Volume XVI, Issue II
June 2002

What is this Bar that You've Been Called To?

by M. Janice Michels, WSBA Executive Director
 
The Structure of WSBA: In 1933, the state of Washington decided that citizens needed the protection of a regulated practice of law. The legislature passed the State Bar Act as Revised Code of Washington 2.48.010. The Act created the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) as the self-regulating entity for lawyers in Washington and set mandatory license fees to cover the cost of admission, discipline, and mandatory continuing legal education compliance. The authority of WSBA to license and unlicense lawyers (license and suspend or disbar) is vested in WSBA through the judicial branch -- the Supreme Court. WSBA is therefore considered an "instrumentality" of the Supreme Court for the purpose of overseeing these functions. In other states, licensing and regulation of lawyers is done by the executive branch or by independent state agencies with wide and various ties to the legislative branch. In Washington, WSBA is the judicial branch for regulatory functions and is like a private nonprofit agency for other affiliation services like the Bar News, legal education, and member benefits.

The Non-Regulatory Services Of WSBA: The best way to understand what the 125 WSBA staff members do for members of the Bar is to visit the WSBA web page at www.wsba.org. Start with a review of the member services guide where all WSBA programs like legislative lobbying, access to justice, public legal education, law week, and counseling services are highlighted. Other highlighted services to members include the Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP), Law Office Management Assistance Program (LOMAP), ethics advice, and continuing legal education courses. Each highlight is linked to a more detailed information page on the web.

Revenue/ Expenditures: WSBA has a graduated license fee depending on length of membership and membership status (active, inactive, judicial, emeritus, honorary, house counsel). The total annual license fee revenue from the approximately 24,000 members is approximately $8 million. In addition, WSBA's CLE department is a self-supporting entity within WSBA and runs on a budget of approximately $3 million annually. No license fees support the WSBA CLE department and WSBA makes no profit on its CLE programs. About 60 percent of license fee revenue support regulatory services and the rest support the affiliation programs and services detailed above. For more detail on the WSBA financial picture, please review the annual and financial report pages on the Web. Nationally, Washington State license fees are about average for bars of our size. In Washington, the ratio of lawyers to population, approximately 1:270, is at the 60th percentile of all states, meaning slightly more lawyers for population.

Governance: The WSBA is governed by the 13 member Board of Governors (BOG). Eleven are elected by federal congressional districts and to supplement this geographic diversity, the BOG created two at-large seats to be filled by persons who represent traditionally underrepresented groups such as ethnicity, practice area, gender, sexual orientation, or age or other factor. The Board of Governors of WSBA meets approximately nine times a year and meetings are open to members and others. Dates, agendas, and minutes of these meetings are regularly posted on the Web. The Board is extremely interested in member feedback and the governors expect to be contacted on any issue under consideration or new issues needing attention.

New Lawyer Services: WSBA also offers special services to new lawyers through the Young Lawyer Division (WYLD). The WYLD recognizes that the gap between law school and the practice of law is a big one and that many new lawyers are burdened with school debt, young families, and ?hours requirements.? New lawyers may need substantive law practice and business coaching. The WYLD is responsible for WSBA's strategic goal to support the professional development of new/young lawyers; consider being active with WYLD.

The Practice of Law is also a Noble Profession: Lastly, WSBA holds the noble goal, included in our identity quote: "Working together to champion justice." As a profession, the practice of law expects members to hold to the ideal of the rule of law and facilitate access to it. Volunteerism and pro bono work are included in this noble goal. WSBA works to further the justice imperative and help the public understand a lawyer's role in this mission.

So That's Your Bar: Is it a good value for the license fees paid? We like to think that the protection of the public, self-regulation, and member services we offer are a great bargain, but each member has to draw their own conclusion. If you don't like what WSBA does, say so. Call your Governor. Write the executive director. Write a letter to the Bar News or De Novo editor. Tell us exactly what you do want or need. Take advantage of what you're offered whether it's counseling, help managing your practice, ethics advice, legislative change, court improvement, or more information. Each year, 1000 new members are called to the Bar. WSBA welcomes each and aims to have a long-term mutually supportive and responsive relationship with every lawyer in the state.

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