FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2004

CONTACT                                 
Judith Berrett
Director of Member and Community Relations       
206-727-8212
judithb@wsba.org 

WSBA Board of Governors to Meet in Seattle, April 2-3

Seattle Washington, April 1, 2004 — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Board of Governors will hold its next meeting April 2-3 at the Embassy Suites Hotel Sea-Tac. The meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, and 8:00 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 February board meeting, a preliminary report on the committee’s recommendations. They will address the following issues: conflicts of interest, duties to prospective clients, reporting professional misconduct, lawyers serving as third-party neutrals, sale of law practices, and fees. The committee will report to the board again in May, and will most likely request the board to take action at their June meeting.

At the noon hour, the board will continue its tradition of “listening lunches.” Joining the board for lunch will be representatives from a number of Washington’s specialty bar associations (including the Government Lawyers Bar Association, Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, Washington Defense Trial Lawyers, and Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys). The luncheon provides an opportunity for specialty bar association members to meet informally with members of the Board of Governors and discuss topics of mutual interest or concern, as well as their “likes and dislikes” about the Bar.

In the afternoon, Ada Shen-Jaffe, director of Columbia Legal Services, and Patrick McIntyre, executive director of Northwest Justice Project, will discuss the restructuring of their two programs and the attendant implications for delivery of legal services to low-income people in Washington. Also on Friday’s agenda, Treasurer Bryce Dille will present the WSBA’s quarterly fiscal report.

On Saturday, Gail Stone, WSBA director of legislative affairs, will give a legislative report, reviewing bills supported or sponsored by the WSBA, as well as other bills relating to the practice of law or the administration of justice. Lish Whitson, one of the WSBA’s delegates to the American Bar Association (ABA), will report to the board about the ABA’s 2004 midyear meeting. Also on Saturday, Governor Katie O’Sullivan will give a report on the work of the Electronic Legal Research Evaluation Team.

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 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 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.

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