Perkins Coie LLP Receives Washington State Bar Association Excellence in Diversity Award

Seattle Washington, September 16, 2003—The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) presented its Excellence in Diversity Award to Perkins Coie LLP (www.perkinscoie.com) at its Annual Awards Dinner, which was held September 11 in conjunction with its Annual Business Meeting at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle. The Excellence in Diversity Award is given for a significant contribution to affirmative action in the employment of ethnic minorities, women, and disabled persons in the legal profession within the state of Washington.

Based in Seattle, Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm comprising nearly 600 attorneys in 14 offices across the United States and China. According to Perkins attorney Steve Koh, who accepted the award on behalf of the firm, Perkins Coie “has demonstrated a longstanding commitment and leadership in diversifying the legal profession in Washington state, and deeply values diversity as integral to the firm’s culture and practice of law.” Mr. Koh wrote, “Our commitment to the growth and development of a legal profession that reflects the richness of our community at large has been demonstrated in many ways.”

One of the ways Perkins Coie has demonstrated its commitment to diversity is with the Perkins Coie 1L Diversity Student Fellowship, established in 1991, which seeks applications from diverse first-year law students from all over the country and awards three fellowships. The firm is also committed to recruiting diverse second- and third-year law students, including interviewing at the Northwest Minority Job Fair, the Southeastern Minority Job Fair, and Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. It provides a “diversity contact list” so that law students can contact minority lawyers at the firm for advice. Since 1988 the firm has had a Women and Minority Lawyers Committee that provides a forum for discussion and implementation of programs and policies affecting women and minorities.

“Our firm recognizes that society, the marketplace, and the economy are changing and diversifying,” said Rita Alli, Perkins Coie’s training and development manager. “We are working hard to make our diversity efforts successful now and in the future. Our experience to date is that a successful diversity program results in an enriched workplace environment in which we all learn and share.”

About the Washington State Bar Association
The Washington State Bar Association is a private, nonprofit organization authorized by the Washington Supreme Court to license the state’s 27,600 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.

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 2002-2003 president is J. Richard Manning of Seattle, and 2003-2004 David Savage of Pullman. The board meets every six weeks at various locations around the state, and its meetings are open to the public. Much of the work of the WSBA is carried out through its 23 standing committees, 24 sections, and a Young Lawyers Division.

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