June 2007

A Round of Applause, Please: For the Good Work of the WSBA Sections and Committees!

by Ellen Conedera Dial, WSBA President

For most members of the WSBA, communication with the Bar consists of completing and mailing the annual licensing form and reporting CLE credits. Yet many thousands of members are also members of one of the 26 sections, and hundreds are members of the executive committees of those sections or of one of the 24 standing committees of the Bar. Like most nonprofit organizations, the WSBA relies on volunteers to do a significant part of its work.

My first experience with volunteering for WSBA activities was in 1981, when I was still in the very early years of my practice. I had graduated from law school later than most of my peers and had two young children at home. I was a newcomer to Washington state, and knew almost no one in the legal community. I was intrigued, though, by the list of committees I received from the Bar office, together with an invitation to let them know if I was interested in serving on a committee. I thought that serving on a committee might be a good way to get to know other lawyers outside of my firm who had similar interests.

I was in my second year as an associate in a modest-sized firm in Seattle. I asked a partner of the firm if the Bar might be interested in having a junior lawyer serve on a committee. He said he thought it would, and that he would call the governor from our district and suggest my name for the committee I was interested in. (It happened to be the Code of Professional Conduct Committee, predecessor to the Rules of Professional Conduct Committee.) He made the call, and I was appointed to the committee. I still know, work with, and count as friends several of the members of that committee.

Just a few years later, I was invited to help the executive committee of the Real Property Probate and Trust Section (RPPT) with the early planning of the second edition of the Real Property Deskbook. Later I was invited to write articles for the newsletter. I was eager for the opportunity to increase my knowledge in my practice area, and I volunteered as often as I could. Eventually, I served as editor of the newsletter, then as a member of the executive committee, and eventually as chair of the Section. I got to work with lawyers at the top of the field, to write and comment on legislation, and to work with real estate lawyers throughout the state on issues that were important to them.

It was self-interest that got me involved in committee and section activities. I wanted to develop my knowledge and skills as a lawyer, to acquire and exercise leadership skills, to establish a network of lawyers in my practice area, and to stay abreast of developments in my field and in other areas that were particularly interesting to me. What kept me involved in Bar activities, though, was the opportunity it gave me to work with lawyers throughout the state on the challenges that they faced in their practices. That is the very same reason I volunteer today for the WSBA, and it is the reason that I am writing this column, because I hope that each of you will consider adding committee and/or section work to your volunteer work.

There are 24 standing committees appointed by the Board of Governors. Committees are established by the Board to stay current on the best thinking, knowledge, and practices in a wide range of policies and services, and to assist in doing the work of the WSBA. Most committee members are appointed by the Board of Governors for a limited term; committee chairs are appointed by the president to serve for limited terms, usually one year. Committees report to the Board, and the scope of their work is defined by their charters. Some committees provide services directly to members, such as the Rules of Professional Conduct Committee, which issues informal opinions on questions of ethics; others advise the WSBA on best practices to follow in a variety of areas, such as law office management or editorial content of Bar News. Still others make recommendations for specific programs, such as the Committee for Diversity, or rules, such as the Court Rules and Procedures Committee, or operate essential programs for the Bar, such as the Bar Examiners Committee, the Character and Fitness Board, and the Fee Arbitration Panel. Lawyers who serve on a WSBA committee can expect to have a direct impact on the functioning of an important aspect of the work of the Bar. They can also expect to work with colleagues from around the state on issues of common interest, and to establish a career-long network of contacts and friends.

Unlike committees, sections are largely self-governing, with their own executive committees and significant control over their own budgets. Sections are organized around particular subject areas of practice. Acting within broad charters approved by the Board of Governors, and within the court rules that govern Bar activities generally, sections are free to serve their members and the public in whatever ways their executive committees deem best. Most sections issue newsletters regularly to keep section members apprised of developments in the law in their practice areas, and most offer CLEs in those areas. But sections do much, much more. Many sections, such as the Family Law, Business Law, RPPT, and Creditor-Debtor sections, are active in drafting legislation and supporting or opposing bills introduced in the Legislature, working with the Bar’s legislative director. Several offer scholarships or stipends to law students, such as the scholarship offered annually by the Taxation Section to a lawyer pursuing an advanced tax degree, and the stipends offered by the Environmental and Land Use Section to law students who want to pursue summer projects in the environmental field. Several sections have been the moving forces behind specialized deskbooks, such as the recently issued Public Records Deskbook, which was a project of the Administrative Law Section working in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General. The International Practice Section provides a network for lawyers from other countries to work with U.S. lawyers. Several sections, including the RPPT Section, the Family Law Section, the Labor and Employment Section, the Senior Lawyers Section, and the Business Law Section, have sponsored programming for the public on The Docket, TVW’s program on the law and the justice system. And all of this is only a small part of the important work that sections do. Sections are a powerful and effective voice for lawyers in this state. Since they are also self-governing, they provide many excellent opportunities for developing leadership skills.

It should be obvious by now that I encourage all WSBA members who are interested in the broad issues that face the profession to become active on a committee and/or on the executive committee of their sections. Visit the WSBA website, and learn about the activities of the organizations you find interesting. There is no mystery about how to get involved. If you want to be appointed to a committee, call the governor on the Board of Governors who represents your district. If you are a member of the Young Lawyers Division, call the Board member elected to represent the Young Lawyers. If you are a member whose interests are represented by the at-large governors, call them. Tell them about yourself and your interests, and ask for an appointment to a committee. If you are interested in the work of a section, call the chair of the section. Volunteer to write an article for the newsletter, or to prepare a CLE speech on a current topic, or to work on a special project. You will be glad that you did!

I cannot close this article without acknowledging the superb WSBA staff, who provide indispensable support and guidance to volunteers on committees and sections, as well as to all of our members. I am very grateful for the help and advice I have received over the years from Bar staff, and for all that the Bar staff does today to further the mission and goals of the Bar. Thank you!

Ellen Conedera Dial can be reached at 206-359-8438 or ecdial@gmail.com.