March 2009

Find out what your fellow attorneys are up to. See www.wsba.org/¬media/publications/countynewsletters.htm for links to bar publications throughout the state. If you would like to contribute to Around the State on behalf of your county, minority, or specialty bar organization, or if you have a law-related item of interest, send your submissions to aroundthestate@wsba.org.

Helping heroes — Washington First Responder Will Clinic

Inspired by the heroism of 9/11, the Washington First Responder Will Clinic (WFRW) hosted a large-scale estate-planning event last September at the Starbucks Support Center. Lawyers provided legal counseling on basic estate planning matters to more than 100 first responders and their spouses, while paralegals and law students simultaneously assisted with document preparation under the lawyers’ supervision. Clients were thrilled to leave the event with estate-planning documents after roughly an hour and a half. “I thought the event was awesome! We were very impressed, number one, that these attorneys, staff, and other participants would take the time to do this. We were equally impressed by the professionalism and attention to detail that was there throughout our session by everyone there, not just the attorneys,” wrote one client after the event.

In 2008, WFRW hosted two events, providing basic estate planning services to more then 175 first responders and their spouses at no cost. This is the second year that the program committee and Starbucks have hosted the WFRW Clinic at the Starbucks Support Center. “Starbucks Law and Corporate Affairs (L&CA) is pleased to support the committee and program. I am especially happy about the number of L&CA partners who had an opportunity to volunteer,” said Starbucks Deputy General Counsel Lucy Helm. For the volunteers, knowing that their efforts make such a profound, meaningful, and immediate impact on the lives of the first responders is rewarding. “I felt like I made a difference in someone’s life today,” commented Evan Uchida, director, Business Operations and Services Management at LexisNexis.

The program is always looking for volunteer attorneys and support staff to help, and the committee will gladly accept donations of paper, printer ink, and used printers. If you would like to contribute to this cause or volunteer for a future event, please contact Sarah Ondrak at ondraks@gmail.com.

Going, going, gone — to a good cause

The WSBA staff and special guests raised $4,000 for charity in an auction event held in November. The money was raised to benefit Lawyers Helping Hungry Children. The fund-raising event had two parts: a karaoke contest and an auction event. The karaoke contest, where staff members “voted” via donations on selected singing volunteers where the winner would perform at the auction, raised more than $1,700. Lucky winner-vocalist and WSBA ODC Investigator Brian McCarthy performed “It’s Raining Men” in slicker and wig, to the astonishment of the assembled bidders! The auction event featured handmade items contributed by staff members, which included homemade cookies and brownies, hand-knitted scarves, framed photographs, handcrafted jewelry, and a collection of colorful paintings. Auction proceeds were more than $2,000 — a jar of “secret recipe” pickles from WSBA IT Director Mark MacDonald fetched more than $60. WSBA General Counsel Bob Welden served as auctioneer in his signature eye-catching silver lamé jacket, and was assisted by WSBA ODC Investigator Vanessa “Vanna White” Norman in fluorescent pink feather boa.

First annual MAMAS Leadership and Justice Award

In November, the Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle (MAMAS) presented its first annual Leadership and Justice Award to the Honorable Barbara J. Rothstein, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington and director of the Federal Judicial Center. The award is given to an individual who has paved the way to success for, and has served as an inspiration to, other women attorneys striving to excel in their legal careers while balancing family demands. Addressing the crowd of more than 250 attendees, Judge Rothstein spoke of her personal experiences juggling her position as a federal judge with being a mother. Judge Rothstein was introduced by the Honorable Marsha J. Pechman, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

MAMAS is a Washington bar organization dedicated to furthering the interests of attorney mothers in the profession. Founded in October 2006, it has grown quickly in both numbers and prominence. It currently has more than 550 members and has begun to spread to other states.

WSBA member honored as Champion for Change

Jacqueline van Wormer, of Richland, was honored as a Champion for Change in juvenile justice reform for her work in Benton and Franklin counties to improve the lives of court-involved children, their families, and their communities. She was recognized at a luncheon of juvenile justice reformers from across the country at the Third Annual Models for Change national conference in Washington, D.C.

In her position as Models for Change Washington site coordinator in Benton and Franklin counties, van Wormer bridges the gap between school administrators and the juvenile justice system to create more effective responses to truancy. She also is developing a data system for analyzing the complex issue of Disproportionate Minority Contact to create a factual basis for making DMC intervention and policy decisions.

Models for Change is the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s $120 million national initiative to reform juvenile justice across the country. Few states can match Washington in terms of systematic commitment to improving juvenile justice. The state has been recognized as a pioneer in implementing research-based programs in juvenile justice, building in quality-assurance mechanisms, evaluating outcomes to determine the most cost-effective ways to reduce delinquency and promote positive youth development, and educating policymakers and the public regarding the results.

Washington Defense Trial Lawyers present annual awards

Washington Defense Trial Lawyers presented their annual awards at the Judicial Reception in October held at the law firm of K&L Gates in Seattle. More than 180 people attended, including more than 30 judges from federal, state, and local courts. The recipients are: the late John Kirschner of the Office of the Attorney General, as Outstanding Defense Trial Lawyer of the Year award — given to someone who has promoted collegiality, professional decorum, and the utmost ethical standards while practicing supreme advocacy for his or her clients; Ralph Brindley, of the Luvera Law Firm, as Outstanding Plaintiffs’ Trial Lawyer — awarded to a plaintiffs’ attorney who has demonstrated professional decorum, and the utmost ethical standards while practicing supreme advocacy for his or her clients; and Melissa Habeck, of Forsberg & Umlauf, received the Outstanding Litigation Associate Award, which is given to an attorney who has practiced seven years or less who promotes the highest professional and ethical standards for a Washington civil defense attorney.
 
Justice Bridge inducted into Warren Burger Society

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) inducted retired Washington State Supreme Court Justice Bobbe J. Bridge into the Warren E. Burger Society. The Burger Society honors individuals who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to improving the administration of justice through extraordinary contributions of service and support to the NCSC. Massachusetts Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall, chair of the NCSC Board of Directors and president of the Conference of Chief Justices, inducted Justice Bridge and other new members into the Burger Society at the NCSC Annual Recognition Luncheon in Washington, D.C.

Justice Bridge joined the Washington State Supreme Court in 1999 and served as a King County Superior Court judge for 10 years before that. She spent much of her time on the King County bench hearing juvenile and dependency cases, and while a member of the Supreme Court, she founded the nonprofit Center for Children and Youth Justice. The Center is charged with administering grants for promising child-welfare programs across the state.

NW Tribal attorneys exceed $100,000 in scholarship giving

The Northwest Indian Bar Association (NIBA) recently gifted another $16,000 in scholarships to several Native law students as part of an ongoing effort to support aspiring Pacific Northwest Indian lawyers. NIBA and its sister group, the WSBA Indian Law Section, have exceeded $100,000 in scholarship monies gifted to Native law students from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska in only five years.

NIBA is thrilled to have seen an immediate return on their investment, specifically a dramatic rise in Indian lawyers practicing in the Northwest. The following past scholarship recipients now serve as officers of NIBA: President Lael Echo-Hawk (Pawnee), a reservation attorney for the Tulalip Tribes, near Marysville; President-elect Michael Douglas (Haida), an associate with the law firm Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Miller & Munson LLP, in Anchorage; Treasurer Brooke Pinkham (Nez Perce), an attorney with the Northwest Justice Project in Seattle; and At-Large Member Marvin Beauvais (Navajo/Crow), a reservation attorney with the Quinault Nation, in Taholah.

“I greatly benefitted from NIBA’s support throughout law school and during the first few years of my legal career,” said Michael Douglas. “In addition to scholarship assistance, I am grateful to have received strong mentorship from NIBA’s network of Native attorneys. NIBA’s financial help and mentorship has provided me an excellent foundation on which to build my career working for Indian people.”

The following Native law students are the Indian Legal Scholars Program’s latest scholarship recipients. Each was honored with $1,200 to $1,500 in recognition of his or her commitment to academic excellence and advancing the rights of Pacific Northwest Indian people: Peter C. Boome (Upper Skagit), Saza Osawa (Makah), Amber Vision-Seeker Penn-Roco (Chehalis), and Aurora Lehr (Native Hawaiian), of the University of Washington School of Law; Tara Dowd (Inupiaq) and Jason Campbell (Gros Ventre), of Gonzaga University School of Law; Malcolm Begay (Navajo), Maiya LaMar (Tule River/Yokut), and Michelle Watchman (Tlingit/Navajo), of Lewis & Clark Law School; Dylan Hedden-Nicely (Cherokee), of University of Idaho College of Law; Khia Grinnell (Jamestown S’Klallam/Lummi) and Suzanne C. Trujillo (Laguna Pueblo), of Arizona State University College of Law; and Anthony Jones (Port Gamble S’Klallam), of Washington University Law School, all of whom have Pacific Northwest ties.

Information about NIBA can be found at www.nwiba.org, and WSBA Indian Law Section information is available at www.wsba.org/lawyers/groups/indianlaw.

Rodriguez named first Latina to Yakima City Council

The Yakima City Council has named attorney Sonia Rodriguez to replace outgoing Councilman Norm Johnson, and in the process made history. Rodriguez, a 34-year-old single mother, small business owner, and newcomer to City Hall, is believed to be the first Latino to serve on the City Council in Yakima’s 122-year history. The city is 38 percent Hispanic. Rodriguez was sworn in January 6.

Rodriguez, raised in the Tacoma area, moved to Yakima eight years ago after getting her law degree from the University of Washington School of Law. Her mother was a legal secretary who went back to school later in life to get her own law degree and now shares a legal practice with Rodriguez. Having recently finished a term on the local YWCA Board, it was her record of leadership in the legal community — including serving as a delegate for the WSBA in the American Bar Association — that caught the eye of council members. Rodriguez said she wants to run for office in November and hopes that she can help unite the Latino community in Yakima, which historically has lacked representation in public office and at City Hall. “Nobody’s been able to bring everybody together,” Rodriguez said, adding, “I’ve really got my work cut out for me.”

Legal Foundation elects new officers

At its November meeting, the Board of Trustees of the Legal Foundation of Washington unanimously elected Nicholas P. Gellert, of counsel, Perkins Coie, as the Foundation’s president for 2009. Rima J. Alaily, Microsoft Corporation, was elected vice president; Michele G. Radosevich, partner, Davis Wright Tremaine, was elected secretary; and Barbara Fox, limited practice/escrow officer, was elected treasurer. Beginning their first two-year terms as trustees are Washington State Supreme Court appointee Pamela J. DeRusha, of the Office of the United States Attorney, and gubernatorial appointee Gary Melonson, Citi/Smith Barney.

Washington Paralegal of the Year

The Washington State Paralegal Association (WSPA) has chosen Mount Vernon resident Melody Love as the WSPA 2008 Paralegal of the Year. Love serves as the director of the Northwest Chapter of WSPA and is a bankruptcy paralegal at the Law Offices of Terence G. Carroll.

K&L Gates combines with Bell, Boyd & Lloyd

Partners of the law firms K&L Gates LLP and Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLP voted overwhelmingly in favor of a combination of firms, effective March 1. The combined firm will comprise approximately 1,900 lawyers in 31 offices throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, and expands K&L Gates’s domestic offerings to include the strategically significant legal markets of Chicago and San Diego. “We are delighted and enthused that our partners have seen and supported the strategic value of this combination,” said K&L Gates Chairman and Global Managing Partner Peter J. Kalis and Bell Boyd Chairman John T. McCarthy.

Bits and Briefs

Matthew M. Cohen, attorney with Stahancyk, Kent, Johnson and Hook, in Vancouver, has been appointed treasurer of the Clark County Bar Association’s Family Law Section.

Foster Pepper PLLC is pleased to announce that Jeffrey Frank, a member in the firm’s Construction and Litigation practice groups, has been appointed chair of the Defense Research Institute’s Judicial Task Force. The task force focuses on issues affecting judicial salaries, court funding, courthouse security, appointment methods of judges, and unwarranted criticism of judges.

WSBA member Robert J. McCarthy has been recognized by the Oklahoma Bar Association with its 2008 Courageous Lawyer Award. The award is given “to an OBA member who has courageously performed in a manner befitting the highest ideals of our profession.” McCarthy gave testimony last year in the long-running Cobell v. Kempthorne class-action suit that sought an accounting of Indian trust funds. As a field solicitor for the Department of the Interior, McCarthy testified that he had a duty of loyalty to some 300,000 Indians whose lands and income were held by the government. McCarthy testified that he had disclosed gross mismanagement to the Secretary of the Interior and to the inspector general, and that Agency audits eventually verified his claims. McCarthy was also recently named as general counsel to the United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission in El Paso, Texas.