FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2005
Contact: Judith Berrett
Director of Member and Community Relations
206-727-8212
judithb@wsba.org
Washington State Bar Association Public Information and Media Relations Committee to Host Public Forum Discussing How Judges Decide Controversial Issues
Seattle, April 21, 2005 – The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Public Information and Media Relations Committee will host a free public forum on Wednesday, May 4, 2005, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Seattle Central Public Library (1000 Fourth Avenue, in downtown Seattle). The forum is titled "What Was the Judge Thinking? The Duty to Decide."
The mission of the WSBA Public Information and Media Relations Committee is to broaden public knowledge about and respect for the law, the rule of law and the roles of lawyers and judges, including their ethical commitments. While members of the public may disagree with a judge's decision, citizens should at least understand how the process works. To that end, the committee will provide this forum to help educate the media and the public about the role of judges in deciding cases.
The forum will feature two panels of highly respected judges and attorneys, moderated by Tracy Vedder, a veteran investigative reporter for KOMO TV. The first panel will discuss gay marriage, with King County Superior Court Judge William Downing, the author of last year's decision recognizing the validity of same-sex marriage now on appeal at the Washington State Supreme Court. Also speaking will be Seattle University Law Professor Julie Shapiro.
The second panel will grapple with judicial review of citizen initiatives such as the recent I-776, the $30 license tab initiative upheld last year by the Washington State Supreme Court. Justice Barbara Madsen, of the Washington State Supreme Court, and former King County Superior Court Judge Robert Alsdorf will be the featured panelists.
The WSBA Public Information and Media Relations Committee encourages all open-minded citizens, young and old, to come to this stimulating event.
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 Ron 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, 23 sections, and a Young Lawyers Division.
