March 2008

At Your Service

by WSBA President Stan Bastian

The Washington State Bar Association is more than just the bar examination, CLE compliance, annual dues, and discipline. Much more. These regulatory functions are certainly important; however, they are not the only reasons this bar association exists.

This edition of the Bar News is dedicated to explaining many of the various non-regulatory services offered to members of the WSBA. Within these pages you will read and learn about such award-winning programs as the Ethics Line, the Lawyers Assistance Program, the Law Office Management Assistance Program, and Alternative Dispute Resolution Programs. These programs serve as models for others like them across the country. In fact, in March 2007, the WSBA Lawyers Assistance Program received the Outstanding Leadership Award from the ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs. The award was given for its “superior leadership and dedication to the health and well-being of lawyers.”

However, the real hidden gems are not the programs, but the people who supervise them. The employees at the Lawyer Services Department are an amazing group of individuals. As a team, they are knowledgeable, professional, and dedicated to helping you build and maintain a successful legal career.

Let me introduce you to them.

Barbara Harper

Barbara Harper, MA, LMHC, LMFT, is the director of the Lawyer Services Department of the Washington State Bar Association and in that role supervises the following programs: Law Office Management Assistance, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Professional Responsibility, and Lawyers Assistance Program. Barbara has been with the WSBA since 1987, and she is a psychotherapist state-licensed in both mental counseling and marriage and family therapy.

She is a member of the American Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Section and the Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP) Advisory Commission. She was a member of the CoLAP Commission from 2002–2004 and served as the chair of the ABA Annual National CoLAP Conference in both 2003 and 2004. She is a member of the ABA Judicial Assistance Project Education Committee, and the Washington State District and Municipal Court Judges’ Association Judicial Assistance Committee.

Barbara has authored numerous articles and presents trainings on several topics, including stress management for lawyers and judges, the effects on the legal profession caused by lawyer depression, personality disorders, and addictions. She recruits and educates volunteers for the Lawyers Assistance and Judicial Assistance programs and writes and lectures on the issues impacting both aging and young lawyers.

Jennifer Favell, Ph.D.

Jennifer Favell graduated from Stanford University and the University of Washington. Before joining the WSBA, she was the clinical director of separation and loss services at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. She has also been the co-investigator on several national-level research and training grants offering clinical services to families after the violent loss of loved ones. She has worked with researchers, clinical staffs, prosecuting attorneys, medical examiners, victims’ assistance workers, psychiatric residents, and incarcerated adolescents. Currently, in her position with the Lawyers Assistance Program at the WSBA, Jenny specializes in treating trauma, stress, grief, eating disorders, depression, and life transition issues. She provides training to local, state, and national organizations. She is also the WSBA’s diversion administrator, working collaboratively with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel. Jenny also maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Seattle, specializing in trauma.

Rebecca Nerison, Ph.D.

Rebecca Nerison’s passion is helping lawyers improve their lives and workplaces. She has counseled, coached, and consulted with lawyers at the WSBA Lawyers Assistance Program since 1997. She earned a doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Iowa in 1992 and is a licensed psychologist in Washington state. Prior to joining the WSBA staff, Rebecca ran a private practice on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and prior to that she worked at Central Missouri State University, where she helped students decide what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Darlene Neumann

Darlene Neumann graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in communications and a paralegal certificate from the UW Extension Program. Prior to joining the Bar, she worked with a nonprofit organization which helped low- to moderate-income homebuyers purchase their first home through a mix of affordable housing programs and financial assistance. Darlene is currently the Alternative Dispute Resolution Program coordinator responsible for administering the Fee Arbitration and Mediation programs. She also supports the professional responsibility counsel as the Ethics Program coordinator.

Peter Roberts

Peter Roberts has 18 years of experience as a legal administrator in law firms in Washington, D.C.; New Hampshire; Boston; and Seattle. He earned his MBA from The College of William & Mary and a certificate as small business webmaster from the University of Washington. Pete is a frequent speaker and has consulted with more than 300 WSBA members in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. Since 2001, Pete has been the practice management advisor in the WSBA Law Office Management Assistance Program (LOMAP).

Julie Salmon

Julie Salmon has been the coordinator for the Law Office Management Assistance Program since February 2004. She began working in the legal field almost 25 years ago as a legal assistant to solo attorneys in Iowa practicing in family law and bankruptcy. Since that time, Julie has been a real estate assistant and worked on the 2000 Census project. She enjoys assisting Pete Roberts with providing guidance in law office management issues to the members of the Washington State Bar Association.

Abby Smith

Abby Smith is a licensed chemical dependency professional and a licensed mental health counselor. She is currently working at the WSBA as a psychotherapist and addictions counselor. She worked in chemical dependency treatment for about 19 years, which included working at Virginia Mason, Residence XII, and the Men’s Recovery Program at A Positive Alternative. She also taught addictions and mental health courses at Edmonds Community College part-time for eight years. Her favorite classes to teach are Group Counseling and Women’s Issues in Recovery.

Christopher Sutton

Christopher Sutton is a graduate of The College of William & Mary and the Marshall-Wythe School of Law. He has been practicing law for over 30 years in many areas, including domestic relations, trusts and wills, and business transactions. In 1995, Chris started working at the WSBA as disciplinary counsel. After two years, he became the professional responsibility counsel for the Bar Association. He operates the Ethics Line and supervises the WSBA Alternative Dispute Resolution Program. He averages 20–30 ethics calls from members every day, and last year he took approximately 5,000 calls. Unfortunately for us, Chris recently decided to retire. He has been a valuable member of the WSBA staff and was instrumental in making the Ethics Line an important and useful member service. I wish him well.

I encourage you to save this edition of the Bar News and keep it as a handy reference tool. Some day you may need some help from the people at the WSBA Lawyers Services Department, or you may want to refer them to a friend or colleague. Help is only a phone call away. 

Stan Bastian can be reached at stanb@jdsalaw.com or 509-662-3685.