Washington State Bar Association

Washington State Bar Association
Type Legal Society
Headquarters Puget Sound Plaza, Seattle, WA
Location
  • United States
Membership
33,000+ [1]
Website http://www.wsba.org

The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) is authorized by the Washington Supreme Court to license the state's 35,400 lawyers. The WSBA both regulates lawyers under the authority of the Court and serves its members as a professional association, without public funding. The WSBA's mission is to serve the public and the members of the Bar, ensure the integrity of the legal profession, and to champion justice.

History

In the days of Washington Territory, lawyers who had cases set for argument before the State Supreme Court were required to be present at the beginning of the Court term in January.[2] Sometimes they waited for weeks for their cases to be called.

On January 19, 1888, a group of these lawyers met in the Supreme Court chambers to form the Washington Bar Association. This was a voluntary organization and did not include all lawyers admitted to practice; originally it consisted of 35 lawyers, at a cost of $5 a year. In 1890, the name changed to Washington State Bar Association.

In 1930, as more lawyers were admitted to practice, it was proposed that the Bar Association have a paid executive secretary and a paid representative in Olympia when the Legislature was meeting, that it have an official publication, and that it be incorporated. George McCush of Bellingham headed an Incorporation Committee to draft a Bar Association Act proposal. The committee proposed that the Bar Association be an agency of the state, creating "a complete integrated (i.e., mandatory membership) Bar which is officially organized, self-governed and all inclusive." The annual license fee would be $5. In 1933, after much debate and some redrafting, the legislature enacted the State Bar Act (Ch. 2.48 RCW).[3]

According to its Bylaws, WSBA will not take positions on issues concerning the politics or social positions of foreign nations; take positions on political or social issues which do not relate to or affect the practice of law or the administration of justice; or support or oppose, in an election, candidates for public office.

Current Structure

Today, a 14-member Board of Governors (BOG), elected geographically, directs the WSBA. There is one governor for each of the 10 districts (except for the 7th District, which is divided into 7th-North and 7th-South), plus three at-large governors (one of whom must be a "young lawyer" as that term is defined under WSBA bylaws). The Board is elected solely by WSBA members, except for the at-large governors who are selected by the Board.

Annually, the Board selects a president-elect and elects one of its members as treasurer. It employs an executive director to carry out the purposes and functions of the Bar. The WSBA employs a staff of approximately 145.

Financing

WSBA is funded by mandatory license fees imposed upon Washington lawyers by order of the Supreme Court. At the time of an American Bar Association 2007 Dues and Mandatory Fees Survey (available from ABA), of the 32 mandatory state bars in the country, Washington’s license fees rank near the middle among those states with comparable membership size (e.g., Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia). In 2012, license fees were reduced to $325 as a result of a member referendum, thus placing the WSBA annual fee near the median for all state bar associations, according to the ABA Survey. Based on WSBA bylaws, any member may propose a member referendum to overturn a Board decision, if he/she submits a specified number of signatures in support of his/her effort. After submitting the required number of signatures, a member referendum was put before the membership to reduce license fees to $325. It passed by a vote of 52% of those who voted, cutting the WSBA budget by 26%. A wave of staff layoffs ensued, as well as budget reductions and changes to programs and services.

Services to Lawyers

WSBA implements the rules for admitting persons to the practice of law by means of biannual Bar Exams and annual relicensing. Its Office of Disciplinary Counsel investigates and prosecutes claims of lawyer misconduct, as specified in the Washington State Court Rules of Professional Conduct.[4]

WSBA's Lawyer Services Department provides a variety of services:

WSBA's Advancement Department provides a broad array of educational opportunities for lawyers, primarily through its Continuing Legal Education seminars. New Lawyer Education is a library of free and low-cost accredited programs tailored to new lawyers. The Preadmission Education Program is a mandatory four-hour training course for new attorneys that must be taken prior to admission to the WSBA.

The Washington Supreme Court adopted the Limited License Legal Technician (LLLT) Rule, effective Sept. 1, 2012. This rule authorizes non-attorneys who meet certain educational requirements to advise clients on specific areas of law, which have yet to be determined. The Limited License Legal Technician Board was created at the order of the Washington Supreme Court to administer the program.

The LLLT Board began its work in January 2013. As one of its first actions, the Board recommended family law as the first practice area in which to license LLLTs, which the Supreme Court unanimously approved in March 2013. The work of the LLLT Board is expected to take at least one year before it will be able to accept applications and begin licensing of LLLTs. The first courses to be offered toward licensure are slated to begin through the University of Washington School of Law in January 2014.

Sections

WSBA hosts 27 Sections, which are voluntary associations of attorneys interested in a common topic, such as Animal Law, Corporate Law, Criminal Law, Family Law and Human Rights Law. These organizations provide educational and networking opportunities.

New lawyers (admitted to practice for less than five years or under age 36) are the special province of the Washington Young Lawyers Committee (WYLC). The WYLC has three focus areas: Member Outreach & Leadership, Transition to Practice, and Pro Bono and Public Service.

Services to the Public

WSBA promotes justice through a variety of projects:

Washington State Bar Foundation

The Washington State Bar Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to fundraising on behalf of the WSBA. The Bar Foundation ensures WSBA has the resources to lead on issues of justice, public service, and diversity. It helps to support programs such as the Moderate Means Program.

Print/Online Communications

WSBA communicates and provides information in a number of ways:

References

  1. ↑ "About WSBA/Governance". Retrieved 2012-07-18.
  2. ↑ Robert D. Welden, WSBA General Counsel (1999). "History of the Washington State Bar Association". Washington State Bar Association. Retrieved 2011-11-28. External link in |publisher= (help)
  3. ↑ "State Bar Act". Washington State Legislature. Retrieved February 26, 2007.
  4. ↑ "Washington State Court Rules of Professional Conduct". Supreme Court of Washington State. Retrieved February 26, 2007.
  5. ↑ "Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection". Washington State Bar Association. 2000. Retrieved February 26, 2007. External link in |publisher= (help)
  6. ↑ "NWLawyer". Washington State Bar Association. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
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