Updated: June 2, 2023

Volunteer to Represent WSBA on a Committee or Organization

Important Dates


Bench-Bar-Press Committee of Washington

Open Until Filled. 

The WSBA Board of Governors will appoint four members of the Bench-Bar-Press Committee of Washington for terms beginning upon appointment and expiring Dec. 31, 2023 (the term expiration is set by the Board of Governors and subject to change).

The Bench-Bar-Press Committee was formed in 1963 to foster better understanding and working relationships among judges, lawyers, and journalists. Its mission is to seek to accommodate, as much as possible, the tension between the constitutional values of free press and fair trial through educational events and relationship building. The committee is chaired by the chief justice of the Washington Supreme Court and includes representatives from the legal profession, judiciary, law enforcement, and news media.

The full committee typically holds an in-person (currently paused due to COVID-19). A liaison committee, called the Fire Brigade conducts work throughout the year. Subcommittees of volunteers are organized on an ad hoc basis to plan and execute events. More information can be found here, or contact Wendy Ferrell, Administrative Office of the Courts, at wendy.ferrell@courts.wa.gov.

To apply, email a letter of interest and resume to barleaders@wsba.org.


Commission on Judicial Conduct

Application deadline extended: June 8, 2023

The WSBA Board of Governors is seeking applicants interested in serving on the Commission on Judicial Conduct. Two lawyer positions are available: one as a member and one as an alternate.

The Commission reviews complaints of ethical misconduct and disability against judicial officers, discusses the progress of investigations, and takes action to resolve complaints. The goal of the Commission is to maintain confidence and integrity in the judicial system by seeking to preserve both judicial independence and public accountability. The public interest requires a fair and reasonable process to address judicial misconduct or disability, separate from the judicial appeals system that allows individual litigants to appeal legal errors.

The Commission consists of 11 members who serve four-year terms — six non-lawyer citizens, three judges, and two lawyers. Each member has an alternate whose term coincides with their corresponding member’s term. The lawyers must be admitted to practice in Washington and are appointed by the WSBA. Incumbents are eligible for reappointment, limited to two terms as an alternate member and two terms as a full member. Letters of interest and résumés are also required for incumbents seeking reappointment. The term for these positions will commence June 24, 2023 and expire on June 16, 2027.

To apply: please submit the following 1) letter of interest 2) résumé and 3) completed to Waiver and authorization form for Commission on Judicial Conduct (see below) to barleaders@wsba.org by June 8, 2023.   

The Commission on Judicial Conduct has asked the WSBA to conduct discipline checks on all applicants. Further information about the Commission can be found online at www.cjc.state.wa.us, or by contacting them at 360-753-4585.