FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE       
September 11, 2006      
        
Contact Judith Berrett
Director of Member and Community Relations
206-727-8212; judithb@wsba.org

Joy B. McLean, Former WSBA Director of Office of Disciplinary Counsel,
Honored with Posthumous 2006 WSBA Professionalism Award

Seattle, Washington, September 11, 2006 — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) announces that the late Joy B. McLean — former WSBA director of the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC), which sanctions lawyers found guilty of misconduct — will be honored with the WSBA Professionalism Award for her professionalism in the practice of law, her pursuit of a learned profession in the spirit of service to the public, and her sharing of values with other members of the profession. McLean was killed in an automobile accident near Missoula, Montana, on March 4. 2005-2006 WSBA President S. Brooke Taylor will present the award to members of McLean’s family at the WSBA Annual Awards Dinner, to be held September 14, 2006, at the Madison Renaissance Hotel in Seattle. 

McLean began her WSBA career in 1995 as disciplinary counsel in the ODC, and in 1998 was promoted to senior disciplinary counsel. She was appointed associate director for the ODC in 1999, and in 2002 was named director.

Among her many accomplishments at the Bar, McLean advocated the use of alternative dispute resolution and was the WSBA’s main proponent of “diversion,” in which a lawyer can be diverted from discipline for less serious misconduct. She gave a highly regarded presentation on diversion at the National Organization of Bar Counsel Conference in February 2006, which made her a nationally recognized authority on the issue.

McLean was also a frequent contributor of highly informative articles to Washington State Bar News, the WSBA’s monthly magazine, many of which have become required reading, and was a much sought-after speaker known for her breadth of knowledge and engaging speaking style.

“Joy epitomized the work the Bar is doing to elevate the practice of law,” said Jan Michels, executive director of the Washington State Bar Association. “She was an individual of great integrity, dedicated to the legal profession, and firmly committed to protecting the public and serving the citizens of Washington.”

Born in Grangeville, Idaho, McLean graduated from Boise State University in 1979 and received her law degree from Gonzaga University in 1983. From 1984 to 1985, she was a trial attorney with the law office of Van Bishop in Nampa, Idaho, and from 1985 to 1986, was a law clerk for the Idaho Third District Court in Caldwell. In 1986, she was elected prosecuting attorney for Idaho County in Grangeville and served a three-year term. From 1989 to 1991, she was a managing attorney for Hyatt Legal Services in Federal Way, and from 1991 to 1995 was an associate attorney for Cayce and Associates in Renton. 

The WSBA remembers Joy for her dedication to the legal profession, keen intellect, integrity, hard work, wit, and good humor. She is greatly missed by WSBA staff, the Board of Governors, and the many volunteer bar leaders who worked with her. 

About the WSBA
 
The WSBA is part of the judicial branch, exercising a governmental function authorized by the Washington State Supreme Court to license the state’s 29,800 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 admission process, including the bar exam; provides record-keeping and licensing functions; and administers the lawyer-discipline system. 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 2006-2007 president is Ellen Conedera Dial, of Seattle, and the 2006-2007 president-elect is Stanley A. Bastian, of Wenatchee.
 
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; 26 sections; and a Young Lawyers Division, with its many committees.

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