FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2009
Contact: Stephanie Perry
Communications Specialist/Website Editor
206-733-5932; stephaniep@wsba.org
Carla C. Lee Re-elected WSBA Young Lawyers Division At-Large Governor
(SEATTLE) — The WSBA is pleased to announce that the Board of Governors (BOG) has re-elected Carla C. Lee as the governor-at-large representing the Washington Young Lawyers Division for the incoming term from October 2009 to September 2012. Ms. Lee continues her service on the Board as the first African-American woman to serve on the BOG.
A Seattle native, Ms. Lee received undergraduate degrees in English and Philosophy from the University of Washington, and her law degree from Seattle University School of Law. She is a solo practitioner in Seattle.
Ms. Lee has been actively involved with several WSBA committees. She has served on the WSBA Access to Justice Board Technology Committee, the Amicus Brief Committee, the Pro Bono and Legal Aid Committee, and is currently a trustee on the Washington State Bar Foundation. In addition to her involvement at the WSBA, she has also served as the co-vice-president of membership for the Washington Women Lawyers State Board; treasurer for the Loren Miller Bar Association; and an at-large board member of Washington Lawyers for the Arts.
Giving back to her community is a priority for Ms. Lee. She has volunteered her time with YWCA’s GirlsFirst Program, the WYLD Pre-Law Student Leadership Conference, and the King County Bar Association Future of the Law Institute. Ms. Lee is currently the chair of the BOG Personnel Committee, serves on the BOG Budget and Audit Committee, and chairs the WSBA Rule 9 Task Force. Her past activities include serving as chair of professional development and co-chair of the Young Lawyers Committee Mentor Program with the Loren Miller Bar Association; and serving as the co-vice-president of professional development for Washington Women Lawyers.
Ms. Lee was also instrumental in the development of the Breast Cancer Legal Resources Guide – Washington (www.wsba.org/public/breastcancerlegalresource.pdf).
In 2005, Ms. Lee was honored with the Chapter Member of the Year Award from King County Washington Women Lawyers; in 2007, she received the Loren Miller Bar Association's President's Award; and, also in 2007, she was a recipient of the Washington Women Lawyers State Board Member of the Year Award.
“[Ms. Lee] has continuously amazed me with her commitment to our bar association, her ability to engage different community groups, and her unquestioned reliability. Her reflective disposition belies her unparalleled ability to find and articulate the right answers on the thorniest of issues regardless of the politics,” said Richard E. Mitchell of Summit Law Group.
“A year ago, my trajectory made me keenly aware of the need to give voice to those who are not adequately represented in bar leadership,” Ms. Lee said of her role as governor. “Today, I see my role as a Governor in much broader terms. In the past year, I have demonstrated a commitment to the rule of law, professionalism, and a commitment to the delivery of legal services that transcends limitation and creates equal access for all. I bring a perspective to the Board of Governors that reflects my commitment to all members of the bar and the public.”
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 33,200 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 Board of Governors. There are three governors from the seventh congressional district; one from each of the other eight districts; and three at-large, one of whom represents the Young Lawyers Division. The president is Mark A. Johnson, of Seattle. The president-elect is Salvador A. Mungia, of Tacoma, and the immediate past-president is Stanley A. Bastian, of Wenatchee. 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 its numerous standing committees, 27 sections, and a Young Lawyers Division with its many committees.
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