History
“In the early spring of 1972, the Continuing Legal Education Committee of the Washington State Bar Association determined to undertake the preparation and publication of a series of deskbooks for Washington lawyers, such as those being produced in the states of California, Oregon, and others.” This is from the preface to the 1977 first edition of the Washington Community Property Deskbook by the late Spokane County Superior Court Judge George T. Shields, who served as editor-in-chief. The editorial board for this project included University of Washington School of Law Professors Harry M. Cross and John C. Huston and Washington Supreme Court Justice Robert F. Brachtenbach. [The fifth edition of this Deskbook went to press in March 2023.]
In the spring of 1977, the WSBA CLE Committee appointed Perkins Coie partner Edward (“Ted”) W. Kuhrau as editor-in-chief to undertake the preparation and publication of the Washington Real Property Deskbook; when it was published in 1979, this two-volume work represented the largest Deskbook undertaking by the WSBA. In his preface, Ted noted that “[t]hose who have labored on this project have done so despite the fact that all of their efforts have been without any credit toward the Washington State Bar Association’s mandatory continuing legal education requirements. Hopefully, at some early date, the Board of Continuing Legal Education rules will be modified so as to permit continuing legal education credit for legal literature published by the bar association, if future such efforts are to be encouraged and recognized.” [And fortunately, the rules were changed to allow contributors to report CLE credit for writing and editing Deskbooks (as “scholarly publications”) once the Deskbook was published! ]
The second edition, published in 1986, doubled in size to four volumes. In his preface, Ted noted: “The first edition of the Deskbook has been cited three times by the Washington Supreme Court and six times by the Court of Appeals. Recognition of the Deskbook by the courts of our state has to be the highest accolade the Deskbook can receive and should be a source of satisfaction to all those who have participated in the effort to write, edit, and publish this work.” The third edition, published in 1997, more than doubled again, to nine volumes. Reflecting in the preface that the Washington Real Property Deskbook “has consumed almost a professional lifetime for me,” Ted noted that it had been cited 15 times by the Washington Supreme Court and 28 times by the Washington Court of Appeals. A fourth edition (seven volumes) was published in 2009 and supplemented in 2014, and the fifth edition of all seven volumes, in sequence, is in process as of the end of 2024.
The Washington Appellate Practice Handbook was first published in 1980 as part of a nationwide project by the American Bar Association’s Appellate Handbook Committee. The first edition was chosen by the ABA Committee as a model for other states to follow. [Interesting historical note: Acknowledgments in the 1998 supplement to this Deskbook include now-Washington Supreme Court Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis for work in preparing the tables of authorities.]
The Washington Commercial Law Deskbook was first published in 1982; the Washington Partnership Law and Practice Handbook in 1984 (now the Washington Partnership and Limited Liability Corporation Deskbook, 3d. ed. 2020); Washington Consumer Protection, Antitrust and Unfair Business Practices Law Developments in 1984; the three-volume Washington Motor Vehicle Accident series in 1988 (last update 2009); the Washington Family Law Deskbook in 1989 (3d ed. 2022); and the Washington Civil Procedure Deskbook in 1992 (3d ed. 2014).
Deskbook Impact
The almost-half-century history of WSBA Deskbooks represents a member-created and sustained legacy, with deep roots and deep respect among practitioners. WSBA members volunteer their time to write and edit Deskbooks, sharing their knowledge and expertise in ways that raise the standard of practice and support the competence of the Washington Bar. The Washington State Law Library blog extolled (with “giddiness”) the release of the 2022 third edition of the Family Law Deskbook by quoting one of its editors: “The Deskbook is really a mentoring resource,” particularly important during times such as the pandemic when opportunities have been reduced for practitioners to gather to discuss ideas.
WSBA’s Deskbooks are recognized as authoritative sources on Washington law and have been cited by Washington appellate courts in over 250 opinions. Full of practice tips, forms, and checklists, these resources are valuable to both practitioners and the judiciary.
