FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    
June 1, 2005

Contact: Alfredo Tryferis
Communications Specialist
206-733-5932
alfredot@wsba.org

Washington State Bar Association and Access to Justice Board to Host Tenth-Annual Access to Justice Conference and Annual WSBA Bar Leaders Conference June 3-5 in Bellevue

Seattle, Washington, June 1, 2005 — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) announced today that the Washington State Access to Justice (ATJ) Board will host its tenth-annual ATJ Conference in conjunction with the WSBA Bar Leaders Conference June 3-5 at the Doubletree Hotel in Bellevue.

The conference will bring together an array of leaders and representatives from the ATJ network, including the private bar, the judiciary, court clerks and facilitators, law librarians, law schools, legal services programs, paralegals, pro bono programs, specialized legal services, community services, and the alternative dispute resolution community. Members of the press are welcome to attend. Members of the public wishing to attend should contact Sharlene Steele at 206-727-8262.

ATJ Conference workshops focus on a common goal of ensuring and improving equal access to the civil justice system for low-income people. Topics to be discussed include diversity, technology, immigration, and community legal resources.

The conference will also feature several especially notable sessions, such as "Washington State Attorney General's Vision for Consumer Protection," presented by Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna and featuring Steve Larsen from the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General's Office; "Americans with Disabilities Act in the Courthouse: Responsibilities and Opportunities"; and "Other Cultures, Other Tongues: Overcoming Barriers for Immigrants and Refugees."

The WSBA Bar Leaders Conference includes a roundtable discussion with the Washington State Supreme Court justices and the WSBA Board of Governors, who will discuss "Justice in Jeopardy" (the crisis in trial-court funding) and the selection and evaluation of judges. Also on the agenda will be a panel discussion about diversity on the bench.

The conference will get underway on Friday with a keynote address by renowned author Sherman Alexie, followed by a musical comedy presentation entitled "ATJ 2095: A Look Back" by the Moderately Talented (Yet Plucky) Repertory Theatre of Justice.

Saturday's highlights include an awards luncheon recognizing professionals who have gone to great lengths to improve the legal system for low-income people: The Civil Equal Justice Community Partnership Award will be presented to the Seattle Times for a special report written by reporters Ken Armstrong, Florangela Davila and Justin Mayo; the Judicial Leadership Award will be given to retired Washington State Supreme Court Justice Faith Ireland; the Access to Justice Leadership Award will be presented to Legal Foundation of Washington Executive Director Barbara Clark; and the WSBA's Pro Bono Award will go to Kitsap Legal Services Vice President Paula Crane. Following the luncheon will be a discussion of The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear, an anthology of inspirational poems, memoirs, and essays edited by Paul Loeb, who will deliver the keynote address at the awards luncheon.

Also on Saturday's agenda is an important plenary session presented by the State of Washington Practice of Law Board entitled "Authorizing Legal Technicians: Protecting the Public and Filling a Need," which will discuss a proposed court rule authorizing nonattorneys to practice law.

Sunday features "Marriage and Equality in Washington," a discussion of sexual orientation law and its impact on family law, same-sex marriage, and professional responsibility and ethics.

About the ATJ Board
The ATJ Board was established by the Washington State Supreme Court in 1994 at the request of the WSBA Board of Governors, in response to a growing need to coordinate the access-to-justice efforts throughout the state and ensure continuity and focus. Its mandate is to ensure access to the civil justice system for low- and moderate-income Washington residents. The board consists of nine members nominated by the WSBA Board of Governors and appointed by the Supreme Court. Everett attorney Christine Crowell is the current chair. To learn more about the ATJ Board, visit www.wsba.org/atj.

About the WSBA
The WSBA is a private, nonprofit organization authorized by the Washington Supreme Court to license the state's 28,800 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 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 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, 24 sections, and a Young Lawyers Division.