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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 21, 2009 Judith Berrett WSBA Board of Governors to Meet in Richland April 24–25(SEATTLE) — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Board of Governors will hold its next meeting on April 24–25 at the Courtyard Marriott in Richland. Fourth District Governor Edward Shea Jr., who practices in Pasco, will welcome the Board to Richland. The public meeting will be held on Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (with lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m.), and from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Following Friday’s meeting, there will be a reception with members of the local bench and bar, where WSBA President Mark Johnson will present a member of the bar with the Local Hero Award. As the Board of Governors travels around the state, a local member of the bar is presented with this award in recognition of his or her exceptional service to the community. First on the agenda will be a report from the Discipline Review Committee, presented by Committee Chair Douglas Lawrence, of Seattle. This special committee was formed to review the recommendations made by the American Bar Association (ABA) after the ABA was invited to examine Washington’s disciplinary system. Continuing Legal Education Committee Chair Charles “Chad” Dold, of Yakima, will present a report from the Committee. His report will be followed by Governors’ and Liaisons’ Forums, during which governors and others in attendance may bring non-agenda items to the attention of the Board. After lunch, fiscal matters, including action on a video-conferencing proposal, will be on the agenda. The Program Review Committee will ask the Board to take action on recommendations relating to WSBA committees, and the Committee will give a first reading of recommendations relating to diversity. Presenting on behalf of the Committee will be Committee Chair and WSBA Treasurer Russ Aoki and WSBA Deputy Director for Finance and Administration Julie Mass. Co-chairs of the WSBA Committee for Diversity, Renea Saade, of Seattle, and Frederick “Rick” Rasmussen, of Seattle, will report on the Committee’s activities. A recommendation from the WSBA Amicus Curiae Brief Committee that the WSBA file an amicus brief in Turner v. Stime is scheduled for action. This case has to do with an overturned verdict — the judge ruling in support of the plaintiff’s motion for a new trial, finding that juror misconduct was shown in the form of racial bias towards plaintiff’s counsel, and that such bias affected the objective deliberation of the case by the jurors. Also on Friday afternoon’s agenda are proposed member benefits for disability and long-term care insurance programs; renewal of the health-insurance program; and a first reading about CourtTrax, which enables users to easily search court databases across the country. Scheduled for first reading is a proposed amendment to Rules of Professional Conduct 8.5, regarding WSBA disciplinary authority over judges, and scheduled for action are proposed amendments to Supreme Court Audit Regulations (Regulation 106) regarding online reporting of lawyers’ trust accounts. The Board of Governors makes recommendation only; the Supreme Court has the sole authority to make rule changes. On Saturday, WSBA Justice and Diversity Initiatives Director Gail Stone will provide the Board with a legislative report/wrap-up. The Board will discuss recommendations regarding the Washington Lawyers’ Fund for Civil Justice, proposed by WSBA President Mark Johnson (see www.wsba.org/apr09barnewspresidentscorner.pdf for more information). About the Washington State Bar Association The WSBA is part of the judicial branch, exercising a governmental function authorized by the Washington State Supreme Court to license the state’s 32,700 lawyers. The WSBA both regulates lawyers under the authority of the Court and serves its members as a professional association — all without public funding. As a regulatory agency, the WSBA administers the bar admission process, including the bar exam; provides record-keeping and licensing functions; and administers the lawyer-discipline system. As a professional association, the WSBA provides continuing legal education for attorneys, in addition to numerous other educational and member-service activities. # # #
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