Francis Adewale, Immediate Past President
Francis Adewale was first elected to the Board of Governors in 2021 and later elected by the Board as treasurer in 2022. He was elected president-elect in 2024 and became WSBA president in September 2025. Francis is Executive President of AHANA, Eastern Washington’s pre-eminent multi-ethnic business association. Before then, he had served two term as treasurer of WSBA and is the current treasurer of Spokane City Credit Union. Francis is one of the attorneys that helped establish Spokane Community Court. His commitment to community and movement lawyering is epitomized by his work on several community based board and activities in Eastern Washington. He has served as chair of Refugee Connections Spokane, co-chair of Spokane Homeless Coalition, Spokane County Regional Law & Justice Council’s Racial Equity Disparity Committee. He is former chair of Washington State Access to Justice Board and a former member of Washington State Supreme Court’s Interpreters Commission. He currently is board member of Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP). He is a founding member of the Washington Statewide Re-entry Council having been reappointed thrice by Gov. Jay Inslee. Francis and his wife also own and run a small business in Spokane.
Francis is an H. George Frederickson Honors Graduate of Eastern Washington University and adjunct faculty at Whitworth University as well as Gonzaga Law School. Francis was admitted to the WSBA in June 2000 and has since practiced as assistant public defender for the City of Spokane.
Email: fadewale@spokanecity.org
