October 2002

Seventh Annual Access to Justice Conference: Access to Peace through Justice

The happening place to be June 7-9 was at the seventh annual Access to Justice Conference in Yakima. The Honorable Michael E. Schwab of Yakima Superior Court graciously welcomed the conference of more than 350 registrants to the "Palm Springs of Washington." Held in conjunction with the annual WSBA Bar Leaders Conference and Board of Governors meeting, the conference provided a unique opportunity for representatives of the access to justice community to connect with WSBA leadership. Thanks go to the Access to Justice Board for its continued sponsorship of this very important conference. Great appreciation also goes to Colleen Kinerk for her extraordinary vision and leadership as chair of the ATJ Conference Planning Committee — this was Colleen's sixth year as chair!

Conference attendees expanded far beyond the "usual suspects" of legal-services staff and volunteer-attorney legal-service program staff. The courts were well-represented by judges, court clerks, court administrators and courthouse facilitators.

The WSBA Indian Law Section collaborated with the conference planning committee to coordinate a workshop designed to increase cooperation between state and tribal courts. Dean Daniel Morrissey of Gonzaga University School of Law and students from Seattle University School of Law and the University of Washington School of Law attended the conference to meet key players in the access to justice "movement" and increase their understanding of their roles in providing improved access to the justice system for low-income people.

Many alternative-dispute resolution providers attended the conference to discuss challenges they face in assisting clients to choose the appropriate dispute-resolution process. Paralegals and other non-attorneys attended to discuss ways non-attorneys can assist volunteer lawyers. As always, members of the Washington State Supreme Court were present to show their unwavering support. Also high on the justices' priority list was participation in diversity training designed to provide highly motivated leaders with sophisticated and powerful tools for tackling bias and other ethical issues related to ensuring that inclusion, diversity and multicultural competence are justice imperatives.

The plenary session, "National Security/Civil Liberties/Diversity," featured a panel discussion moderated by Denny Heck, president of TV Washington. Distinguished panelists included John McKay, U.S. attorney, Western District of Washington; Anthony Griffin, American Civil Liberties Union of Texas; Tom Hillier, Federal Public Defender's Office, Seattle; and Sal Mungia, American Civil Liberties Union of Washington. The panelists held a stimulating and informative discussion of challenges posed to the legal community and the public by 9/11 and its aftermath. The panel addressed issues such as: How has 9/11 changed our perception of national security needs? Can we increase security without compromising individual liberties? What groups are most affected by new legislation such as the USA PATRIOT Act?

The conference was also a time for recognizing several commendable equal justice visionaries. The Judicial Leadership Award was presented to Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerry L. Alexander. In his acceptance speech, Justice Alexander pledged: "As long as I am chief justice of the Washington State Supreme Court I will continue to beat the drum from the bully pulpit for increased funding for civil legal services." The Civil Equal Justice Community Partnership Award was presented to KING Television; the Equal Justice Coalition Award was presented to lobbyists Gail Stone and Sandi Swarthout; and the WSBA Pro Bono Award was presented to Matthew Geyman.

And it was a time for fun and silliness. The infamous Moderately Talented (Yet Plucky) Theatre of Justice entertained the audience at the welcoming reception with the musical skit "Ada Pan." The musical was a humorous way to get a very serious message across: Funding for civil legal services for low-income people is stretched far beyond the limit, and attorney volunteers are desperately needed to help fill the gap. Mary McQueen (administrator of the Office of the Courts) as Ada Pan; Supreme Court Justices Alexander, Ireland, Owens and Sanders as the Supremes; and the entire cast promised: "We won't give up!"

The eighth annual Access to Justice Conference will be held June 6-8, 2003, in Wenatchee. We hope you will join us. For additional information, contact Sharlene Steele at 206-727-8262 or sharlene@wsba.org.