FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     
March 8, 2005

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

WSBA Board of Governors to Meet in Seattle, March 11

Seattle, Washington, March 8, 2005 —  The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Board of Governors will hold its next meeting on March 11 at the WSBA office in Seattle. The public meeting, open to the press and the public, will be held from 11:00 to noon, and 1:30 to 5:00 p.m.

The Practice of Law Board, which was established by the Washington State Supreme Court in 2002, and addresses issues relating to the unauthorized practice of law and protection of the public, and meaningful access to the justice system for persons of low and moderate means, will present a proposed court rule. The proposed rule would establish certified legal technicians, who would be licensed to assist, in specific and limited ways, individuals appearing in court without an attorney. Presenting for the Practice of Law Board will be Cashmere attorney Stephen Crossland, chair of the Practice of Law Board, and Retired Spokane Superior Court Judge Paul Bastine, the Board's vice chair.

WSBA Chief Disciplinary Counsel Joy McLean and Director of Lawyer Services Barbara Harper will lead a discussion about disciplinary diversion for lawyers guilty of less serious misconduct who can be placed on a private rehabilitation track. (This rehabilitation system is in addition to the traditional system of sanctioning lawyers who engage in more serious misconduct.) This collaborative approach crafts individualized programs designed to provide rehabilitation, and may include a variety of Bar-sponsored programs, including law office management assistance, arbitration, mediation, psychological and behavioral counseling, monitoring, restitution, and continuing legal education, among others.

Director of Legislative Affairs Gail Stone will give the Board of Governors a legislative update, reporting on the many bills and initiatives of interest to the WSBA and its members. (Click here for updated legislative status reports.)

Friday evening, the Board will host a reception for Board of Governors alumni. A highlight of the reception will be the presentation of the Local Hero Award to Seattle attorneys David F. Stobaugh and Stephen K. Strong, and their firm, Bendich, Stobaugh and Strong, P.C., for their pro bono work on helping to secure the passage of legislation that allows individuals successful in employment discrimination and other workplace-related cases to take a full deduction on their federal income tax returns for the attorneys' fees and incurred costs. WSBA President Ronald R. Ward will present these awards, which are given in recognition of outstanding community service.

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 2004-2005 president is Ronald R. Ward, of Seattle. 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.