Connect with Peers and Practitioners through WSBA's 29 Sections
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Sections members become part of active professional communities and gain access to an array of exclusive section member benefits. Over 10,000 WSBA members currently belong to one or more of the WSBA’s 29 sections. The section membership year begins Jan. 1.
Member Benefits
In the past year, WSBA Sections have sponsored approximately 70 CLE seminars and hosted multiple professional networking events around the state. Various sections offer a plethora of member benefits, including, but not limited to:
- List serve communities
- Newsletters, reports, deskbooks, and sourcebooks
- Free and discounted CLEs
- Opportunities to engage in the Washington state legislative process
...and more! Join a Section Today!
Interested in Section Leadership?
Each section is led by a group of volunteers who are elected to serve on the executive committee. Many find leading a section to be a rewarding experience because of the leadership growth, professional development, firsthand experience with the legislative process, and collegiality it offers. Executive committee discussions are productive and challenging, offering a unique opportunity to work with other legal professionals in a goal-oriented setting that benefits WSBA members and the greater legal community.
Executive committee terms begin Oct. 1, 2022, and sections accept applications for the following year in early spring. Consider applying to become a section leader!
For general sections questions, send an email with your Bar number to sections@wsba.org or call 800-945-9722.
WSBA Sections
Juvenile Law Section
The Juvenile Law Section provides an opportunity for legal professionals who work with juveniles and their families in child welfare and juvenile justice to meet together and work collaboratively on issues facing their clients. Areas of legal practice the section addresses include child welfare, juvenile justice, status offenses, immigration as it relates to children and families, truancy, at-risk youth and children in need of services proceedings, as well as a variety of civil legal needs of youth. The Section welcomes advocates from all interested disciplines and a variety of fields of law, including juvenile justice, child welfare, and those who represent youth in civil legal practice.
The Section provides benefits to members by sponsoring an annual CLE focusing on current developments in the area of juvenile law. The Section also acts as an agent of change to improve the law and practice related to civil and criminal matters involving children and youth in Washington state.
Join Today | Annual Report | Budget | Bylaws | Year in Review
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Congratulations, Incoming Executive Committee Members!
Below are the results of the Juvenile Law Section Executive Committee election. Thank you for voting!
For more information about the Section and its executive committee roles, please review the Section's bylaws. Winners are listed alphabetically by position.
Co-Chair: one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2022, and ending Sept. 30, 2023.
Secretary/Treasurer: partial-year term ending Sept. 30, 2022.
Secretary/Treasurer: one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2022, and ending Sept. 30, 2023.
At-Large Member: one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2022, and ending Sept. 30, 2023.
CLE/Outreach Coordinator: partial-year term ending Sept. 30, 2022.
CLE/Outreach Coordinator: one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2022, and ending Sept. 30, 2023.
Dependency & Child Welfare Committee Co-Chair: one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2022, and ending Sept. 30, 2023.
Civil Legal Needs Committee Chair: partial-year term ending Sept. 30, 2022.
Civil Legal Needs Committee Co-Chair: one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2022, and ending Sept. 30, 2023.
Questions? Contact sections@wsba.org.
Executive Committee
Co-Chair: Michael Addams (2021-2022) Co-Chair: vacant Secretary/Treasurer: Matt Macklin (2020-2021) Board of Governors Liaison*: Brett Purtzer (2021-2022) Young Lawyer Liaison: vacant Legislative Committee Chair: Bailey Zydek (2021-2022) CLE/Outreach Coordinator:
* Nonvoting member | Dependency & Child Welfare Committee Co-Chairs: Civil Legal Needs Committee Co-Chairs: Juvenile Justice Committee Co-Chairs: At-Large Members: Law School Representatives*: |
The WSBA Juvenile Law Executive Committee generally conducts meetings by videoconference from noon to 1 p.m. on the 3rd Friday of each month. See event calendar listing for log-in information. Please contact subcommittee members for details on their upcoming meeting dates and locations.
To join the section list serve and for general section questions, please send your email address and Bar number to sections@wsba.org. For more information and to get involved with the section, contact the section Co-Chair Michael Addams .
