Connect with Peers and Practitioners through WSBA's 29 Sections
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Sections members become part of active professional communities and gain access to an array of exclusive section member benefits. Over 10,000 WSBA members currently belong to one or more of the WSBA’s 29 sections. The section membership year begins Jan. 1.
Member Benefits
In the past year, WSBA Sections have sponsored approximately 70 CLE seminars and hosted multiple professional networking events around the state. Various sections offer a plethora of member benefits, including, but not limited to:
- List serve communities
- Newsletters, reports, deskbooks, and sourcebooks
- Free and discounted CLEs
- Opportunities to engage in the Washington state legislative process
...and more! Join a Section Today!
Interested in Section Leadership?
Each section is led by a group of volunteers who are elected to serve on the executive committee. Many find leading a section to be a rewarding experience because of the leadership growth, professional development, firsthand experience with the legislative
process, and collegiality it offers. Executive committee discussions are productive and challenging, offering a unique opportunity to work with other legal professionals in a goal-oriented setting that benefits WSBA members and the greater legal community.
Executive committee terms begin Oct. 1, 2023, and sections accept applications for the following year in early spring. Consider applying to become a section leader!
For general sections questions, send an email with your Bar number to sections@wsba.org or call 800-945-9722.
WSBA Sections
Dispute Resolution Section
The WSBA Dispute Resolution Section promotes the informed use and best practices for all dispute resolution processes in Washington. Whether mediating, arbitrating or negotiating, every lawyer is a dispute resolution professional. The section is home to many attorneys who are also members of other sections.
The Dispute Resolution Section welcomes and encourages participation of all dispute resolution professionals. You don’t have to be a lawyer or a member of WSBA. This is the community for all dispute resolution professionals: mediators, arbitrators, and lawyers representing and advising their clients.
The Section provides benefits to members by participating in legislative activities that relate to dispute resolution and undertakes projects aimed at increasing the availability and quality of dispute resolution services throughout the state. The Section also sponsors an annual meeting, and provides other dispute resolution educational programs, including co-sponsorship of the annual Northwest Dispute Resolution Conference.
Annual Report | Budget | Bylaws | Year in Review | Elections | Mediation Committee
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Page Navigation
The Dispute Resolution Section offers many resources and benefits for members. On this page you will find information about the section, upcoming events, as well as information about the section's executive committee.
Upcoming ProgramsSection Information | Executive CommitteeExecutive Committee Meetings |
Upcoming Programs
Executive Committee Elections
Election season is here! If you’re interested in applying to serve on your section’s executive committee, head over to the Elections page to see a list of open positions and how to apply.
If you have any questions, please email sections@wsba.org.
NEW Webinar! Resolving Common Interest Community Disputes - Without Litigation
Developed in partnership with the WSBA Dispute Resolution Section
This program will provide an update on the legal issues facing homeowners associations today, from board governance to fees and assessments and the range of concerns impacting neighbors and neighborhoods. This session will also provide practical guidance to help community interest property owners avoid, identify, address and resolve their disputes through interest-based mediation focused on preserving and supporting neighborly relationships. While conflict is normal, litigation is not inevitable.
When: April 30, 2024
Time: 10 a.m.–Noon PST
Credits:
1.00 Law & Legal Procedure
1.00 Other
Tuition: FREE
Section Information
What We Do
The Dispute Resolution Section connects professionals with relevant dispute resolution resources and information:
- Educational presentations for both neutrals and advocates
- Unsurpassed networking opportunities with other dispute resolution professionals
- Cost-effective CLE credits in dispute resolution
How We Do It
The Dispute Resolution Section has an Executive Committee and five standing committees:
Click on any of the committee group pages above to learn more, see how they can help you in your dispute resolution practice and how you can get involved.
Save the Date, Spread the Word. Northwest DR Conference is Back!
Register now for the March 21-22, 2024, Northwest Dispute Resolution Conference at the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle. This is the premier event for conflict resolution practitioners in the Pacific Northwest and after a pandemic-induced hiatus, we're SO excited to be back.
Join us in welcoming our keynote speaker, Dr. Chantel Prat, as well as Nina Meierding, Ken Cloke, and Alan Kirtley, along with more than 30 workshops and breakout sessions. CLE credit is pending, so please like and follow the NWDR Conference Facebook page for updates as information becomes available.
See the NWDR Conference Page for more details.
Register for the Conference Now!
Executive Committee
Chair: Courtland Shafer (2022-2024) Vice Chair: Paula Emery (2023-2024) Immediate Past Chair: Melvyn Simburg (2022-2024) Secretary: Dee Knapp (2023-2024) Treasurer: Lauren Novack (2023-2024) Young Lawyer Liaison: Julia Doherty (2023-2025) Board of Governors Liaison*: Kristina Larry (2023-2024) *Nonvoting member | At-Large Members: Oliver Garrison (2021-2024) Advisors*: |
Executive Committee Meetings
The Dispute Resolution Section Executive Committee conducts meetings on the third Friday of each month, beginning at noon and concluding by 1:30 p.m.
Executive Committee meetings are currently being conducted by teleconference only. You may attend virtually by following this link to the Zoom Meeting, or by calling 253-215-8782 and using passcode 12345. Please contact committee members for any other details on their upcoming meetings.
Join Our List Serve
The DR Section list serve is a great way to connect with your fellow dispute resolution professionals. Members on the list serve are now able to post directly to the list serve. In order to foster a welcoming and productive environment, the DR Section Executive Committee has adopted general list serve guidelines and section-specific list serve guidelines. To join the section list serve and for general section questions, please send your email address and Bar number to sections@wsba.org. If you are a conflict resolution professional in Washington State who is not eligible to join WSBA, become a member of our Conflict Resolution Practitioners Discussion Group to keep up to date on section activities.
