Equity & Justice
Resources for WSBA Volunteers
The Washington State Bar Association recognizes the crucial role that diversity, equity and inclusion play in regulating the legal profession and improving the quality of legal services. Consistent with General Rule 12.1 (which outlines the regulatory objectives of the Bar) and General Rule 12.2 (which outlines the Bar’s activities delegated by the Supreme Court), we are working to promote an effective legal system for all, foster goodwill between the Bar and the public and advancing diversity, inclusion and equality in the profession and the courts.
WSBA volunteers are integral to advancing WSBA’s mission, regulating the profession and improving the quality of legal services. Some ways volunteers may do this include:
- Proactively applying an equity lens to their work and processes 
- Fostering an inclusive culture within their entity that encourages and incorporates different perspectives, ideas, and experiences
- Engaging in policy work that advances equity and justice in the legal profession and legal system
We offer training videos and consultations to equip and support volunteers and their staff liaisons to work towards a more diverse, inclusive and equitable legal profession and legal system.
Equity and Justice Training Videos
Volunteers are encouraged to review the following training videos as a group and as individuals.
Building Inclusion in your WSBA Bar Entity and Beyond: This one-hour video includes information for how entities can build inclusion – both with communities who may be impacted by the entity’s work, and within the entity itself.
Bias, Ethics, and Decision-Making: This one-hour video discusses the nature of bias and presents frameworks by which to understand how bias plays out at work and how to make equitable and inclusive decisions within this context.
Applying an Equity Lens: This 40-minute video discusses definitions of equity and practical tools for how to apply an equity lens to entity’s work. The video also outlines what information is needed for an equity analysis when submitting requests for approval from the Board of Governors.
Equity and Justice Consultations
Entities can schedule a consultation with a member of the WSBA Equity and Justice Team by contacting their Staff Liaison. Consultations may include but are not limited to the following topics:
How to apply an equity lens to a new project
How to promote an inclusive culture within an entity
How to engage communities who may be impacted by the entity’s work
How to employ new practices or approaches to reduce bias in decision-making
For questions or request for more information, email equityandjustice@wsba.org
