June 2007

Bridging the Gap 2007 Recap

The 2007 Bridging the Gap conference was a huge success.  Co-sponsored by the King County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and the Washington Young Lawyers Division, this year’s conference was held at the Lynnwood Convention Center on March 2 and 3.  As in past years, the conference focused on helping young lawyers “bridge the gap” between school and law practice.

Ross Jacobson of Williams Kastner Gibbs started off the conference by giving young lawyers tips on advocacy during negotiations and mediations.  Then, in her presentation on being an entrepreneurial lawyer, sole practitioner Julie Fowler explained how she built her own law practice from the ground up.  WSBA counsel Doug Ende then gave conference-goers an overview of the new rules of professional conduct.

Next Marianne Jones, sole owner of Jones Law Group, a small business litigation firm, gave an informative presentation on the basic rules of practice.  She shared her real-world knowledge of the intricacies of civil procedure, from filing and service through discovery and trial.  Following Marianne, Jeffrey Tilden of Gordon Murray Tilden gave the attendees the “dos and don’ts” of client service in his presentation on winning the client over.

The next day, the conference continued with a panel of speakers sharing information on developing a professional network.  Victor King of Speckman Law Group, Leslie Meagley of Meagley Strategic Marketing, Karen Orehoski of Ricci Grube Aita, and J.D. Smith of Stritmatter Kessler Whelan Coluccio all described successful strategies they have used to network and build their respective practices.  

After the panel presentation, Trent Tsuchikawa of Navigant Consulting explained the basics of reading financial documents such as income statements, balance sheets, and statements of cash flows.  Finally, Robert Cumbow of Graham & Dunn wrapped up the conference with practical tips on clear, concise, grammatically correct legal writing.

Thank you to all the speakers.  Your willingness to share your knowledge and experiences made the conference valuable, informative, and enjoyable for all who attended.