Volunteer Toolbox

This toolbox is a collection of links, documents & videos with information useful for WSBA committee, board, and section leaders. You will find resources and best practices for communicating with members, offering opinions and recommendations on relevant state legislation, promoting diversity and inclusion, planning your budget, and running effective meetings, events, and CLE opportunities.

Updated March 2022: COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for WSBA Volunteers & Guests: Instructions & More Information

Volunteer Introduction

• A Volunteer's Introduction to the Washington State Bar Association (New! video updated 2022)
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Articles, Tools & Resources to Support our Volunteers
• Committees, Boards and Other Groups
• Sections

Volunteer News

The latest announcements, memos & updates for all WSBA Volunteers!

• 2022 Annual Chair Meeting Presentation
• 2020-2021 WSBA Entity Combined Annual Reports (November 2021)
• COVID-19 News, Resources & Response
• Volunteer Remote Work Survey Results (June 2021) 

Getting to Know the WSBA

The mission of the Washington State Bar Association is serve the public and the members of the Bar, to ensure the integrity of the legal profession, and to champion justice.

• WSBA Strategic Goals and the Long Range Strategic Planning Council
• WSBA Bylaws
• WSBA Values (January 2016)
• General Rule 12
  • GR 12.1 Regulatory Objectives
  • GR 12.2 Purposes, Authorized Activities, Prohibited Activities
  • GR 12.3 Administration of Supreme Court-Appointed Boards and Committees
• General Rule 12 Analytical Statement
• WSBA Functional Organization Chart 
• WSBA Entity Chart updated Aug. 18, 2022
• WSBA Member Demographics (updated monthly)
• WSBA Professionalism Annual Report 2018

Working with the Board of Governors

• Board of Governors Information
• Bar Structure 'ETHOS' Information
• Policy Index
• Working Together to Further the Mission: WSBA's Board of Governors & All Volunteers (video)
• 2022-2023 Board of Governors Committee and Liaison Appointments
• Updated! How to Bring an Item to the Board for Discussion/Action: FY 2023 BOG Action Item Guide and FY 2023 BOG Book Cover Memo Template
• Board Nominations Committee

Committees and Boards Information Guidelines & Policies

• Updated! Board of Governors Committees Policy Amended July 2022
• WSBA Entity Chairs and Liaisons: Roles and Responsibilities
• Bar Records for Committees and Boards

Fiscal Information, Procedures & Policies

• Updated: WSBA Expense Report Form (December 2021/2022)
• ACH Direct Deposit Form
• WSBA Fiscal Policies and Procedures (updated fiscal policies coming soon!)
• WSBA Financial Information
• Budget & Audit Committee

Communications: Guidelines & Policies

• Guiding Communication Principles (January 2016)
• Photo and Video Release Procedures
• WSBA Broadcast Email and Privacy Policy
• WSBA Social Media Guidelines and Protocol (2020)
• Social Media Editor Agreement for WSBA Entities
• WSBA Entity Social Media Accounts and Working with the WSBA
• Write an Article for Washington State Bar News or Write a Blog Post for NWSidebar

Legislative Engagement & Process

• Legislative Policy (2020)
• Legislative Activity & Bills Referred to WSBA Sections
• Legislative Review Committees
• Legislative Comment Process
• Other Legislative Rules and Policies

Diversity and Inclusion

• WSBA Diversity & Inclusion Plan
• WSBA Diversity and Inclusion Homepage
• WSBA Culture of Inclusion Philosophy
• 2020-2021 Diversity Calendar (provided by Cultures Connecting)
• Guidance for Nominating Teams
• WSBA Accessibility Toolkit
• WSBA Section Diversity Demographics 2017-2018
• WSBA Committee/Board Diversity Demographics 2019
• Harvard Implicit Bias Test
• Interrupting and Mitigating Implicit Bias

Sections

• WSBA Sections: A Guide for Section Leader Volunteers 
• Sections Staff Support Services
• 2019 Report on WSBA Section Activities
• Bar Records Overview for Sections Leaders
• Section Executive Committee Roles and Responsibilities
• How to Use Membership Data
• Sections List Serve Guidelines
• 2023 Annual Fall Section Leaders Orientation Materials & Zoom Meeting Recording (Nov. 14, 2022) The time stamps of the agenda topics have been included in the description box in the video recording 
• 2022 Annual Section Leaders Spring Meeting Materials & Zoom Meeting Recording
• WSBA Sections Policy Work Group (concluded September 2016)

Section Communications

• Communications Timelines
• List Serve Guidelines
• Section Newsletter Production Guidelines
• Sections Newsletter Style Guide
• Top-12 Common Edits to Section Newsletters
• Email to request changes to your web page
• Email to request a membership roster

Section Budgeting

• WSBA Fiscal Policies and Procedures 
• Per-Member Charge Calculation (FY 2020)

Section Meeting Facilitation and Event Planning

• Open Meetings Overview for Sections
• Meeting Agenda Template
• Meeting Minutes Template
• Email request a Conference Room
• Conference Call Information
• Event & Project Review Worksheet

Section CLEs

• CLE Profit Sharing Model Revised Fiscal Policy (July 2018)
• Section-Sponsored CLE Planning
• Section Mini-CLE Programming
• Marketing Package (Midyears & Conferences) – coming soon
• WSBA Sponsorship Policy 2010
• WSBA Section Brown Bag Guidelines (non-CLE educational opportunities)