FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

September 17, 2007

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

Norm Maleng to be Posthumously Honored with WSBA Angelo J. Petruss Award for Lawyers in Public Service

Seattle, Washington, September 17, 2007 — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) announces that King County Prosecuting Attorney Norm Maleng, who died in May at the age of 68, will be posthumously honored with the 2007 Angelo J. Petruss Award for Lawyers in Public Service. Named in honor of the late Angelo R. Petruss, a senior assistant attorney general who passed away during his term of service on the WSBA Board of Governors, this award is given to a lawyer in government service who has made a significant contribution to the legal profession, the justice system, and the public. WSBA President Ellen Conedera Dial will present the award to Mr. Maleng's wife, Judy Maleng, and son, Mark Maleng, at the WSBA Annual Awards Dinner, to be held on September 20, 2007, at the Grand Hyatt Seattle Hotel.

Born in Acme, Washington, Maleng graduated from the University of Washington in 1960 with a degree in economics. He earned a law degree from the UW in 1966. After graduating, Maleng was selected to serve as staff attorney for the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, chaired by Sen. Warren Magnuson.

Maleng was elected prosecutor in 1978, and was King County's prosecutor for 28 years. He oversaw a staff of more than 500 employees, including 240 deputy prosecutors. Maleng's office was nationally known for its sexual assault prosecution unit and victim assistance unit, which served as models of how to prosecute sexual assault crimes while dealing with the trauma experienced by victims.

"Norm has left us an incredible legacy of integrity and honor in the pursuit of justice," said Bonnie Glenn, deputy chief of staff at the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. "His optimistic spirit, passion for work and life, and legacy will remain with us all for years to come.  He touched many people in his life with his ability to see the best in people and his commitment to support and elevate others. He touched the careers and lives of so many. His ability to connect and touch others was so special. It was a privilege to have known and served under his leadership. He will be truly missed."

"It is hard to imagine the Office of Prosecuting Attorney in King County without Norm Maleng," said Dial. "We have lost a giant in our justice system, a man whose life and career manifested grace, dignity, fairness, respect, and justice. I knew him, as countless others did, as a quiet but charismatic leader, an innovator who nonetheless touched everyone he met with his warmth and optimism."

"He was a friend and a man I will sorely miss," wrote King County Superior Court Judge Richard Jones. Norm's legacy as the King County Prosecutor will be one filled with praise for his integrity, compassion, dedication, and commitment to justice. We must also not forget how hard he worked to stay deeply connected to the community. Norm took the time to attend and be an active participant in the events and activities of diverse organizations both legal and civic. He served as a role model for all elected officials of what 'being involved and committed' really meant."

"He was an outstanding example of law's most noble aspirations: a kind, ethical, fair, and honest man who was a devoted public servant," wrote Dean Kellye Testy of the Seattle University School of Law. "He was a leader for justice and inspired so many lawyers to be their very best selves. He has had a profound and lasting influence on so many lawyers that he will live on in and through the law for decades to come."

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 30,700 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 2006-2007 president is Ellen Conedera Dial, of Seattle. The 2006-2007 president-elect is Stanley A. Bastian, of Wenatchee, and the immediate past-president is S. Brooke Taylor, of Port Angeles. 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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