“Vote for Justice”

Yakima Prosecutor and Self-Help Website Receive Public Legal Education Awards

Seattle Washington, June 9, 2004 — Two Washington state organizations that provide very different kinds of legal education to the public will be honored this Saturday in Yakima at the ninth-annual statewide Access to Justice Conference.

The Flame of Democracy Award, given annually by the Council on Public Legal Education (CPLE), will be presented to the Northwest Justice Project and the Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney's Office by Judith Billings, former state superintendent of public instruction and co-chair of the CPLE. The award was created in 2002 to recognize individuals, organizations, and programs that significantly increase the public's understanding of law, the justice system, and government.

The Northwest Justice Project is being honored for providing practical self-help legal information to the state's low-income community through its website at www.nwjustice.org. The website offers information about a variety of critical civil law issues such as employment, landlord/tenant, and domestic violence. Users of the site, which hosted over half a million visits during 2003, can also find out if they are eligible for free legal assistance. The award will be accepted by the website's manager, Danielle Rebar.

The CPLE will also recognize the Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney's Office for its “Adopt a Classroom” program, which brings prosecutors and investigators into Yakima County schools to educate youth about the criminal justice system, harassment, violence, truancy, criminal law, domestic violence, and many other topics. More than 25 classroom presentations were made in September and October 2003 alone. The award will be accepted by Yakima prosecuting attorney Ronald S. Zirkle.

About the CPLE
The Council on Public Legal Education, created in 2000 and housed at the WSBA, aims to ensure that the people of Washington have the knowledge they need to participate effectively in the justice system and government. Its 30-plus members include lawyers, judges, educators, elected officials, journalists, and community representatives. For more information about the CPLE, visit www.plecouncil.org.

About the WSBA
The Washington State Bar Association is a private, nonprofit organization authorized by the Washington State Supreme Court to license the state’s 28,200 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 president is David W. 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, 23 sections, and a Young Lawyers Division.

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