Louis Rukavina III Receives Washington State Bar Association Award of Merit

Seattle, Washington, September 15, 2000 — Spokane lawyer Louis Rukavina III was presented with the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Award of Merit at a luncheon held in Spokane today. The Award of Merit is the WSBA's highest honor. Mr. Rukavina received the award in recognition of his commitment to altruistic service and his selfless contributions of time, energy and personal resources to the students of Spokane.

In his nomination letter, WSBA Governor John T. Powers wrote, "Louis Rukavina III is a man of vision and action. He does not simply dream of a better world, he takes action to make a difference toward that goal." In 1992, Mr. Rukavina envisioned a scholarship program that would reward the academic excellence of high school seniors. That same year he founded the Spokane Scholars Foundation, and he continues to serve as the president of the Foundation's volunteer board of directors. The Foundation was the result of his disenchantment with the extravagant rewards heaped on athletic all-stars while academic all-stars were ignored. Mr. Rukavina enlisted the help of Dr. Eric Johnson, and together they raised $5,000 each from the Spokane County Bar Association and the Spokane County Medical Society. In the past eight years, the Foundation has raised and distributed over $200,000 in education grants. Most state colleges and universities have matched Foundation grants for the scholars attending their institutions. More than 175 companies and individuals now contribute time and money to the Foundation.

Spokane-area high schools are invited to nominate their top students in each of six disciplines. The top three students then receive grants of $1,000, $2,000 or $3,000 for their respective categories. Students receive the scholarships at an elegant banquet held in their honor. Nearly 700 people attended the banquet this year, and 18 students received more than $36,000 in scholarship grants.

Mr. Rukavina is a lawyer in private practice emphasizing personal injury litigation and admiralty law. He is also a certified arbitrator and mediator. A 1972 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Mr. Rukavina received his Juris Doctorate degree from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1979. He has been an active member of the Washington State Bar Association, Spokane County Bar Association, American Trial Lawyers Association and Washington State Trial Lawyers Association. He is a past-president of the Notre Dame Club of Spokane, and is currently the director of Six Bridges Arts Association.

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.