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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT
WSBA Board of Governors to Meet in Ocean Shores, May 14-15Seattle Washington, May 12, 2004 — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Board of Governors will hold its next meeting May 14-15 at the Quinault Beach Resort in Ocean Shores. The meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday. It is open to the press and public. 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 practicing in the state), and Douglas Ende, committee reporter, will continue, from the April and May board meetings, a report on the committee's recommendations. The board expects to take action of Titles 1 and 2 at this meeting, with action on other titles at the June and July meetings. (The committee's report and recommendations can be found on the WSBA website at www.wsba.org/lawyers/groups/ethics2003/report.htm.) At the noon hour, the board will continue its tradition of "listening lunches"; this session will have a tribal focus. There will be a panel discussion facilitated by Governor Fawn Sharp, lead counsel for the Quinault Indian Nation. Additionally, the May'ee Canoe Club will give a performance of Native American dancing and music. Friday afternoon, Treasurer Bryce Dille (who serves as the governor representing the Ninth Congressional District) will give a financial report. American Bar Association (ABA) Delegate (and President of the Washington Young Lawyers Division) J.D. Smith will provide a preview of the ABA's annual meeting agenda; the meeting will be held in August in Atlanta. On Saturday, Justice Robert Utter (Ret.) and Seattle attorney Marc Bowman, co-chairs of the WSBA Blue Ribbon Panel on Criminal Defense, will present the panel's report. Formed in May 2003, the panel was appointed by the WSBA Board of Governors as a first step to address concerns about the quality of indigent-defense services in Washington. The panel's 17 appointees include Washington Supreme Court, superior, district, and municipal court judges; private attorneys; public defenders; a county prosecutor; a law professor; and members of the Board of Governors. Indigent criminal defense has been a subject of great public interest in recent months. The panel's report includes recommendations to the WSBA, the Court Funding Task Force, and the Legislature. Also on Saturday, Seattle attorney Steven Rovig will present the Initiative for Diversity, and the board will be asked to endorse the initiative. The initiative is designed to identify and implement strategies that will result in significant and measurable progress towards a greater diversity in the legal profession. About the Washington State Bar Association 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 2003-2004 president is David W. Savage of Pullman. The board meets regularly (every six weeks) at various locations around the state, and its meetings are open to the public. Much of the work of the Bar is carried out through 23 standing committees; 23 sections; and a Young Lawyers Division, with its many committees. ### |