Volume XVI, Issue IV
December 2002

Congratulations to the 2002 WYLD Award Recipients! 

Awards were presented at the WYLD Bridging the Gap Conference at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center on September 21, 2002.

WYLD Award Winner Profiles

William C. Broberg – Thomas Neville Pro Bono Award

William C. Broberg received the Thomas Neville Pro Bono Award in recognition of his dedication to protecting the rights of citizen activists to engage in constitutionally protected speech and assembly. The award is given annually to a young lawyer who has generously committed his time and effort to provide legal services for the public good. It is named in honor of Thomas Neville, a Washington lawyer who was murdered in his office by the estranged husband of a pro bono family law client.

A sole practitioner, Mr. Broberg concentrates on criminal defense and civil rights cases. He devotes almost half his practice to protecting the rights of citizen activists engaged in constitutionally protected speech and assembly — most of it on a pro bono basis. During the WTO protests of 1999, hundreds of people were arrested for gathering in public to engage in political speech. Mr. Broberg took on many of their cases pro bono, and ultimately the charges against his all of his clients were dismissed. The following year, many activists were arrested while marching in remembrance of the WTO anniversary. Mr. Broberg took on many of their cases pro bono, and again all charges were dismissed. 

In her nomination letter, Lisa Daugaard wrote: "William is an extraordinarily dedicated attorney, working very often without any sort of compensation from his clients in his efforts to secure and defend all of our rights to engage in political speech, a core freedom. For a solo practitioner to make this sort of work a priority is extremely rare and barely viable financially."

Thaddeus P. Martin IV – Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year Award

The Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year was awarded to Thaddeus P. Martin IV for his exceptional leadership and contributions to the legal community. The award is given annually in recognition of significant contribution to the community of young lawyers.

Mr. Martin is a senior associate focusing on plaintiffs' personal injury and civil rights litigation. His practice includes wrongful-death actions resulting from negligence by the Department of Corrections and the Department of Social and Health Services. He has also handled several racial-profiling cases against major retail stores, and has been involved with civil-rights cases on behalf of African-American students who were victims of racial discrimination at school.

In his nomination letter, John R. Connelly Jr. wrote: "He is extremely professional, courteous and thorough. He combines an excellent sense of humor with an extremely strong work ethic and sense of commitment to his clients. His gentle wisdom and knowledge of human nature have allowed him to gain some excellent results in front of juries. The combination of these qualities in a young lawyer at his level of practice is unique and outstanding."

Mark H. Kim – Professionalism Award

Mark H. Kim received the Professionalism Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the legal community and to those who are most in need of legal assistance, thereby bringing credit to the legal profession. The professionalism award is presented annually to a young lawyer who has greatly enhanced the profession through his extraordinarily noble and honorable practice of law.

Mr. Kim recently completed a term as president of the Spokane County Bar Association (SCBA) Young Lawyers Division. He spearheaded the start of the Greater Access and Assistance Program (GAAP) in Spokane County and served as the GAAP representative to the Washington State Access to Justice Board. The program serves clients who fall into the "gap" between free legal services through a qualified legal-services provider and full-priced legal services. Future GAAP services are planned for Pierce and King counties.

In his nomination letter, Steven Marsalis wrote: "Without him, the GAAP program may never have gotten off the ground. He took the responsibility of starting that pilot program and has done a terrific job with it. So much so, that the program will likely be copied in Pierce and King counties with relative ease."

Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division – Outstanding Affiliate Organization Award

The Outstanding Affiliate Organization Award was presented to the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association (TPCBA) Young Lawyers Division. It is given annually to the affiliate organization that has dedicated time and effort to provide legal services for the public good, public service and community outreach, and has made significant contributions to the legal community.

Young lawyers in the TPCBA have been active, enthusiastic participants in Law Week. In 2002, they organized Law Week presentations in 24 schools, reaching 1,100 students. To assist new lawyers in making the transition from law school to the practice of law, the group sponsored the Bridging the Gap CLE seminar. They also expanded the Pierce County swearing-in ceremony from a simple administration of the Oath of Attorney, to a complete new-lawyer orientation. The day-long program serves as an introduction to the practice of law in Pierce County and includes presentations by lawyers and judges, a tour of the county courthouse, and an introduction to the local bar. 

The TPCBA young lawyers continue to teach high-school students about the practice of law through their scholarship-mentorship program. Now in its seventh year, the program includes scholarships, job shadowing, individual mentoring sessions, and tours of local and federal courthouses. 

The WYLD acknowledges the hard work and dedication of other Washington young lawyers:

Gabriel S. Galanda was nominated for the Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year Award. Mr. Galanda is an associate in the Seattle office of Williams, Kastner & Gibbs PLLC, where he focuses on complex, multi-party, tort and commercial litigation. 
He was recently named Alumni of the Year by the National Native American Law Students' Association and recognized as a rising star by Washington Law & Politics magazine. As an enrolled member of the Nomlaki/Concow, Round Valley Indian Confederation of California, Mr. Galanda has become a part of the Seattle's Native American political landscape. He is president of the Northwest Indian Bar Association (NIBA), and has tripled the organizations membership during his tenure. He is developing the NIBA Web site to serve as a resource to all lawyers. His articles about Indian law have been published in Bar News, Trial News and DeNovo. 
In her nomination letter, Jill A. Conrad wrote: "To me, Gabe exhibits all that is bright, fresh and young in our profession. Nothing is unachievable. He seeks to make a difference, not for selfish reasons, but genuinely cares about our profession and his responsibilities as an advocate."

Kathleen M. (Katie) O'Sullivan was nominated for the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award based on her contributions to the legal community and the community at large. Ms. O'Sullivan is an associate in the Seattle office of Perkins Coie LLP, focusing on complex commercial litigation and appellate work. 
In addition to her full caseload, Ms. O'Sullivan has shown a significant commitment to the community through her volunteer work and pro bono efforts. She serves on the board of Passages Northwest, a Seattle nonprofit organization dedicated to bolstering the courage of adolescent girls and women through integrated exploration of nature and the arts. She volunteered to help build the Beacon Hill P-Patch, and organized the second annual Perkins Coie summer associate volunteer day at Northwest Harvest. In 2001, Ms. O'Sullivan spent more than 250 hours representing pro bono clients, and this year she has logged more than 160 hours. 
In her nomination letter, Julia Parsons Clarke wrote: "Early in her career, Katie distinguished herself by demonstrating strong advocacy skills in discovery, brief writing, oral advocacy and trial work. In addition, opposing counsel have commended Katie for her hard work on behalf of her clients and for her professionalism.

Alexander Perkins was nominated for the Thomas Neville Pro Bono Award for his tremendous commitment to pro bono work. Mr. Perkins is an associate at the Seattle firm Keller Rohrback, where he concentrates almost exclusively on class actions and complex litigation.
He also serves as the firm's volunteer pro bono coordinator. In that role, he encourages and creates opportunities for Keller Rohrback lawyers to participate in pro bono work. Because of his effort, the firm's associates have a 100 percent participation rate in pro bono work. Mr. Perkins was also integral in the development of the Coordinated Client Access Program (CCAP), which assists clients in predatory lending matters. So far, 11 lawyers have assisted seven clients facing foreclosure. 
In addition to his work at Keller Rohrback, Mr. Perkins donates his time to the King County Bar Association Housing Justice Project, assisting tenants who face eviction hearings. He also participates in King County volunteer legal services, providing legal services to low-income clients in civil matters. This year, he has already logged more than 110 hours of pro bono service. 

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