Thomas P. Quinlan Becomes President of Washington Young Lawyers Division

Seattle, Washington, September 29, 2000 — Pierce County lawyer Thomas P. Quinlan will assume the presidency of the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Young Lawyers Division (YLD) on October 1. He has served as president-elect for the past year. Mr. Quinlan is the managing shareholder of Miller & Dart PS and a Judge Advocate General in the U.S. Army Reserve. His civilian practice is primarily in civil litigation where he represents individuals in construction disputes, bankruptcy adversarial trials and personal injury matters. He also serves as a judge pro tem for the City of Fife and the Town of Fircrest. A native of Tacoma, Mr. Quinlan is a graduate of Bellarmine Preparatory School, the University of Puget Sound, and Seattle University School of Law.

In the coming year, Mr. Quinlan plans to work with the WSBA Board of Governors to promote and implement YLD programs more efficiently and cost-effectively. Additionally, he would like to broaden the scope of the Division's community outreach programs, and offer more educational opportunities to young lawyers.

Each WSBA member is automatically a member of the YLD for the first five years of practice or until the end of the year in which the member turns 36, whichever is later. There are approximately 6,800 young lawyers in the WSBA. The YLD exists to help young lawyers with their professional and personal development. Using an active committee structure and Board of Trustees, the YLD coordinates continuing legal education programs, monitors and analyzes legislative issues of interest to young lawyers, and publishes a bimonthly newsletter.

The YLD also sponsors community outreach programs such as Law Talk, a video series on legal issues, and the Disaster Legal Assistance program for FEMA recipients. A number of YLD programs focus on young people. The Aspiring Youth Program targets at-risk middle school students during "latch key" hours. A committee of Spokane young lawyers created the pilot program that combined education, sports and inspirational speakers. In 1999, the program was implemented at Meany Middle School in Seattle.

The Mentorship/Scholarship Program is aimed at public high schools with the purpose of identifying at-risk youth and pairing them with young lawyer mentors during the summer. Students are exposed to the practice of law, judges and courthouses. At the end of each intensive five-week program, students write final papers, and outstanding students are awarded college scholarships. Developed in Pierce County and expanded to Seattle, this program has helped dozens of students see their true potential.

Each year, the YLD president and president-elect serve on the board of the YMCA Mock Trial Competition. They actively recruit young lawyers from around the state to serve as team coaches and audience raters for the various regional competitions. The competition culminates at the state finals in Olympia. The YLD president-elect serves as a juror for the final round.

The Washington State Bar Association is a private, non-profit organization authorized by the Washington State Supreme Court to license the state's 26,000 lawyers. The WSBA both regulates lawyers under the authority of the Court and serves its members as a professional association — all without public funding. As a regulatory agency, it administers the bar exam, provides record-keeping and licensing functions, and administers the lawyer discipline program. As a professional association, the WSBA provides continuing legal education for attorneys, in addition to numerous other educational and member-service activities.