Jonathan Pitel Named Local Hero by the Washington State Bar Association
SHELTON, Wash. (March 21, 2025) — The Washington State Bar Association today presented Jonathan Pitel with the Local Hero award in recognition of the outstanding contributions he made as president of the Sound Legal Aid Board of Directors from 2021 to 2024.
“Through Jonathan’s insight, encouragement, and practical solutions, he led not just the Sound Legal Aid Board of Directors, but the entire organization into a new era,” said WSBA President Sunitha Anjilvel.
The Local Hero award is presented to those who have made noteworthy contributions to their communities. Anjilvel presented the award at the March 21 meeting of WSBA’s Board of Governors in Shelton, WA. The Government Lawyers Bar Association nominated Pitel for the award.
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| Jonathan Pitel |
“Through his work as Board President for Sound Legal Aid, I have witnessed firsthand Jon's dedication, passion, and tireless commitment to making a positive impact in the communities we serve,” said one of Pitel’s nominators, current Sound Legal Aid Board President Ingrid Zerpa. “Jon's tenure as Board President is marked by many successes, and he truly deserves to be celebrated for his remarkable efforts to ensure Sound Legal Aid is a strong presence in the legal aid community.”
During the pandemic, Sound Legal Aid was facing challenges and budget concerns that threatened to upend the organization’s operations. Through Pitel’s leadership Sound Legal Aid not only survived but expanded its reach.
Pitel was instrumental as a financial steward and helped implement new programs and grants that allowed Sound Legal Aid to grow from a free legal clinic with three employees into a mid-size legal aid law firm which offers direct representation for housing and domestic violence cases as well as remote and in-person clinic services serving Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties. Pitel oversaw Sound Legal Aid in expanding its budget fivefold, enabling it to serve more vulnerable community members. He also helped reorganize and reimagine the Board of Governors’ role and steered updates of the organization’s policies, procedures, staff manuals, and bylaws.
Pitel currently works as an assistant attorney general in the Licensing and Administrative Law Division of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. He has represented the state of Washington in litigation at every level, from administrative hearings to the Washington Supreme Court, including as lead counsel defending Washington’s statutes regulating marijuana advertising. He serves on the Sound Legal Aid board of directors, and is a long-time member, and former Board member, of the Government Lawyers Bar Association. He also advises the Employment Security Department on the Public Records Act and compliance with state and federal confidentiality requirements.
About the Washington State Bar Association
The WSBA operates under the delegated authority of the Washington Supreme Court and exercises a governmental function authorized by the Court to license and regulate the state’s nearly 40,000 legal professionals, including lawyers, limited practice officers, and limited license legal technicians. The WSBA both regulates legal professionals under the authority of the Court and serves its members as a professional association — all without public funding. The WSBA administers the Bar admission process, including the bar exam; provides record-keeping and licensing functions; administers the lawyer discipline system; and provides continuing legal education for legal professionals, in addition to numerous other educational and member-service activities. The Bar’s mission is to serve the public and its members, to ensure the integrity of the legal profession, and to champion justice.
