William A. Jaquette III Receives WSBA Courageous Award

Seattle, Washington, September 12, 2002 — Everett lawyer William A. Jaquette III will receive the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Courageous Award today in Seattle. This award is presented annually to a lawyer who has displayed exceptional courage in the face of adversity, thus bringing credit to the legal profession.

As director of the Snohomish County Public Defender Association, Mr. Jaquette was appointed to represent a man charged with first-degree murder, for whom the death penalty was being sought. The client did not want to oppose the death penalty, and after lengthy discussions and a mental evaluation of the client, Mr. Jaquette determined that the client was fully informed and mentally competent. In his representation, Mr. Jaquette demonstrated a respect for his client’s right to self-determination in spite of his own opposition to the death penalty and the opposition of many of his peers. Although he could have associated another member of his office, Mr. Jaquette recognized that any lawyer working on the case would be subject to attack. He therefore shouldered the burden of the case, enduring vilification by the press, public and other lawyers.

Lawyers working on the case with Mr. Jaquette nominated him for the award. They wrote: “For a lawyer, the epitome of courage is to perform one’s professional duties even though they are personally distasteful and subject him to public attack.…Mr. Jaquette did precisely that.”

The Washington State Bar Association is a private, nonprofit organization authorized by the Washington State Supreme Court to license the state’s 26,600 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.