FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 31, 2002
CONTACT
Allison Parker
Communications Specialist
206-733-5932
allisonp@wsba.org
"Access to Peace Through Justice"
Washington State Bar Association and Access to Justice Board to Host Conference in Yakima
Seattle, Washington, May 31, 2002 — The seventh annual Washington State Access to Justice Conference, "Access to Peace Through Justice" will be held June 7-9, 2002 at the Yakima Convention Center. This conference is designed to bring together all components of the Washington State Access to Justice Network, including the private bar, judiciary, court clerks, courthouse facilitators, law schools, legal services and pro bono programs, paralegals, specialized legal services, legislators, community services, legal services funders, domestic violence advocates and the alternative dispute resolution community.
The WSBA’s annual Bar Leaders Conference will be held concurrently. Combined attendance at the two conferences is expected to be approximately 275. Members of the press are welcome to attend. Members of the public wishing to attend should contact Sharlene Steele at 206-727-8262.
Four awards will be presented at the Friday evening welcoming reception. The Judicial Leadership Award will be presented to Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerry L. Alexander in recognition of his unwavering support for funding of the civil equal justice community and his leadership in establishing the Task Force on Civil Equal Justice Funding. In recognition of its weekly program "Legally Speaking," KING Television will be honored with the 2002 Civil Equal Justice Community Partnership Award. Accepting the award will be anchor/reporter Allen Schauffler. The Equal Justice Coalition will recognize lobbyists Sandi Swarthout and Gail Stone for their outstanding efforts to restore funding for civil legal services in the state budget. Seattle lawyer Matthew Geyman will receive the WSBA Pro Bono Award in recognition of his volunteer work on behalf of migrant farm workers.
The plenary session on Saturday morning, "National Security/Civil Liberties/Diversity," features a panel discussion moderated by Denny Heck, president of TV Washington. Distinguished panelists include John McKay, United States Attorney, Western District of Washington; Anthony Griffin, American Civil Liberties Union of Texas; Tom Hillier, Federal Public Defender’s Office, Seattle; and Sal Mungia, American Civil Liberties Union of Washington.
The Access to Justice Board was established by the Washington State Supreme Court In 1994, at the request of the Washington State Bar Association Board of Governors. The ATJ Board was founded in response to a growing need to coordinate the access to justice efforts throughout the state and to ensure continuity and focus. Its mandate is to assure access to the civil justice system for low- and moderate-income Washington residents. The board consists of nine members nominated by the Washington State Bar Association Board of Governors and appointed by the Supreme Court. Seattle attorney Michele Jones is currently chair of the ATJ Board, chair-elect is Seattle attorney Scott Smith.
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. Current president of the WSBA is Dale L. Carlisle of Tacoma, and president-elect is J. Richard Manning of Seattle.
