October 2006
WSBA Welcomes New Officers and Governors
Meet President Ellen
by Lindsay Thompson
If your imagination runs to the romantic, you could say Ellen Dial’s legal career was decided by coin toss. Looking for judicial clerkships as she finished at Cornell Law School, Dial scored interviews with two justices of the Washington Supreme Court. Both wanted to hire her. They talked it over and couldn’t resolve who would prevail. Justice Charles Horowitz won. Ellen, her husband Joe, and their two kids moved to Washington in 1977.
The children are grown now; one lives in Wisconsin, and the other in California. Ellen and Joe now organize their travels around seeing the grandchildren, and are “renewing our acquaintance with children’s books.”
Ellen says she thought she would end up teaching law but instead — urged on by Justice Horowitz — went into private practice, and stayed in it to this day. She describes her real-estate/transactions practice as “very satisfying.” For his part, husband Joe teaches at Seattle Community College and UW, and works in designing distance-learning programs.
The two met at Union Theological Seminary in 1968, “a pretty radical, out-there place at the peak of the Vietnam era,” Ellen recalls. Over time they determined their callings lay elsewhere, but together. They’ve been married 37 years, and their pastimes include hiking, travel, music, theater, and books.
Becoming WSBA president is no small career achievement. In the new president’s case, it’s made noteworthy because she reached the post completely outside the usual course. She hasn’t served on the Board of Governors. That’s not to say she’s a lightning strike by any means. Long active in the work of WSBA sections, Ellen has spent the last few years on some major cat-herding projects: chairing a top-to-bottom revision of the Rules of Professional Conduct, then the coordination of WSBA’s December move to new office space. She knows from heavy lifting.
I ran a draft of this copy by a friend. “Good pace, but kind of suck-uppy for you, isn’t it?”
“Nah,” I replied. “I’ve watched WSBA presidents up close for nearly 20 years. The Board looked in some new places and came up a winner. Ellen is good company, has a great sense of humor, and a remarkable calling to work for the Association.”
So that’s the scoop on the new president. Elsewhere in this issue she gives her own thoughts on the coming year and things she’d like to get done. Good luck to her, the new governors, and WSBA. — Lindsay Thompson edits Bar News.
Stanley A. Bastian Takes Over as the New President-elect
Wenatchee attorney Stanley A. Bastian will serve as 2006-2007 WSBA president-elect. Stan ran unopposed and was confirmed by the Board at their June 9 meeting. A former public defender for the City of Renton and prosecutor for the City of Seattle, Stan is a shareholder in the Wenatchee firm of Jeffers, Danielson, Sonn & Aylward P.S., which he joined in 1988. His practice focuses on civil litigation, employment law, labor negotiations, and municipal defense.
Stan’s community involvement includes serving as president of the United Way of Chelan and Douglas County and as president of the Chelan-Douglas County Bar Association. He was a board member for Legal Aid for Washington (LAW) Fund, a nonprofit organization committed to ensuring the promise of equal justice for residents of Washington state regardless of income level. Stan’s wife is Chelan County District Court Judge Alicia Nakata. They have two teenaged daughters, Audrey and Elenore.
Stan says continuity is important and has plans to focus his presidency on existing projects, such as the award-winning WSBA Leadership Institute, the Justice in Jeopardy legislative proposals designed to increase funding for access-to-justice issues, and the “Foundations of Freedom” project begun by President Taylor. “Serving as president of the WSBA will be the opportunity of a lifetime,” Stan says. “The WSBA is one of the premier state bar associations in the country, blessed with strong leadership and professional management. I look forward to my term, and the opportunity to continue this tradition of excellence.”
Russell Aoki Is New 1st District Governor
Russell has been a lawyer in both the public and private sector for 20 years. His current practice at Aoki Sakamoto Grant LLP involves civil litigation and criminal defense. He has previously served as Asian Bar Association of Washington president, KCBA trustee, board president of Northwest Defenders Association, U.S. District Court Technology Working Group member, and Federal Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel member. Russell formerly served as the Criminal Justice Act Panel representative for this district’s federal court-appointed criminal defense lawyers. He is currently the Washington State Supreme Court’s appointee to the State Office of Public Defense Advisory Committee.
Tri-Cities’ Edward F. Shea Jr. Brings a Teacher’s View — 4th District
Edward is a graduate of Gonzaga University School of Law and has been practicing law in the Tri-Cities, where he is from, for the past 13 years. His current practice involves civil litigation, including plaintiff personal injury, medical malpractice, family law, and representing the Washington Education Association and Washington teachers on various issues in the southeastern part of the state. Edward states: “I am excited about serving as a governor and will be the second in my family to do so, as my father previously served in that capacity and remembers it as a very rewarding and informative experience.”
Spokane’s Peter J. Karademos Represents 5th District
“I look forward to receiving the support of my constituency in fulfilling the responsibilities of governor representing the 5th District,” Peter said. “I have attended BOG meetings for approximately eight years; I am currently chair the WSBA Legislative Committee and Family Law Section; and I am the liaison to the BOG for the Family Law Section.” Peter opposes the legal-technician rule and favors a new rule to allow attorneys to contract for reasonable fees. He support the position that litigants be compensated for their personal injuries without artificial limits. Peter adds: “The Board of Governors’ main priority should be to their constituency.”
7th-West District’s Anthony L. Butler Looks Forward to Serving
Anthony is a 1983 graduate of the University of Washington School of Law. He is a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Professional Discipline. He has served on the Washington State Bar Association Legal Aid Committee, Committee for Diversity, Civil Rights Committee, and Court Rules and Procedures Committee. He is a former WSBA disciplinary counsel, and a past-president of the Loren Miller Bar Association. As an adjunct professor of law at the Seattle University School of Law, Anthony recently taught a summer course in professional responsibility. Anthony practices in the areas of personal injury litigation and legal ethics. He states: “I look forward to serving on the Board of Governors to help improve the legal profession for the benefit of all members of our association.”
WYLD At-large Governor Jason T. Vail Is the Voice for Young Lawyers
Jason is a staff attorney with the Seattle office of Northwest Justice Project and also a legal editor on Clearinghouse Review, a poverty law journal published by the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law. He frequently teaches legal ethics and legal writing for Highline Community College’s paralegal studies program. He has served on Bar committees for several years and is editor of De Novo, the WYLD newsletter. His volunteer activities include regular pro bono work for Kitsap Legal Services and on the Board of Directors for the Wonderland Birth-to-Three Developmental Center. Jason looks forward to service on the Board of Governors: “As governor, I will advocate for young lawyers’ interests and work to advance WYLD programs,” he says.
