FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2008

Contact: Stephanie Perry
Communications Specialist/Website Editor
206-733-5932; stephaniep@wsba.org

Lawrence Haskell Receives Washington State Bar Association Local Hero Award

(SEATTLE) — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) announces that it has presented Spokane attorney Lawrence Haskell with its Local Hero Award. The Local Hero Award is presented to lawyers who have made noteworthy contributions to their communities. The WSBA Board of Governors met at the Davenport Hotel in Spokane on April 25; the award was presented by WSBA President Stanley Bastian at a reception that night at the Gonzaga Law School attended by members of the WSBA Board of Governors and the Spokane County Bar Association.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Lawrence Haskell is currently assigned to the Gang Unit of the Spokane County Prosecutor's Office, where he is one of four gang prosecutors. Haskell prosecutes a broad range of crimes committed by and against gang members and their associates, including murders, assaults, burglaries, and witness intimidation. In addition, he prosecutes many of the unlawful possession of firearm cases that are submitted by federal, state, county, and city agencies.

Haskell received a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington, and his law degree from Seattle University School of Law. He has taught as an adjunct professor at City University in business law and professional writing. Prior to joining the Spokane County Prosecutor's Office in 1998, Haskell was formerly a B-1B pilot and instructor pilot with the USAF, and flew B-52 bombers. After 9-11, Haskell took a three-year military leave of absence, returned to active duty, and served in the Persian Gulf in direct support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. He returned to the Prosecutor's Office in 2005 following his retirement in the grade of Lieutenant Colonel.

In addition to his work as a prosecutor, Haskell also serves on the City Council of Airway Heights. He was recently elected a member of the board of directors of the Cheney School District. Haskell volunteers annually for the Airway Heights Festival, and also volunteers with the Meals on Wheels program at St. John's Episcopal Church on South Hill. Haskell and his wife, Lesley, have two children — Tyler, age 13, and Ryan, age 11. Haskell also has three adult children from a previous marriage — Elizabeth, Michael, and Christopher.

"To say that [Haskell] is respected in his work is an understatement," wrote S. Edward Carroll, president of the Spokane County Bar Association. "He is known in the Prosecutor's Office for his sense of responsibility and commitment to getting the job done. He is known… for his unshakable integrity in every aspect of the job."

About the Washington State Bar Association
The WSBA is part of the judicial branch, exercising a governmental function authorized by the Washington State Supreme Court to license the state's 32,600 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, the WSBA 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 2007-2008 president is Stanley A. Bastian, of Wenatchee. The 2007-2008 president-elect is Mark A. Johnson, of Seattle, and the immediate past-president is Ellen Conedera Dial, 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; 26 sections; and a Young Lawyers Division, with its many committees.

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