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December 2004Opportunities for ServiceCall for Applications for One of Two Board of Governors At-large Seats To increase member representation on the Board of Governors, the WSBA Bylaws provide for two at-large seats. The full text of the Bylaws can be reviewed at www.wsba.org/bylaws. One of those seats is up for election to a three-year term commencing at the close of the annual meeting in September 2005. Persons interested in filling an at-large position should submit a letter of application. The deadline for receipt of applications at the WSBA office is March 1, 2005. The Board of Governors will elect the at-large governor at its meeting on June 3, 2005. The application should include a statement addressing how the applicant feels he or she meets the intent specified in Article III, Section M. There is no intent that these seats are dedicated or rotationally filled by any one element of diversity or group of members. (Excerpt from the WSBA Amended Bylaws, Article III, Section M) At the regularly scheduled June meeting of the Board of Governors following the regular election of Governors from Congressional Districts, or at a special meeting called for that purpose, the Board of Governors shall elect additional Governors from the active membership at-large. Election may be by a secret written ballot. There shall be two at-large Governor positions to be filled with persons who, in the Board's sole discretion, have the experience and knowledge of the needs of those lawyers whose membership is or may be historically under-represented in governance, or who represent some of the diverse elements of the public of the State of Washington, to the end that the Board of Governors will be a more diverse and representative body than the results of the election of Governors based solely on Congressional districts may allow. Under-representation and diversity may be based upon the discretionary determination of the Board of Governors at the time of the election of any at-large Governor to include, but not be limited to, age, race, gender, sexual orientation, geography, areas and types of practice, and years of membership, provided that no single factor shall be determinative. Members interested in an at-large position on the Board of Governors should submit a letter of application and résumé to the Office of the Executive Director, WSBA, 2101 Fourth Ave., Ste. 400, Seattle, WA 98121-2330; or e-mail to oed@wsba.org. Four positions on the WSBA Board of Governors will be up for election this year. These are the governors representing the 3rd, 6th, 7th-East*, and 8th Congressional Districts. These positions are currently held by Joni R. Kerr (3rd District), Howard L. Graham (6th District), Andrea Brenneke (7th-East District), and Randolph I. Gordon (8th District). The WSBA Bylaws provide that any member in good standing, except a member previously elected to the Board of Governors, may be nominated for the office of governor from the Congressional District (or geographical region within the 7th District*) in which such member is entitled to vote. Nominations are made by filing a statement of interest and a biographical statement of no more than 100 words. Generally, members are entitled to vote in the congressional district in which the member resides. All out-of-state active WSBA members are eligible to vote in the district of the address of their agent within Washington for the purpose of receiving service of process as required by APR 5(e), or, if specifically designated to the executive director, within the district of their primary Washington practice. Nomination forms are available from the Office of the Executive Director, 2101 Fourth Ave., Ste. 400, Seattle, WA 98121-2330; 206-727-8244; and on the WSBA website at www.wsba.org/info/bog/election2005.htm. The WSBA executive director must receive nomination forms by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, 2005. The Board of Governors determines the official dates of the election. Ballots are mailed on April 15 and counted approximately May 15. Note: Candidates' biographical statements will be published in the May issue of Bar News. Washington State Access to Justice Board Vacancies The Washington State Access to Justice (ATJ) Board announces two attorney vacancies, effective May 2005: a representative from the WSBA Board of Governors and a representative from the pro bono community. The Washington State Supreme Court established the ATJ Board in 1994 to ensure access for low- and moderate-income Washington residents to the civil justice system through high-quality legal services. The ATJ Board has become a nationally recognized model as a result of its effectiveness in developing, coordinating, and implementing statewide initiatives to improve access to civil legal services for unrepresented and underrepresented populations in Washington state. The ATJ Board consists of nine members, including four at-large members, and up to two lay members, selected on the basis of a demonstrated commitment to, and familiarity with, access to justice issues. Members are nominated by the WSBA Board of Governors and appointed by the Washington State Supreme Court. Board members may serve up to two three-year terms. The ATJ Board strives to have a membership that reflects ethnic, gender, geographic, and other diversity. Interested individuals may apply by sending a letter and summary of qualifications to Office of the Executive Director, WSBA, 2101 Fourth Ave., Ste. 400, Seattle, WA 98121-2330. For more detailed information about the ATJ Board, please contact Joan Fairbanks, WSBA justice programs manager, at 206-727-8282 or joanf@wsba.org; or visit www.wsba.com/atj. Statute Law Committee — Two Positions The WSBA Board of Governors is accepting letters of interest and résumés from members interested in serving a six-year term on the Statute Law Committee (which oversees the operation of the Office of the Code Reviser), commencing April 1, 2005. A written expression of interest and résumé are also required for incumbents seeking reappointment. This 12-member committee of lawyers seeks to foster accurate publication of laws and agency rules services in a professional and strictly nonpartisan and cost-effective manner. The primary responsibilities are to periodically codify, index, and publish the Revised Code of Washington; and to revise, correct, and harmonize the statutes of administrative or suggested legislative action as may be appropriate. The committee meets at least twice a year. Please submit a letter of interest and résumé to Bar Leaders Division, WSBA, 2101 Fourth Ave., Ste. 400, Seattle, WA 98121-2330; or e-mail barleaders@wsba.org. Bench-Bar-Press Committee of Washington — Two Positions The WSBA Board of Governors is accepting letters of interest and résumés from members interested in serving a three-year term on the Bench-Bar-Press Committee of Washington. A written expression of interest and a résumé are also required for incumbents seeking reappointment. The three-year terms will commence in February 2005. The Bench-Bar-Press Committee was formed in 1963 to foster better understanding and working relationships among judges, lawyers, and journalists. Its mission is to seek to accommodate, as much as possible, the tension between the constitutional values of free press and fair trial through educational events and relationship building. The committee is chaired by the Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court and includes representatives from the legal profession, judiciary, law enforcement, and news media. The committee meets as a whole once or twice each year. Subcommittees of volunteers are organized on an ad hoc basis to plan and execute events. Further information regarding the committee can be found online at www.courts.wa.gov/grograms_orgs/pos_bbp. Please submit letters of interest and résumés to Bar Leaders Division, WSBA, 2101 Fourth Ave., Ste. 400, Seattle, WA 98121-2330; or e-mail barleaders@wsba.org. |
