February 2006

Around the State

. . . Three-Dot Monthly: News from the public prints and the press release pile

Passing along a bit of news from the Stritmatter Kessler law firm … Reed Schifferman has been appointed to a three-year term as a member of the Board of Regents at Gonzaga University. Reed earned his bachelor's degree at Gonzaga and played on the school's basketball team … The law firm Foster Pepper & Shefelman PLLC has announced that effective January 1, 2006, its name legally changed to Foster Pepper PLLC. The shorter name is more conventional in today's business and professional environment, a publicist says … Greg Guedel, a member of the firm's Litigation and Construction practice groups, has been named to the Board of Directors for AIDS Housing of Washington (AHW) … According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, former Senator Slade Gorton and former Attorney General Ken Eikenberry are among the founders of The Constitutional Law Political Action Committee, a PAC aiming to contribute to candidates for Washington appellate courts. The PAC says it "exists to support candidates who believe in judicial restraint, and deference to the state Constitution as written." … One likely beneficiary of the PAC's largesse will be State Senator Stephen Johnson, who has announced he will not seek a fourth term in 2006 and is thinking about seeking a seat on the court. If successful in such a race, Johnson would join Justice Charles Johnson and Justice James Johnson, creating a situation reminiscent of the town meeting of Red Rock in the film Blazing Saddles … Seattle Weekly says attorney Anne Bremner, whose fabulousness got a big boost with her freelance commentating on the Michael Jackson trial, has sold a TV pilot to Hollywood mogul Aaron Spelling. Tentatively titled High Profile, the series "will be based loosely on some of my cases," Bremner told reporter Nina Shapiro. Bremner also talks about stuff on CNN and Fox News Channel, the latter also counting WSBAer Lis Wiehl among its talking heads … Washington has launched its own, homegrown TV chatfest. The Docket — a monthly half-hour magazine-style program covering the law and the courts — premiered on Sunday, January 1 on TVW, Washington's public-affairs network. Hosted by University of Washington School of Law Dean Joe Knight, episodes feature interviews with members of Washington's legal community, a wrap-up of recent state Supreme Court decisions, and an educational segment. A new episode will be broadcast the first Sunday of every month. There will also be frequent repeat showings, and streaming video will be available on TVW's website at www.tvw.org. WSBA, along with the Family Law; Labor and Employment Law; Real Property, Probate and Trust; and Senior Lawyers sections is underwriting the show.

• News Coups

Tribal Attorneys Support Northwest-Native Law Students

The Northwest Indian Bar Association (NIBA) recently awarded $13,500 in scholarships to 11 Northwest-Native law students as part of an ongoing effort to support Native-American students seeking a legal education. NIBA also donated $1,500 to the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation to help brighten the holidays for low-income urban Native-American families in Seattle. In only three years, NIBA — in conjunction with the WSBA Indian Law Section — has raised nearly $70,000 in scholarships to aspiring Northwest-Native lawyers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska through the Indian Legal Scholars Program.

Writing Competition for Lawyers

SEAK, Inc. — a provider of training, seminars, and publications for attorneys, physicians, and other professionals — is sponsoring its fifth annual legal-fiction writing competition for lawyers.

The purpose of the competition is to encourage lawyers to become more interested in and adept at writing legal fiction. The first prize is $1,000. Submit entries by June 30, 2006, to: SEAK, Inc. Legal Fiction Competition, Attn: Steven Babitsky, PO Box 729, Falmouth, MA 02541. For more information, contact Kevin J. Driscoll at 508-548-4542 or e-mail kevin.driscoll@verizon.net.

John F. Mitchell Receives WSBA Local Hero Award

Bremerton attorney John F. Mitchell has received the WSBA's Local Hero Award, presented to lawyers who have made noteworthy contributions to their communities. Mr. Mitchell was honored for his distinguished 29-year career as an attorney and his two decades' service as a judge pro tempore of the Kitsap County Superior Court and District Court, and for his substantial community service. Mr. Mitchell is a long-time member of the Bremerton Elks Lodge and a director of the Admiral Theater Foundation, the Bremerton Historic Ships Foundation, and the Harrison Hospital Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises and manages charitable gifts for the benefit of the hospital. In 1988, he served as the president of the Kitsap County Bar Association. A member of the WSBA since 1976, Mr. Mitchell served on the WSBA Board of Governors Professional Development Committee from 2002-2003 and on the WSBA Adjunct Investigative Counsel Panel from 2003-2004. A partner with the Bremerton law firm of Sanchez, Paulson, Mitchell & Schock, Mr. Mitchell's areas of practice include personal-injury matters, insurance-coverage cases, and estate planning, as well as a general civil-trial practice. It is in recognition of his dedication to the legal profession and commitment to community service that the WSBA is proud to call Mr. Mitchell a local hero.

Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Elects President

Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney Ronald B. Shepherd has been elected president of the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. Other newly elected officers are: San Juan County Prosecuting Attorney Randall K. Gay-lord, vice president; Garfield County Prosecuting Attorney John R. Henry, secretary; and Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney Jeremy R. Randolph, treasurer. Their terms began on January 1, 2006.