Washington State Bar Association Board of Governors to Meet in Seattle February 27-28

Seattle Washington, February 25, 2004 — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) today announced that its Board of Governors (BOG) would be meeting February 27-28 at the WSBA Conference Center, 2101 Fourth Avenue, Suite 400, in Seattle. The meeting, which is open to the press and public, will run from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

On Friday, Seattle attorney Ellen Dial, chair of the Ethics 2003 Committee (a special committee formed to evaluate Washington's Rules of Professional Conduct, the mandatory standards of ethical conduct for lawyers admitted to practice in Washington), will present a preliminary report, addressing multijurisdictional practice, trust accounts, and confidentiality.

WSBA Treasurer Bryce Dille will present the quarterly financial report and review financial matters. WSBA President David Savage will present recommendations of the Bar News Evaluation Committee. (Bar News is the official publication of the WSBA, and the Bar News Evaluation Committee recently completed a comprehensive survey of Bar News readers for the purpose of evaluating Bar News's content, and the manner and frequency of its publication.) Brian Tsuchida, of the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Board, will present proposed amendments to the MCLE regulations, including granting exemptions, waivers, or modifications, to active WSBA members who are on active duty in the military.

Friday's agenda wraps up with "Celebrating Diversity," a listening session with minority bar associations and members, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., followed by a reception from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. hosted by the WSBA Committee for Diversity.

Saturday morning, WSBA Chief Hearing Officer Jim Danielson and Director of Lawyer Discipline Joy McLean will present an overview of the WSBA's lawyer-discipline system. Next, Michele Radosevich, WSBA Legislative Committee chair, and Gail Stone, WSBA legislative liaison, will present the 2004 Legislative Session Report, which includes a discussion of WSBA-sponsored bills, WSBA-supported bills, and other bills; and the American Bar Association National Legislative Agenda.

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 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, 24 sections, and a Young Lawyers Division.

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