Seattle Attorney Beth A. Colgan to Receive Washington Young Lawyers Division Thomas Neville Pro Bono Award

Seattle, Washington, October 27, 2004 — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) announces that Seattle Attorney Beth A. Colgan will receive the Washington Young Lawyers Division (WYLD) 2004 Thomas Neville Pro Bono Award. The Thomas Neville Pro Bono Award is named to honor the memory of Thomas Neville, a Western Washington attorney murdered in his office by the estranged husband of a pro bono family law client. The award recognizes young lawyers in this state who have shown outstanding commitment to the provision of pro bono services to those in need. WYLD President-elect Noah Davis will present the award October 29 at a reception held in Ms. Colgan's honor at the Seattle office of Perkins Coie, where Ms. Colgan is an associate.

Ms. Colgan, who focuses her practice on general commercial litigation; intellectual property litigation; estate and trust litigation; and environmental, natural resources, and land use law and litigation, received her J.D., cum laude, in 2000 from Northwestern University Law School, where she was 1999-2000 note and comment editor for Northwestern Law Review.

Perkins Coie Managing Partner Robert Giles, who nominated Ms. Colgan for the award, said, "Her commitment to the community and her chosen causes is without equal," and noted that she has averaged more than 300 pro bono hours per year since 2000. "Without hesitation she has taken on unpopular clients and causes," he added, "championing juvenile offenders sentenced for violent crime."

One of the letters written in support of Ms. Colgan's nomination for the award was from Barry Massey, a 30-year-old client of Ms. Colgan's who at the age of 13 was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Ms. Colgan devoted almost 700 pro bono hours on post-conviction habeas relief for Mr. Massey. "She's really been there for me," wrote Mr. Massey, "especially at those times when I wanted to give up. Beth's belief and devotion in my case has fanned the flames of my hope so many times over these last four years. It's one thing giving a man hope at life who has experienced life, but it's another thing giving hope at life to a man who spent the majority of his life in prison without hope of experiencing what life is truly like. Beth is an amazing person and attorney. Words today nor tomorrow could ever be captured to give you a true picture of the kind of person you rub shoulders with periodically and daily. With an award or without, she'll always be my award winner."

In addition to her billable practice and her pro bono practice, Ms. Colgan does volunteer fundraising for Vision House, a nonprofit organization serving homeless women and children, and contributes to the legal profession by publishing articles on public-interest issues. Fellow Perkins Coie attorney Nicholas Gellert, 2003 recipient of the WSBA Award of Merit, who also nominated Ms. Colgan for the award, wrote, "In addition to carrying a full billable caseload and demonstrating excellence as a commercial litigator, Beth has made substantial contributions to the legal profession and to the community."

About the WYLD

The Washington Young Lawyers Division of the WSBA provides programs and services of special interest to young lawyers, to the public, and to those denied access to the justice system. In particular, the WYLD sponsors continuing legal education seminars of interest to young lawyers; publishes De Novo, a quarterly publication serving young lawyers; sponsors programs benefiting high school students, including the YMCA Mock Trial Competition; and sponsors seminars addressing questions facing young lawyers balancing their professional and personal lives. Any active member of the WSBA is a member of the WYLD until December 31 of the year in which the member attains the age of 36 or until the December 31 of the fifth year in which the member has been admitted to practice in any state, whichever is later.

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 28,400 lawyers. It 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, and 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 Ronald R. Ward of Seattle. 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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