FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

September 17, 2007

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

Robert Wilson-Hoss Receives WSBA Community Service Award

Seattle, Washington, September 17, 2007 — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) announces that Shelton attorney Robert Wilson-Hoss will be honored with the 2007 Community Service Award. Introduced last year, the Community Service Award honors lawyers and judges who have given generously of their time and talents in service to their communities, and recognizes exceptional non-law-related volunteer work and community service. WSBA President Ellen Conedera Dial will present the award at the WSBA Annual Awards Dinner, to be held on September 20, 2007, at the Grand Hyatt Seattle Hotel.

Wilson-Hoss received a B.A. in philosophy and English from Willamette University in 1973, and his J.D. from the University of Washington in 1978. He grew up in Longview, where his parents continue to reside, and has practiced in Mason County since 1978. His work includes representation of nonprofit associations and corporations, civil rights plaintiffs, clients with real property and personal injury issues, and other general matters. This is his second WSBA award; in 1993, he received the Association's Courageous Award for his civil rights work. He is also a trained mediator, through the Thurston County Dispute Resolution Center. He is a member of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.

Wilson-Hoss has served several terms as Mason County judicial commissioner, in Juvenile Court, Domestic Relations Court, and as a settlement conference commissioner. His previous experiences include service in the Peace Corps, participation in the establishment of the Northwest Intertribal Court System, and as the first reservation attorney for the Squaxin Island Tribe.

Wilson-Hoss has participated in the formation and/or work of many Mason and Thurston County agencies and associations, including the Thurston-Mason County Dispute Resolution Center, the Thurston-Mason County Bar Association, the Mason County Bar Association, the Mason County Shelter, and the Mason County Counseling Network. He has served with the Cub Scout Pack 126 Committee, Boys and Girls Club, and Oakland Bay Soccer Camp, as well as coaching more than 40 youth teams in soccer, baseball, tennis, and track. He was instrumental in the establishment of Habitat for Humanity Mason County, the Mason County Shelter, and Turning Pointe Domestic Violence Services. He also helped to found and lead an ad-hoc task force of community leaders and federal mediators directed at improving relationships between the emerging Latino-Hispanic community and the existing local community. 

In addition to the WSBA, Wilson-Hoss has received awards and recognition from many other groups, including the Mason County Chamber of Commerce, Shelton Rotary Club, Shelton School District, Lake Limerick Country Club, Spanish Language Institute (Oaxaca, Mexico), Turning Pointe, Cub Scout Pack 126, Save Our County's Kids, the Northwest Intertribal Court System, the United States Soccer Federation (D license), and the Conehead Invitational Softball tournament. Hoss and his wife, Wendy, are also foster parents to an 11-year-old boy.

"While avoiding the limelight, Rob works tirelessly for his many volunteer projects that cumulatively have had a huge impact on our community," said his brother, Richard Hoss. "As Rob's partner for 25 years, I've watched with amazement and respect his passion and dedication to the betterment of his Mason County community."

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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