Snohomish County Lawyer Paul R. Lehto Elected to WSBA Board of Governors

Seattle, Washington, October 25, 2001 — Snohomish County lawyer Paul R. Lehto has been elected to the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Board of Governors. He is the first person elected to the recently created at-large position, representing the Washington Young Lawyers Division (WYLD). He was nominated by the WYLD Board of Trustees, and his term expires in September 2003.

Mr. Lehto is an active member of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, and served as chair of the Snohomish County chapter. He is a mentor to younger lawyers, and is working with the Snohomish County Bar Association to establish a program for young lawyers to work with at-risk middle-school students who are interested in exploring the profession of law. Mr. Lehto's Everett-based practice emphasizes business law, civil litigation and consumer law.

Mr. Lehto recently opened CopyCare, a copying service that donates all profits to charity. He is also developing a model for a nonprofit law firm designed to better meet the social obligations of the community in which it is based. Mr. Lehto was instrumental in planning a retreat last summer for lawyers and scholars interested in better approaches to conflict resolution and the study of the role of law in a democratic society.

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.

The governance of the WSBA is vested in its 14-person Board of Governors. There are three governors from the seventh congressional district; one from each of the other eight districts; and three at-large members, one of whom represents the Young Lawyers Division. The board meets regularly (every six weeks) at various locations around the state, and its meetings are open to the public. Much of the work of the Bar is carried out through its 28 standing committees; 23 sections; and a Young Lawyers Division, with its many committees.