WSBA's Commitment to Diversity
"To promote diversity, equality and cultural understanding throughout the legal community..."
A WSBA Guiding Principle adopted by the Board of Governors
on September 21, 2007.
The Washington State Bar Association continues to reaffirm its commitment to increase and institutionalize diversity in the legal profession. This commitment has been made possible through significant efforts by WSBA leadership in partnership with the various Minority Bar Associations, the WSBA Committee for Diversity and the Board of Governors Diversity Committee and other stakeholders in the legal community and community at large.
News
Law Firm Diversity Report Released
Minority Bar Associations release Law Firm Diversity Report. This is a publication of the Minority Bar Associations Joint Committee on Law Firm Diversity. All opinions and comments in this publication represent the views of the authors and do not necessarily have the endorsement of the Association nor its officers or agents. Click here to see the report.
For a complete list of Diversity Events, please see our Diversity Calendar.
Diversity News, June 2009
Summary of BOG Meeting in Yakima on May 29, 2009
The Governors voted to grant $1.5 million to LAW Fund to help with the civil legal aid funding crisis. This transfer of funds is contingent on the Supreme Court approving the license fee request currently pending before the Court.
Steven Toole from Bellevue was elected 2009-2010 president-elect. He will assume the office of president-elect at the close of the WSBA Annual Meeting on September 24, 2009 and will assume the WSBA presidency in September 2010 for a one-year term.
New Governors elected – The governors-elect will take office at the close of the WSBA annual meeting on September 25, 2009, and will hold office for a term of three years until September 2012.
1st District – Marc Silverman
4th District – Leland Kerr
5th District – Nancy Isserlis
7 West District – A run – off election between Elizabeth Lisa Carney and Roger Leishman will be scheduled.
At-Large (Washington Young Lawyers Division) – Carla Lee was re-elected
Home Foreclosure Legal Aid Project
WSBA is continuing to recruit volunteer lawyers. The online sign-up form and additional information is available at http://www.mywsba.org/default.aspx?tabid=161. If you have volunteered, a representative will contact you when they have matched you with a client. Clients will begin to be accepted at the end of this month.
QLAW (GLBT Bar Association)
Dainen Penta has just finished up his term as President of QLAW – Thank you Dainen! Cynthia Buhr is now the President of QLAW. Roger Leishman is now the President-elect.
PCMBA (Pierce County Minority Bar Association
Tracy Flood has just finished up her term as President of PCMBA – Thank you Tracy! Diane Clarkson is now the President of PCMBA.
WSBA Diversity Intern, Extern, and Volunteer
Please welcome three new law students who will be working for the Diversity Program this summer. We are very excited to have them and you may be hearing from them. They are rising 2Ls and will be splitting their time between working at WSBA and teleworking. Please reach out to them as they are all passionate about diversity and would appreciate any wisdom you can give them.
Priya Aggarwal, Seattle University, Intern
Christine Schleppegrell, University of Washington, Extern
Ayanna Eagan, Gonzaga University, Volunteer
Gonzaga University School of Law to host Fall 2009 Business Meeting of The American Bar Association Presidential Advisory Council on Diversity in the Profession October 8-10 in Spokane. Please see attached save the date. Events are still being planned, but get this on your calendar. For more information, please contact Assistant Dean of Students at GU, John Sklut, jsklut@lawschool.gonzaga.edu. For more information on the ABA Council on Diversity, please see http://www.abanet.org/op/councilondiversity/home.html.
Upcoming events
July 24-25, Board of Governors Meeting, Tulalip
Ongoing Projects
We are continually updating the Diversity calendar. Please review it for upcoming events at http://www.wsba.org/wsbadiversity.htm and keep sending us events to post. Also, if you are planning future events, please look at the calendar to see if there are any conflicts. Once people have confirmed their dates, we post them.
