Seattle Lawyer Noah C. Davis Elected President-elect of the Washington State Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division

Seattle Washington, July 26, 2004 — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Young Lawyers Division (WYLD) announces that its Board of Trustees has elected Seattle lawyer Noah Davis to serve as its 2004-2005 president-elect. His term as president-elect will begin October 1, 2004, and end September 30, 2005; his term as president will begin October 1, 2005, and end September 30, 2006.

Davis received his J.D. in 1998 from the University of Arkansas School of Law, and two years later received a master's degree in International Commercial Law from the University of Melbourne, Australia. He lived in Australia from 1999 to 2001, during which time his travels took him to Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Upon his return to Seattle in April 2001, he sought to develop an international commercial law practice with an emphasis on Southeast Asia, and continues to pursue international commerce, though his current practice is of a more general focus, emphasizing corporate advisory, insurance, real estate, litigation, and family law.

A WSBA member since 2001, Davis has served as an arbitrator under the WSBA's Alternative Dispute Resolution program, and has served on the Judicial Recommendations Committee and Law Office Management and Assistance Program (LOMAP). He also served as a member of the Pro Bono Panel of the Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington. Outside the Bar, Davis donates time to two local nonprofit organizations, Aid Cambodia (www.aidcambodia.org) (see photo above) and the Austin Foundation (www.youthandfitness.org).

For the last three years, Davis has been championing the benefits of active WYLD participation to young lawyers statewide. In 2001 he served on the WYLD Continuing Legal Education Committee and in 2002 on the coordinating committee for the 2002 Bridging the Gap Conference. In 2003, former WYLD President Lance Hester appointed Davis chair of the newly created WYLD Membership Committee, charging him with the task of "increasing young lawyer participation and spreading enthusiasm among the corps." Under Davis's leadership, the committee has grown exponentially from zero to a present roster of more than 60, and has been active in creating new WYLD opportunities and events, including the first "Young Lawyer Express," a "Ski-and CLE Weekend" in Bellingham in February 2004 that drew approximately 60 young lawyers from surrounding counties.

As WYLD president-elect and president, Davis envisions leading the WYLD to develop new opportunities for young lawyers throughout the state; continue to organize free legal clinics to impoverished persons and actively encourage local young lawyer participation in these clinics; continue to identify the major issues facing young lawyers and actively work — in conjunction with WSBA committees, sections, and the Board of Governors — to resolve these issues; find committed committee chairs to implement the policies of the Board and effectively serve the young-lawyer constituency; identify community service opportunities for young lawyers; and present a unified voice to the Board of Governors that will actively and accurately represent the interests of Washington's young lawyers.

About the Washington Young Lawyers Division
The WYLD 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 bimonthly publication serving young lawyers; sponsors programs that benefit high school students, including the YMCA Mock Trial Competition; and sponsors seminars addressing questions facing young lawyers. 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. 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 7th congressional district; one from each of the other eight districts; and three at-large members, one of whom represents the WYLD. 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, 23 sections, and a Young Lawyers Division.

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