|
|
|
 |  |
 |
 |
WSBA Info | |
|
For Lawyers | |
|
For the Public |  |
 |
For the Media |  |
|
CLE |  |
| | Bench Bar Guidelines | News Releases | Publications | |
|
|
October 2005FYISpecial Notice: Hurricane Katrina — How You Can Help Message from 2004-2005 WSBA President Ron Ward: We are deeply saddened by the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. While we may be far removed physically from the Gulf states, many of us have family and friends there, and we all, as caring and compassionate people, want to help. We believe the fastest, most effective, and most efficient way for WSBA members to contribute is through already-established channels. Listed below is information that may be helpful to you; for additional information, see the WSBA website at www.wsba.org. For those of you who have already reached out to help, we thank you for your compassion and generosity. Donating Money. You are encouraged to donate to the charity of your choice. Governor Gregoire has announced Washington state help for Katrina recovery and established “Washington Cares,” a program through which the first $100,000 in donations from citizens will be matched by Washington Mutual. These funds will be directed to the American Red Cross. Providing Temporary Housing or Office Space. Governor Gregoire has announced “Operation Evergreen,” a Washington state effort to host people from the disaster area. For more information, see www.governor.wa.gov. The Atlanta Bar Association has set up a webpage where members of the legal community can post the help they are offering to lawyers and their staff who have been displaced by the hurricane. See www.attorneyassist.org. Providing Legal Assistance. The Washington Access to Justice Board, Alliance for Equal Justice, and Office of Civil Legal Aid are working to coordinate the delivery of civil legal aid to hurricane victims who are coming to Washington. See www.wsba.org. The American Bar Association is gathering information about lawyers able to provide legal assistance. See www.abanet.org/katrina. Relief funds have been established for those in the legal communities in Louisiana and Mississippi: Louisiana: Hurricane Katrina Legal Community Relief Fund. The Louisiana State Bar Association has established the Hurricane Katrina Legal Community Relief Fund to help rebuild southern Louisiana’s legal infrastructure so that lawyers can provide needed legal services to their clients and restore their damaged offices. The relief fund is being administered by the Baton Rouge Bar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) entity. Donations should be sent to: Hurricane Katrina Legal Community Relief Fund, c/o Baton Rouge Bar Foundation, 544 Main St., Baton Rouge, LA 70802. Mississippi: Hurricane Katrina Lawyer Relief Fund. The Mississippi Bar and Mississippi Bar Foundation have established the Hurricane Katrina Lawyer Relief Fund to assist lawyers who have lost their offices in the storm. Funds collected will be used to assist lawyers with re-establishing their law offices. Donations should be made payable to the Mississippi Bar Foundation and mailed to Hurricane Katrina Lawyer Relief Fund, c/o Mississippi Bar Foundation, PO Box 2168, Jackson, MS 39225-2168. Board for Judicial Administration, Court Independence Response Team The WSBA Board of Governors is accepting letters of interest from members interested in serving a three-year term on the Board for Judicial Administration’s Court Independence Response Team (CIRT). The membership of this committee will consist of judges from municipal, district, and superior courts; court administrators; representatives of cities and counties; city and county attorneys; the WSBA; the ACLU; public defenders; and the Attorney General’s office. The CIRT Committee will be a forum for discussion and resolution of issues that arise between a court and the executive or legislative authority in the court’s jurisdiction. The WSBA will nominate a representative based on demonstrated familiarity with their constituency and his or her willingness to work cooperatively to address issues that may arise between the judiciary and other government branches. The Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court will make the appointment. The committee will meet once annually and at other times as is necessary. Please submit a letter of interest and résumé to the Office of the Executive Director, WSBA, 2101 Fourth Ave., Ste. 400, Seattle, WA 98121-2330, or e-mail barleaders@wsba.org. Bench-Bar-Press Committee of Washington 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 any incumbent seeking reappointment. The three-year term will commence on February 1, 2006. The Bench-Bar-Press Committee was formed in 1963 to foster better understanding and working relationships between judges, lawyers, and journalists. Its mission is to reconcile, as much as possible, the tension between the constitutional values of a free press with those of a fair trial through educational events and relationship building. The committee is chaired by the Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice 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 events. Further information about the committee can be found at www.courts.wa.gov. Please submit letters of interest and résumés to the Bar Leaders Division, WSBA, 2101 Fourth Ave., Ste 400, Seattle, WA 98121-2330, or e-mail barleaders@wsba.org. Legal Foundation of Washington Seeks Board of Trustees Members The WSBA Board of Governors is accepting letters of interest and résumés from members interested in serving a two-year term on the Legal Foundation of Washington Board of Trustees (two positions). Incumbents are eligible for reappointment (up to two consecutive terms) and must submit a letter of interest and résumé. The Legal Foundation of Washington is a private, not-for-profit organization that promotes equal justice for low-income people through the administration of IOLTA and other funds. Trustees should have a demonstrated commitment to, and knowledge of, the need for legal -services and how these services are provided in Washington. For more information, Northwest Justice Project Seeks Board of Directors Members The WSBA Board of Governors is accepting letters of interest and résumés from members interested in serving a three-year term on the Northwest Justice Project Board of Directors (two positions). The three-year term will begin on January 1, 2006. A letter of interest and résumé are required for incumbents seeking reappointment. The Northwest Justice Project is a not-for-profit organization, which receives primary funding from the state and through the federal Legal Services Corporation to provide civil legal services to low-income people. Board members, who play an active role in setting program policy and assuring adequate oversight of program operations, must have a demonstrated interest in, and knowledge of, the delivery of high-quality civil legal services to the poor. For more information, e-mail mac@nwjustice.org. 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. MCLE Certification for Group2 (2003-2005) — Complete Credits by December 31, 2005 Active WSBA members in MCLE Reporting Group 2 must report compliance with MCLE credit requirements for the 2003-2005 reporting period at the end of this year. Members in Group 2 include active members who were admitted to the WSBA in 1976-1983 or in 1992, 1995, 1998, or 2001. (Members admitted in 2004 are also in Group 2 but are not due to report until the end of 2008. Their first reporting period will be 2006-2008, but any credits earned on or after the day of admittance to the WSBA may be counted for compliance.) If you are a Group 2 member, you will receive a Continuing Legal Education Certification (C2) form in the license packet that will be mailed to you at the beginning of December. The C2 form, not your online profile, is the official record of MCLE compliance. This form is an affidavit that lists all WSBA-approved courses that were on your 2003-2005 MCLE online profile at the beginning of October 2005. If you have taken other classes since the C2 was printed and they are all listed in your online profile, you may print and attach a copy of the online profile to the C2 form. Indicate on your C2 form that the attached profile is the true and correct record of the courses taken for the reporting period. Alternatively, you may simply add the additional WSBA-approved courses you took to the back of the C2 form (the C3 form). The deadline for completing the C2 form and returning it to the WSBA is February 1, 2006. All WSBA-approved courses you list on your C2 form must have an Activity ID number. This number is listed on your online MCLE profile and is assigned at the time the Form 1 for each course is reviewed. If you have taken courses that have not yet been approved by the WSBA, please submit Form 1s for these courses immediately to ensure that they are approved before your C2 is due. Form 1s submitted electronically (at pro.wsba.org) could take at least four weeks to process if they are submitted in October through February, due to high volumes. Paper Form 1s may take at least six weeks to process during the same period. If you submit a paper Form 1, you will be notified by mail of the Activity ID number assigned to it after the Form 1 is processed. If you have questions about the Form 1 process, please contact the WSBA Service Center at 206-443-WSBA or 800-945-WSBA, or e-mail questions@wsba.org. See the section that follows for more information about MCLE compliance. MCLE Certification for Active Members Due Date for MCLE Reporting WSBA members are divided into three MCLE reporting groups based on year of admission. (Newly admitted members are exempt. See “Newly Admitted Members” below.) Group 1: Admitted through 1975, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2003, or 2006 Reporting Group Next Reporting Period Complete Credits by File C2 Form by Credit Requirements. The following credit requirements must be met by December 31 of the last year of an active member’s reporting period: • At least 45 total credits of WSBA-approved CLE activities must be taken, which need to include a minimum of 30 live credits and six ethics credits. Carry-over CLE Credits. Carry-over credits from the previous reporting period may be used to meet the requirements of the current reporting period. If your current reporting period credits total exceeds 45, you may carry over a maximum combined total of 15 credits to your next reporting period. Only two ethics credits and five A/V credits may be carried over. • Your online roster is not a substitute for filing the C2 form. MCLE Late Fees. All active members who have not completed their credits by December 31 of the last year of their reporting period, or who submit their C2 reporting forms after March 1 of the following year (the end of the grace period after the February 1 deadline), must pay a late fee of $150. The late fee increases by $300 for each consecutive three-year reporting period of noncompliance. Newly Admitted Members. If you are a newly admitted member, you are exempt from reporting CLE credits for the year of your admission and the following calendar year. If you were admitted in 2004, you will not report for this reporting period (2003-2005) even though you are in Group 2. You will first report at the end of the 2006-2008 reporting period. When you report at the end of your first reporting period, you may claim all CLE credits earned on or after your date of admission to the WSBA. MCLE Comity. If you are an active member of the Washington State Bar Association and your primary office for the practice of law is in Oregon, Idaho or Utah, you may meet your mandatory CLE requirements by providing proof of current MCLE compliance. Only a Certificate of MCLE Compliance from your primary state bar (not a “Certificate of Good Standing”), sent with your WA Continuing Legal Education Certification (C2) form, will satisfy your MCLE requirements in Washington. MCLE System – Course Listing and Member Profiles. Members may use the online MCLE system at www.pro.wsba.org to: • Review courses taken and credits earned. To use the MCLE system, go to www.pro.wsba.org, click on the “Member” tab, then select “Member Login.” The online instructions will lead you through the process of creating a confidential password and using the system. Online help is available. If you have any questions about using the MCLE system or about the MCLE compliance requirements, see the online FAQs at www.wsba.org/lawyers/licensing/faq-mcle.htm, call the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA, or e-mail us at questions@wsba.org. Speakers Available The WSBA Lawyers’ Assistance Program offers speakers for engagements at county or specialty bar associations or other law-related organizations. Topics include stress management, life/work balance, and recognizing and handling problem-personality clients. For more information, contact Jennifer Favell at 206-727-8267. Washington Attorneys with Disabilities to Reactivate A group of Washington state attorneys with disabilities is planning to reactivate an interest group and/or bar organization beginning this fall. If you are interested in becoming an active and dynamic member of this group, want to meet other attorneys with disabilities, and learn more about ADA and other issues of interest to attorneys with disabilities, we will be having an organizational meeting in October or November. In addition to having regular meetings, we plan to hold a kick-off reception, offer CLEs and seminars, and conduct a survey of Washington attorneys with disabilities. For more information, please contact Shawn Murinko at Spokane City Prosecutor’s Office, 909 W. Mellon Ave., Spokane, WA 99201-2129; phone 509-835-5988; e-mail smurinko@spokanecity.org; or contact Joslyn K. N. Donlin, WSBA diversity advocate, c/o WSBA, 2101 Fourth Ave., Ste. 400, Seattle, WA 98121-2330; phone 206-727-8216; or e-mail joslynd@wsba.org. Men’s Group The Lawyers’ Assistance Program is pleased to announce the formation of a confidential Men’s Group led by Mel Knight, Ph.D. The group will provide a safe and supportive place for men to explore the challenges and conflicts between power and intimacy; ambition and responsibility; and financial success and the needs of loved ones and family. The group will offer an opportunity to evaluate how these challenges have the potential for colliding with the pursuit of the practice of law and a well-balanced life. The Men’s Group will meet every other Thursday from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. There is a fee of $210 for each six-week unit. For more information, contact Dr. Knight at 206-282-5100. Enhance Your Relationship The WSBA’s Lawyers’ Assistance Program will sponsor a Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP), a series of relationship skill-building seminars for attorneys and their spouses or partners. The PREP seminars will to be held at the WSBA office on October 22 from noon to 6 p.m., October 29 from 1 to 4 p.m., and November 5 from 1 to 4 p.m. The PREP is based on decades of research on relationships. Couples who have taken PREP seminars have a 30 to 50 percent reduction in separation and divorce. Couples learn how to communicate more effectively, understand and solve problems, and deepen their connection to each other. APR 19(2) assures confidentiality. The cost of the PREP is $450. The registration deadline is October 7, 2005, and space is available for 15 couples. For more information, contact Jenny Favell, Ph.D., at 206-727-8267. Address/Contact Information Update 2006 license fee renewal packets are scheduled to be mailed in early December. Please update your address no later than October 15 to ensure your license packet will be mailed to the correct address. (Please note: If you list a home address as your public contact address, that address will be provided as your contact information to all inquirers.) APR 13(b) requires all attorneys to update their office addresses and telephone numbers within 10 days of a change. APR 13(c), which went into effect September 1, 2005, provides as follows: “Electronic mail address: An attorney should advise the Washington State Bar Association of a current business electronic mail address if one exists. An attorney whose business electronic mail address changes should, within 10 days after the change, notify the Executive Director of the Washington State Bar Association, who shall forward changes weekly to the Office of the Clerk of the Supreme Court for entry into the state computer system. Use of electronic mail addresses for court notice, service and filing must comply with GR 30.” You can check your contact information by going to the online lawyer directory at www.pro.wsba.org. If your contact information (name, address, phone, fax, or e-mail address) has changed, please update the information by e-mailing questions@wsba.org, faxing the change to 206-727-8319, or calling the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA. All requests for contact information changes must be made directly by the member or with the member’s approval. WSBA Leadership Institute Wins ABA 2005 Partnership Program Award The WSBA Leadership Institute has been named one of four recipients of the ABA’s 2005 Partnership Program Awards. This prestigious award, which recognizes efforts by bar associations throughout the country to increase diversity in the legal profession, was presented at the ABA Annual Meeting held August 4-9 in Chicago. This being the WSBA Leadership Institute’s inaugural year makes the award especially noteworthy. Welcome to the WYLD’s New Officers The new Washington Young Lawyers Division (WYLD) officers will officially take their seats at the WYLD Board of Trustees meeting in Seattle on October 1, 2005. John Brangwin, of the Wenatchee firm Woods & Brangwin, was unanimously appointed to serve as the 2005-2006 WYLD president-elect. Pallavi Mehta Wahi, of the Seattle firm Stokes Lawrence PS, was elected to represent the King County District. Martha Grant, of the Wenatchee firm Johnson, Gaukroger, Drewelow & Woolett PS, was unanimously appointed to represent the North Central District. Michael DeWitt, of the Olympia firm Morgan & Bartholomew, was unanimously appointed to represent the Greater Olympia District. Amy Robinson, of the Bellingham firm Brett & Daugert PLLC, was unanimously appointed to represent the Northwest District. Michael Talbot, of the Yakima County Department of Assigned Counsel, was unanimously appointed to represent the South Central District. Toni Meacham, of the Law Office of Toni Meacham, was unanimously appointed to represent the Southeast District. For a full WYLD Board of Trustees roster and more information about the Washington Young Lawyers Division, please visit www.wsba.org/lawyers/groups/wyld/default.htm. WSBA Leadership Institute Seeks Fellows for 2006 The WSBA seeks applicants for the WSBA Leadership Institute. The WSBA recognizes that many lawyers — particularly women, those of color, and those from traditionally underrepresented groups — have not been recruited for leadership positions or made aware of opportunities for skill development, professional growth, and leadership training available through the WSBA. The mission of the WSBA Leadership Institute is to recruit, train, and retain Washington attorneys who have been admitted for 10 years or less for leadership positions in the legal community and in the WSBA, with an emphasis on racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, disability, cultural, and geographic diversity. 2006 will be the Institute’s second year of operation. Approximately 10 fellows will be carefully selected for the 2006 program, which will take place January through August 2006. Fellows will devote approximately 70 hours to the program, which includes professional-development seminars (on topics such as the logistics of legal practice, the judiciary, public- versus private-sector employment, and the legislative process) and participation in a group community-service project. Fellows will earn 30 CLE credits. There will be no charge to participants. Applications will be accepted until November 1, 2005. Further information, including application forms and instructions, is available on the WSBA website at www.wsba.org/lawyers/leadership_-institute.htm. The WSBA Leadership Institute recently received the ABA’s Partnership Award, a prestigious award that recognizes efforts by bar associations to increase diversity in the legal profession. WYLD Trial Advocacy Program Registration Now Open The Trial Advocacy Program (TAP) offers members of the WYLD an opportunity to improve their litigation skills, in both the civil and criminal justice fields, and acquire trial experience. The TAP provides a unique opportunity to interact with, and learn from, more experienced practitioners and to network with other new lawyers. The TAP is an intensive two-weekend program emphasizing jury trials and includes lectures, discussion groups, mock trials, exercises, and general education and instruction in courtroom trial practice. The 2005 program will be held in Seattle on November 4-5 and 11-12. This program has been approved for 30.25 CLE credits, including one ethics credit. For program details and registration, visit www.wsba.org/lawyers/groups/wyld. Symposium on Judicial Selection and Independence The Seattle University School of Law will host a symposium on judicial selection and independence on November 11, 2005. Former Senator Slade Gorton and former Governor Gary Locke will co-chair this event, which will explore ways to protect judges from undue influence in elections, preserve the appearance of fairness in the judicial selection process, and enhance public confidence in Washington state’s judiciary. For more information, contact Alice Paine, executive director of the King County Bar Association, at 206-267-7100. New Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Section Considered This notice is posted pursuant to the WSBA Bylaws, Article IX, “Sections,” regarding a six-month prior notification of intent to establish a new Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Legal Issues Section. For more information, please contact Rachel da Silva at 360-943-6260, ext. 203, or e-mail rachel.dasilva@columbialegal.org. Estate Planning and Probate Titles Coming from WSBA-CLE Publications Three new titles providing definitive coverage of estate planning and probate law and practice in Washington will be released this fall. The Washington Estate Planning Deskbook and the Washington Probate Deskbook are edited by Thomas R. Andrews, Professor of Law at the University of Washington School of Law; John R. Price, Of Counsel with Perkins Coie; and Mark Reutlinger, Professor Emeritus of Law at the Seattle University School of Law. WSBA-CLE is also publishing a revised edition of Washington Law of Wills and Intestate Succession, by Mark Reutlinger. For more information e-mail orders@wsba.org. Computer Clinic The WSBA offers a hands-on computer clinic for members wanting to learn more about what Microsoft Office programs — such as Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word, as well as Adobe Acrobat 6.0 — can do for a lawyer. Are you a total beginner? No problem. The clinic teaches helpful tips you can use immediately. Computers are provided, and seating is limited to 15 members. There is no charge, and no CLE credits are offered. The next clinic will be held on October 10, 2005, from 10 a.m. to noon at the WSBA office. For more information, contact Pete Roberts at 206-727-8237 or peter@wsba.org. More LOMAP Events LOMAP hosts a meeting of contract lawyers the first Tuesday of each month. The next meeting will take place October 4 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the WSBA office. The October dates for “LOMAP & Ethics … on the Road: The 2005 Traveling Seminar” are October 18 in Richland, October 19 in Walla Walla, and October 20 in Yakima. Registration is $79, and each seminar has been approved for four CLE credits, including two ethics credits. For more information, contact Julie Salmon at 206-733-5914 or juliesa@wsba.org. Job Seekers Discussion Group Looking for a job or making a transition? Join us at the Job Seekers Discussion Group the second Wednesday of each month from noon to 1:30 p.m. The group discusses where to look for jobs, how to use your network of contacts, strategies for résumés and cover letters, and how to keep yourself organized and motivated. Exchange information and ideas with other lawyers looking to make a change. Come as you are — no need to RSVP. For more information contact Rebecca Nerison, Ph.D. at 206-727-8269 or rebeccan@wsba.org. LAP Solution of the Month: Knowing When to Say No Do you have trouble saying no? Are you struggling with cases your gut told you to avoid? If so, you may have trouble setting and maintaining good boundaries. Figure out what your limits are, then practice saying no. If you’d like help, call the Lawyers’ Assistance Program at 206-727-8268 to schedule a free, confidential consultation. Enjoy feeling in control again. Upcoming Board of Governors Meetings October 28-29 — Vancouver, WA; -December 9-10 — Bremerton; January 13-14 — Olympia. With the exception of a one-hour executive session the morning of the first day, Board of Governors meetings are open, and all WSBA members are welcome to attend. RSVPs are appreciated but not required. Please contact Donna Sato at 206-727-8244 or donnas@wsba.org. The complete Board of Governors meeting schedule is available on the WSBA website at www.wsba.org/info/bog/schedule.htm. Usury Rate The average coupon equivalent yield from the first auction of 26-week treasury bills in September 2005 was 3.686 percent. Therefore, the maximum allowable usury rate for September is 12 percent. Information from January 1987 to date is on the WSBA website at www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/usury.htm.
|
