FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
January 20, 2005      

Contact: Judith Berrett
Director of Member and Community Relations
206-727-8212
judithb@wsba.org

WSBA Board of Governors to Meet in Olympia, January 21-22

Seattle, Washington, January 20, 2005 —  The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Board of Governors will hold its next meeting on January 21-22 at the Phoenix Inn Suites in Olympia. Governor Joni Kerr, who represents members in the 3rd District, will welcome the Board to Olympia. The public meeting, open to the press and the public, will be held from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Friday morning, the Board will meet privately with the Supreme Court. Agenda items for discussion with the Court include equal justice funding, indigent criminal defense, regulation of the practice of law, and the professional development of new lawyers.

On Friday, Director of Legislative Affairs Gail Stone will present a report on the opening of the 2005 Legislative Session, and the many bills and initiatives of interest to the WSBA and it members.

At a reception with the Government Lawyers Bar Association on Friday evening, WSBA President Ronald R. Ward will present Olympia attorney John Gray with the "local hero" award. This award is presented to a lawyer who has made noteworthy contributions to the community.

Saturday morning, Ron Ward, in his capacity as chair of the Court Funding Task Force's Courts of Limited Jurisdiction Work Group, will present recommendations for short-term strategies in support of a more comprehensive court structure. Last December, these recommendations were adopted by the Board for Judicial Administration, and the Board of Governors will vote on whether to endorse the
recommendations.

Former WSBA Governor Ken Davidson, who has served as the Board of Governors' liaison to the King County Bar Association Drug Policy Project for the past four years, will update the Board on the activities of this coalition which deals with policy, programs, and laws affecting use of drugs in Washington. Rounding out Saturday's agenda will be a report from WSBA Treasurer Joni Kerr.

About the Washington State Bar Association
The Washington State Bar Association is a private, nonprofit organization authorized by the Washington Supreme Court to license the state's 28,900 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 2003-2004 president is David W. Savage of Pullman. 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; 23 sections; and a Young Lawyers Division, with its many committees.