Seattle Lawyer Jeffrey L. Fisher to Receive Washington Young Lawyers Division Professionalism Award

Seattle, Washington, October 26, 2004 — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) announces that Seattle lawyer Jeffrey L. Fisher will receive the Washington Young Lawyers Division (WYLD) 2004 Professionalism Award. The Professionalism Award honors a young lawyer who exemplifies the spirit of professionalism in the practice of law. "Professionalism" is defined as the pursuit of a learned profession in the spirit of service to the public and in the sharing of values with other members of the profession, especially the community of young lawyers. WYLD President-elect Noah Davis will present the award November 11 at a reception in Mr. Fisher's honor at the Seattle office of Davis Wright Tremaine, where Mr. Fisher is an associate.

Mr. Fisher earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan School of Law, where he served as Michigan Law Review notes editor and was awarded the Order of the Coif. He received considerable acclaim earlier this year for achieving back-to-back U.S. Supreme Court victories after practicing law for only four years. The first was Crawford v. Washington, in which the Court unanimously agreed with Mr. Fisher and established a new test under the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment (which provides that the accused "shall have the right . . . to be confronted with the witnesses against him") for admitting out-of-court statements against an accused; that victory was followed by Blakely v. Washington, a highly controversial 5 4 vote by the Court that invalidated Washington's sentencing guidelines and held that a jury, not a judge, must decide any facts that serve as the basis for enhanced criminal sentences. "Those two cases are seen as groundbreaking," wrote Kevin Drew of CNN, "akin to an earthquake rocking America's criminal justice foundations." Maureen O'Hagan of The Seattle Times called the odds of a lawyer in practice for only four years winning two Supreme Court cases "unheard of." She added, "And these weren't just any old cases. Fisher's two wins could fundamentally change the way justice is doled out nationwide."

But his Supreme Court victories tell only part of the story. Davis Wright Partner-in-Charge Susan Duffy and Partner Steven Rummage nominated Mr. Fisher for the award not only because of his "success in advocating important Constitutional principles before the U.S. Supreme Court," but also for his "service to the community, and his contributions to legal education. Jeff represents the best in the legal profession."

Mr. Fisher has worked as a volunteer for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and, because he believed in the importance of the legal principle involved, handled the Crawford case pro bono. In 2002, he successfully argued a pro bono case before the Washington State Supreme Court, and he also has handled numerous other pro bono matters.

A member of the Legal Committee of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, Mr. Fisher has been a visiting lecturer at the University of Washington School of Law, teaching a course on the Supreme Court. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals, and previously served as a law clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court and to Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. He has published articles in several law review magazines, including the Michigan Law Review and the ABA Communications Law Journal.

About the WYLD

The Washington Young Lawyers Division of the WSBA provides programs and services of special interest to young lawyers, the public, and 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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