|
|
|
 |  |
 |
 |
WSBA Info | |
|
For Lawyers | |
|
For the Public |  |
 |
For the Media |  |
|
CLE |  |
| | Bench Bar Guidelines | News Releases | Publications | |
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Alfredo Tryferis Olympia Attorney John Michael Gray to Receive Washington State Bar Association's Local Hero Award
Seattle Washington, January 20, 2005 — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) today announced that Olympia attorney John Gray has been chosen to receive the WSBA's Local Hero Award. The Local Hero Award is presented to lawyers who have made noteworthy contributions to their communities. WSBA President Ronald R. Ward will present the award to Mr. Gray at a reception Friday, January 21, at the Phoenix Inn Suites in Olympia. Mr. Gray, a WSBA member since 1977, is a former assistant attorney general and assistant city attorney. Currently he is serving as an administrative law judge with the Washington State Department of Revenue. He also serves on the WSBA Administrative Law Section Board of Trustees, where he has been instrumental in revamping and improving the section's offering of affordable and quality continuing legal education (CLE) seminars. In addition, he has served several terms on the WSBA CLE Committee. Mr. Gray has devoted nearly 25 years to the delivery of legal services to those of limited means. For many years he has served on the Executive Board of the Government Lawyers Bar Association (GLBA), including terms as secretary, president, Board of Governors liaison, chair of the Nominating and Long-term Planning Committees, and co-chair of the GLBA CLE Committee, producing 15 successful low-cost, high-quality programs for local attorneys. He is the GLBA Board's representative on the Thurston County Volunteer Legal Services Foundation (TCVLSF) Board — which coordinates the volunteer advice clinic and direct representation of low-income clients in Thurston County — serving as board member, secretary, and member of the Budget and Finance Committee, which recently helped the TCVLSF Board successfully pass an audit by the Legal Foundation of Washington. In prior years and for previous versions of the TCVLSF Board, he served as a member of the Thurston-Mason Counties Pro Bono Program Committee and as a participating volunteer attorney from 1981-1996. He was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Puget Sound Legal Assistance Foundation from 1988-1995, serving as its president from 1994 to 1995. His commitment to pro bono legal services was also evident in his service as a member of the WSBA Pro Bono and Legal Aid Committee from 2000 to 2001. Through his many community activities, Mr. Gray has also demonstrated his remarkable commitment to serving others. He has been active in his local neighborhood association, serving as board member several times, including terms as president, vice president, and secretary. He actively participates in his church, and has served on the church council and as an elder of the congregation. He is a member of the American Constitutional Society and the World Affairs Council of Olympia. On the national level, Mr. Gray is the western regional representative to the National Association of Hearing Officials Board of Directors, a professional organization for administrative law judges. He chairs the Certification Committee, one of two programs in the country that determine whether hearing officials meet the professional standards for national certification as an administrative adjudicator. "In whatever capacity he serves," wrote Kristal Wiitala Knutson, GLBA Board of Governors liaison, who nominated Mr. Gray for the award, "John is a dependable, valuable, and integral member of the organization. He never participates as a figurehead or 'résumé builder,' but always contributes his quiet knowledge and work to the group and can always be counted on to attend meetings, participate, and fill his commitments to complete the many often thankless tasks for which he volunteers. John usually works quietly behind the scenes and does not toot his own horn. When he speaks, he has a valid and thoughtful point, and people listen." About the Washington State Bar Association 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. |
