Hon. Daniel J. Berschauer Receives WSBA Outstanding Judge Award

Seattle, Washington, September 13, 2001 — Thurston County Superior Court Judge Daniel J. Berschauer will receive the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Outstanding Judge Award today in Seattle. The award is presented annually for outstanding service to the bench and for special contribution to the legal profession.

Judge Berschauer has served on the Thurston County Superior Court bench since 1984, and is now the senior judge of the court. He previously served as a district court judge and is a past president of the Superior Court Judges' Association. In the last year, he chaired the Washington Jury Commission, a broad-based group that analyzed Washington's jury system. Under his direction, the commission presented a report to the Board for Judicial Administration (BJA). The report offered numerous suggestions for reforming the system to encourage jury service. The BJA approved most of the commission's recommendations, and is in the process of implementing them.

Judge Berschauer was nominated for the award by Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerry L. Alexander, who wrote: "Dan enjoys a stellar reputation in the legal community for efficiency, fairness and legal knowledge.… The Jury Commission, under Judge Dan Berschauer's leadership, made a significant contribution to the betterment of our system of justice."

The Washington State Bar Association is a private, nonprofit organization authorized by the Washington Supreme Court to license the state's 26,500 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.