Updated: Nov. 26, 2024

Small Town and Rural Council

The WSBA Small Town and Rural — STAR — Council is committed to strengthen and support the practice of law in the rural communities throughout Washington state. Members of the STAR Council will work to ensure that the practice of law in rural communities is present, growing, and thriving.

Practitioners in rural communities are few and far between. Additionally, many of these practitioners are nearing retirement without a clear plan of succession for their clients, leaving a void of access to legal representation and counsel. The STAR Council members will guide policy and program development, serve as ambassadors between the WSBA and these communities, explore and advocate for creative and innovative solutions, and regularly assess the legal landscape in rural communities to determine if WSBA policy, advocacy, and program development require further resource for sustainability and improvements. To learn more about the STAR Council's purpose, composition, scope of work, and roles, review the STAR Council Charter.

The formation of the STAR Council is the result of work conducted by the Rural Practice Project.


Meet the STAR Council Members

2024-2025

Kari Petrasek, Chair
Term: Oct. 1, 2024–Sept. 30, 2026

Dan Clark, Board of Governors member
Term: Oct. 1, 2024–Sept. 30, 2027

Mary Rathbone, Board of Governors member
Term: Nov. 21, 2024–Sept. 30, 2027

Kathryn Burke, Rural Member
Current Term: Oct. 1, 2022–Sept. 30, 2025
Full Term: Oct. 1, 2021–Sept. 30, 2025

Philip Hunsucker, Rural Member
Term: Oct. 1, 2024–Sept. 30, 2027

Merf Ehman, Qualified Legal Service Provider Member
Term: Oct. 1, 2024–Sept. 30, 2027

Sean King, Gonzaga Law School Member
Current Term: Oct. 1, 2024–Sept. 30, 2025
Full Term: Oct. 1, 2021–Sept. 30, 2025

Travis Pietila, University of Washington Law School Member
Full Term: Nov. 21, 2024–Sept. 30, 2027

Rusty McGuire, Rural Member
Term: Oct. 1, 2024–Sept. 30, 2027 

Jesse Lamp, Rural Member
Term: Oct. 1, 2023–Sept. 30, 2026

Thomas Garvey, Young Lawyer Member
Term: Oct. 1, 2024–Sept. 30, 2027

Allison Foreman, At-large Member 
Current Term: Oct. 1, 2023–Sept. 30, 2026
Full Term: Oct. 1, 2021–Sept. 30, 2026

Ashley Cummins, Seattle University Law School Member
Term: Oct. 1, 2023–Sept. 30, 2026 

Matthew Dresden, Board of Governors Liaison
Term: Oct. 1, 2023–Sept. 30, 2025

Staff Liaison: Julianne Unite, julianneu@wsba.org

Staff Support: Chelle Gegax, michelleg@wsba.org

For questions, please email Council Chair Kari Petrasek or staff liaison Julianne Unite.

Meetings

Next Meeting

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Washington State Bar Association that a Small Town and Rural Council will have a special meeting to be held on:

Date: Nov. 27, 2024  â”‚  Time: 12:10 p.m.  â”‚  Location: Virtual via Zoom  â”‚  Meeting ID: 873 3538 6159  â”‚  Passcode: 595209

The purpose of the meeting is for the council to discuss, deliberate, and take potential final action regarding the following agenda items (no final disposition regarding any matter will occur at the meeting except as indicated on this notice).

AGENDA

1) Introductions and Approval of October Meeting Minutes (Gov. Kari Petrasek)

2) WSBA Updates (Gov. Petrasek and Kevin Plachy)

3) Project Team Updates
     a. Job Fair at Gonzaga
     b. Summit Project Team (Kevin Plachy & Merf Ehman)
     c. Rural Day of Service (Kathryn Burke, Kevin Plachy)

4) Summit Venue Planning Discussion

5) Legal Lunchbox – April 2025

6) Bar News Article Discussion (Free Law School Tuition)

7) Announcements

8) Next Steps/Conclusion

9) Next Meeting: Dec. 18, 2024

10) Adjournment

Meeting Materials Packet

 

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities will be provided upon request. Please email julianneu@wsba.org.

Note: Discussion and action may be taken on any item on the agenda. The time and order of agenda items are subject to change at the discretion of the council chair.



Past Meeting Materials & Minutes

FY 2024

October 2023
November 2023
January 2024
February 2024
March 2024
April 2024
May 2024
June 2024

FY 2023

January 2023
February 2023
March 2023
June 2023
July 2023
September 2023

FY 2022

October 2021
November 2021
January 2022
February 2022
March 2022
April 2022
May 2022
June 2022
July 2022
August 2022