. This past year, the following lawyers were honored:

Mirta Laura Contreras, Yakima, May 2002

Ms. Contreras has been a lawyer with the Yakima office of Columbia Legal Services for the last 10 years. She has dedicated her career to helping farmworker women, a passion that stems from her childhood spent working in Yakima Valley fields with her parents and extended family. She began representing farmworker victims of domestic violence in 1999. Since then, she has assisted numerous battered immigrant victims and children with custody matters, accessing immigration remedies under the Violence Against Women Act, and seeking nontraditional court remedies for domestic-violence issues. Ms. Contreras heads Amigas Unidas Project, working with community leaders to provide outreach and education to farmworker victims of domestic violence, and is a board member of the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

David D. Cullen, Olympia, January 2002

For 21 years, Mr. Cullen was a board member of the Thurston-Mason County chapter of the American Red Cross, serving as president from 1986 to 1993. He was instrumental in coordinating the chapter's September 11 relief efforts. Mr. Cullen has been involved with the West Olympia Rotary for more than 20 years, and served as club president in 1993. He is vice-president of the South Puget Sound Estate Planning Council, and has been a member of the council for more than 20 years. Since 1999, he has served on the WSBA Disciplinary Board, and served as 2001-2002 chair. Mr. Cullen has practiced law in Olympia since 1973, focusing on business law, litigation and estate planning.

Henry Haas, Tacoma, December 2001

Mr. Haas is partner in the Tacoma firm McGavick Graves PS. He is a board member of the Anti-Defamation League and serves as chairman of Tacoma United Jewish Appeal. As a member of the City of Tacoma Library Board, Mr. Haas helped pass and implement a bond issue to rehabilitate all city library facilities. He has been a board member and president of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tacoma-Pierce County, serves as a member of the Tacoma Urban League, and is a founding member of City Club of Tacoma. Mr. Haas was instrumental in establishing a volunteer legal-services program for the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association.

Richard A. Melnick, Vancouver, October 2001

Mr. Melnick is a Clark County senior deputy prosecutor responsible for misdemeanors, including DUI, domestic violence and vehicle-license fraud cases. He was instrumental in creating a drug court for Clark County Superior Court in 1999. A youth soccer coach for the past eight years, Mr. Melnick is a board member of the Prairie Soccer League, and the Today Foundation, a youth-sports scholarship foundation. He has served on several Hockinson Public Schools bond-and-levy committees. Mr. Melnick is a long-time volunteer at the St. Joseph's Sausagefest fundraiser for St. Joseph's parish school. For the last 15 years, he has volunteered at a Vancouver restaurant, serving Thanksgiving dinner to homeless families.

Ronald E. Thompson, Gig Harbor, February 2002

From 1960 to 1999, Mr. Thompson was a principal in the firm Thompson, Krilich, La Porte, West & Lockner PS. He is now a sole practitioner in Gig Harbor. Mr. Thompson is a life member of the Optimist Club of West Tacoma, and served as president of the Optimist International Foundation. During his term as international president of Optimist International, Mr. Thompson formed the NOW program to assist clubs in building memberships. He also initiated the Adopt-a-Neighborhood program that encouraged clubs to focus their programs on specific neighborhoods. For that, he received a Citation for Community Service from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. As chair of the Downtown Tacoma Association, he was instrumental in attracting a University of Washington branch campus. Mr. Thompson has been a member of the Tacoma-Pierce County Economic Development Board for 23 years, and has been a board member for the Tacoma Rescue Mission since 1988.