January 2003 

FYI: For Your Information

The 6th Annual WSBA Staff Holiday Charity Auction raised $4,250 — the largest amount raised to date. Money raised was given to two charities: Noel House and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Washington State. Noel House provides emergency shelter for single women over the age of 18, the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population. The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.

The American Bar Association will hold its 64th Midyear Meeting February 5-11 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle. For program and registration information, see www.abanet.org/midyear/2003/home.html.

The 55th annual Western States Bar Conference will be held March 19-22 at the Sheraton Kauai at Poipu Beach. The conference includes bar associations from 17 western states. This year's agenda includes a session on negotiation techniques; an update on alternate dispute resolution; and panels on multijurisdictional practice, issues facing new lawyers, and access to justice. For conference registration information contact Diane Minnich at 208-334-4500 or dminnich@isb.state.id.us. To contact the Sheraton Kauai, call 888-847-0208.

The first annual Lawyerpalooza will be February 10, 2003, at the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The law firms Lane Powell Spears Lubersky, Preston Gates & Ellis, Perkins Coie, William Kastner & Gibbs, Riddell Williams, and Karr Tuttle Campbell will participate in a battle of the bands to raise money for elementary-school music programs in the Seattle School District. The cost of an advance ticket is $15; the cost at the door, $20. For further information, see http://www.lawyerpalooza.com/, or call Mike Nesteroff at 206-223-6242.

Active WSBA members who are in Reporting Group 2 (active members admitted from 1976 through 1983; or in 1992, 1995, 1998 or 2001*) will report CLE credits for activities undertaken in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

Newly admitted members are exempt from reporting CLE credits during their year of admission and the following calendar year. Thus, if you were admitted in 2001, you will not report this reporting period even though you are in Group 2. You will first report at the end of 2005. (New admittees may earn CLE credits, however, starting from their admission date, and those credits may be applied toward their first reporting period.)

If you are in Reporting Group 2, please do the following to meet your CLE requirements:

1) Complete approved CLE credits totaling at least 39 general and six ethics for the three-year period (2000 through 2002); at least 30 credits must be live;

2) Submit these credits and attendance to the WSBA either through the sponsor or directly to the WSBA (or, if you are satisfying your CLE requirements through comity, attach a Certificate of Compliance to your C2);

3) Sign the C-2 Compliance Affidavit certifying attendance of the listed courses; and

4) Send the C-2 Compliance Affidavit to the WSBA by February 3, 2003.

Remember that although sponsors are now responsible for reporting credits from live seminars, each individual attorney attending live seminars is responsible for informing the sponsor of the amount of credit earned for that seminar. If you do not attend the entire seminar, please inform the sponsor, so that the sponsor can report accurate CLE attendance credit data.

Your C-2 Compliance Affidavit contains all courses and credits to your record for 2001-2002 CLE activities submitted by sponsors. Please review it carefully and make any necessary changes. Add any live CLE activities you attended that are not preprinted on your C2 affidavit. If you have CLE credits for activities in 2000-2002 that were earned through A/V courses, you must enter this information. You must then sign, under penalty of perjury, that the credit information you submit is true and correct.

Through a confidential password you are able to go to your individual record in the MCLE database and make changes to your personal information, add approved CLE activities, apply for course approval, and make corrections to your credit amounts. (For access instructions, see below.) There is online help information to assist you. If you need further assistance, call the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA.

Using the online MCLE Credit-Tracking System, you can do the following:

•  View your CLE courses and credits on your online attendance roster.

•  Make changes to your online attendance roster.

•  Search for approved courses.

•  Apply for course approval.

To enter the MCLE Credit-Tracking System, go to http://pro.wsba.org/ and click on the Member tab. Select Member Login, and follow the onscreen instructions. If you have questions, please contact the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA.

Licensing packets, which include your license-fee invoice, trust account and MCLE reporting (C-2 Compliance Affidavit, if applicable) forms, were mailed in December. If you have not yet received your licensing packet, please call the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA, or e-mail questions@wsba.org to request a duplicate. Please note that it is your responsibility to pay your annual license fee, regardless of whether you receive the licensing packet.

You can check your address in the WSBA database by going to the online lawyer directory on the WSBA Web site at http://pro.wsba.org/. If your address has changed, please notify the WSBA Service Center as soon as possible by e-mailing questions@wsba.org or faxing the change to 206-727-8319.

In addition to your license fee, per APR 15, the Supreme Court has ordered that all active members must pay a $13 assessment to the Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection (LFCP). To avoid penalties, we encourage you to pay your mandatory fees promptly. If the annual license fee is not paid by March 3, 2003, a 20 percent late-payment penalty is imposed. After April 1, 2003, a 50 percent late-payment penalty is imposed. If your license fee, penalty assessment or LFCP fee remain unpaid after May 1, 2003, the delinquency will be certified to the Supreme Court, which will enter an order of suspension from the practice of law. In order to be reinstated to your former status after suspension for nonpayment, you must pay double the amount of the combined fee and penalty (triple the original fee). For active members, nonpayment of the LFCP fee is also cause for suspension.

For more information, please see the WSBA Web site at www.wsba.org/lawyers/licensing/, or contact the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA, 206-443-WSBA or questions@wsba.org.

The 2003 quarterly meetings of the Northwest Justice Project board of directors will be January 25, April 26, July 19 and October 25. Meetings begin at 9:30 a.m. The NJP is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization providing civil legal services to eligible low-income people. For more information, contact Lisa Giuffré at 206-464-1519 or 888-201-1012.

A link to your Web site can be added to your directory listing, so current and potential clients can find out more about you and your practice at the click of a button.

The fee is $75 annually ($50 if you sign up July 1 or later). If your firm has seven or more lawyers, you'll save through our special pricing structure. Special pricing is also available for those who work for nonprofit or government agencies. For more information and sign-up instructions, see www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/addlink.htm.

The WSBA's Lawyer-to-Lawyer Program matches newer admittees with experienced lawyers. Help new lawyers get a head start on learning those lawyering skills not found in any textbook. The program is not a structured mentoring program and does not supplant any similar programs of local or specialty bars. We connect lawyers with similar practices in the same geographic area for mutual information-sharing and goodwill. For more information, contact Pete Roberts at 206-727-8237 or peter@wsba.org.

The average coupon equivalent yield from the first auction of 26-week treasury bills in December 2002 is 1.316 percent. The maximum allowable interest rate for January is therefore 12 percent. Compilations of the average coupon equivalent yields from past auctions of 26-week treasury bills and past maximum interest rates for June 1988-June 1999 appear on page 53 of the June 1999 Bar News. Information from January 1987 to date is on the WSBA Web site at www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/2003/jan-03-usuryrate.htm.

Law Week 2003 is an exciting opportunity for lawyers and judges to bring legal education into the classroom. Each year, Law Week provides an enriching experience to youth through positive interactions with lawyers and judges. Law Week 2003 will take place the week of May 1. To learn more about the program or to participate, visit www.wsba.org/media/publications/lawweek/ or contact Lisa Harper at 206-733-5944 or lisak@wsba.org.

The Charles A. Goldmark Award for Distinguished Service will be presented to Russell J. Speidel and the Chelan-Douglas County Bar Association at the Legal Foundation of Washington's annual luncheon on February 28. Seth P. Waxman, 41st U.S. Solicitor General and partner at Wilmer Cutler & Pickering, will give the keynote speech.

_____ YES, I would like to honor the work of legal services by attending the luncheon. I will bring ______ additional guests. ($40/person enclosed).

_____ YES, I would like to be a Goldmark donor ($100 enclosed). Two lunches will be provided and a contribution of $20 will help cover luncheon expenses.

_____ NO, I cannot attend the luncheon, but I would like to support the luncheon with a donation of $___________ .

Name(s):__________________________________

_____ Indicate if vegetarian meal preferred.

Show your support for access to justice by purchasing an individual ticket to the luncheon or accepting one of the other donation opportunities.

Please return the above information with your check payable to: Legal Foundation of Washington, 500 Union St., Ste. 545, Seattle, WA 98101; phone 206-624-2536, ext. 10; fax 206-382-3396; or visit http://www.legalfoundation.org/. The Legal Foundation of Washington is a 501(c)(3)-status institution.

The WSBA uses e-mail to communicate with members quickly, efficiently and inexpensively, and increasingly it is becoming the preferred method of communication among committees and sections. Please consider providing us with your e-mail address. Contact the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA, 206-443-WSBA or questions@wsba.org. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

With the exception of a one-hour executive session the morning of the first day, BOG meetings are open, and all WSBA members are welcome to attend. RSVPs are appreciated but not required. Please contact Donna Sata at 206-727-8244 or donnas@wsba.org. The complete BOG schedule is available on the WSBA Web site at www.wsba.org/info/bog/schedule.htm.

Would you like your name and/or firm listed under your area of practice in the yellow pages of the 2003-2004 edition of the WSBA's Resources annual directory?

Resources is used by thousands of lawyers, and the yellow pages are a valuable one-stop resource for your legal-service needs. Find consultants, paralegals, contract attorneys, business appraisers and more.

The cost of a listing, which may include firm name, individual's name, address, phone, fax, e-mail and Web site, is $35. A toll-free number may be listed in addition to a general number.

To reserve your yellow-page listing in the 2002-2003 Resources directory, complete this form, enclose a $35 check payable to the WSBA, and mail by February 28 to:

Resources Yellow Pages
2101 Fourth Ave., Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98121-2330

If you wish to be listed under more than one category, the cost is $35 for each listing. For more information, contact Allison Parker at 206-733-5932 or allisonp@wsba.org. 

Firm/Individual Name
_________________________________________

Address ___________________________________

City/State/ZIP ______________________________

Phone_______________________

Fax_________________________________________

E-mail_______________________________________

Web site_____________________________________

Category____________________________________

Resources on Sale for Half Price

The 2002-2003 Resources membership directory is now on sale for half-price:

$9.00 – WSBA members ($9.79 in WA)

$18.00 – non-WSBA members ($19.58 in WA)

To order Resources, call the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA, or mail a request to WSBA Order Processing, 2101 Fourth Ave., Ste. 400, Seattle, WA 98121-2330. Payment may be made by check (payable to WSBA), MasterCard or Visa, and must accompany your order.

The 2003 MLK Annual Luncheon will be held at Plymouth Congregational Church in Seattle on January 17. Distinguished Harvard Law School Professor Charles Ogletree will speak on "Remembering Dr. King's Legacy: Promoting Diversity and Promoting Patriotism." General admission is $25; law students, $15. For further information or to register for the luncheon, call Julie Gardner at 206-340-2574 by noon on January 7.

The WSBA online store is open at www.wsba.org/store. Purchase Cutter & Buck polo shirts, twill baseball caps, ball-point pens, and brass luggage tags emblazoned with the WSBA logo. The store features secure online credit-card ordering. You may purchase logo merchandise by calling the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA.

• Polo shirt (pewter or white, size L or XL) – $56

• Baseball cap (stone) – $24

• Ballpoint pen – $12

• Luggage tag – $7

Prices include shipping and handling. Sales tax (8.8 percent) will be added to orders shipped within Washington.

The WSBA Law Office Management Assistance Program (LOMAP) office maintains a computer for members to review software tools designed to maximize office efficiency. LOMAP staff are available to provide materials, answer questions and recommend options. To make an appointment, contact Pete Roberts at 206-727-8237 or peter@wsba.org.

The WSBA has many dedicated staff members, and each January we recognize those who have reached significant milestones in the previous year. Congratulations to the following staff members!

15 years — Barbara Harper, Michele Kramer, Sharlene Steele

10 years — Jack Young

5 years — Jonathan Burke, Linda Eide, Christine Gray, Pat Grimes, Betty Harrison, Bobby Henry, Kris Hickman, Joey Horne, Sarah Kolpacoff, Veronica Nations, Rebecca Nerison, Sachia Stonefeld Powell, Jim Roberg and Wen Saeyang.

The WSBA now has an aspirational Creed of Professionalism. Developed by the Professionalism Committee with input from many members around the state, and approved by the Board of Governors, the creed's purpose is to "inspire and guide lawyers in the practice of law." The full text of the creed can be found on the WSBA Web site at
www.wsba.org/lawyers/groups/professionalism/Creed.htm.

Printed copies of the creed are available for purchase (we have made every effort to keep the cost as low as possible). Printing is in black and gold on heavy cream-colored paper. The creed is available unframed, or mounted on a mahogany-finish wooden plaque. It is our hope that Washington lawyers will display the creed proudly in their offices.

@ $4 each (includes shipping) $__________

@ $20 each (includes shipping) $__________

If in Washington, add state sales tax @ 8.8% $__________

Total $__________

____ check enclosed (payable to WSBA)

____ MasterCard Visa

No.____________________________

Exp. date _______________________

Name as it appears on card
_______________________________

Signature _________________________________

Communications Department
Washington State Bar Association
2101 Fourth Ave., Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98121-2330

MasterCard and Visa orders may also be placed over the phone by calling the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA.

Name _________________________________

Address _______________________________

City/State/ZIP___________________________

WSBA office use only: 44200-COMM