Washington State Bar Association

06/17/2026

The WSBA Volunteer Application deadline has been extended for a limited number of groups, we invite you to take a closer look! We've extended the deadline to June 30 because we still need more applicants than we currently have—and we'd love you to be one of them. Thank you for considering these opportunities to serve, we hope you’ll join us in shaping the future of the legal profession!

• Board of Bar Examiners
• Character & Fitness Board
• Disciplinary Board
• Hearing Officer
• Judicial Recommendation Committee
• Law Clerk Board
• LLLT Board
• Limited Practice Board
• Pro Bono & Public Service Committee
• Small Town and Rural Council
• Washington New Members Committee

Learn more here: https://zurl.co/NMOhd

06/16/2026

In May, the WSBA Well-Being Task Force reported high levels of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse among attorneys, exacerbated by stressors like work pressures and relationship conflicts. The report highlights how secure intimate partnerships can provide support, while unresolved conflicts can worsen distress, ultimately affecting lawyers’ professional and personal satisfaction. https://zurl.co/JkU3m

In May, the WSBA Well-Being Task Force reported high levels of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse among attorneys, exacerbated by stressors like work pressures and relationship conflicts. The…

06/15/2026

Fortifying the Record: Shielding Vulnerable Populations Through Data Privacy—SB 6081 and Beyond https://zurl.co/AAezG

Recently passed SB 6081 is designed to protect individuals from the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive identity information.

06/12/2026

Affinity Bar Spotlight > Washington Women Lawyers

Read a Q&A in the June issue of Bar News from Washington Women Lawyers (WWL) President Debra Hannula. Learn the history of their incredible organization, the goals they hope to achieve, and the opportunities and benefits available for their members. https://zurl.co/e26zf

WWL’s mission is to further the full integration of women in the legal profession, and to promote equal rights and opportunities for women.

06/11/2026

Episode 7 of the Voices of the Heroes of Justice is streaming now! In the latest installment, WSBA President Francis Adewale interviews Spokane County District Court Judge Jeffrey R. Smith. https://zurl.co/J8vcS

Judge Smith had an unconventional path to the bench, with a 16-year career in medicine as a physician associate. In 2001, he made the decision to pivot to law and graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law in 2004.

Judge Smith was elected to the Spokane County District Court bench in 2016 and elected to full terms in 2018 and 2022. The court is comprised of eight judges and roughly 80 employees, handling between 40,000 and 50,000 cases annually. Judge Smith currently serves as presiding judge and also oversees the Mental Health Court and DUI Therapeutic Court dockets.

In this episode Judge Smith discusses his career, how working in medicine and the law can be surprisingly similar, the importance of listening with empathy, and some personal anecdotes, including advice for new lawyers, and more.

Want to hear more from Judge Smith? Read his guest column here in the June issue of Bar News magazine: https://zurl.co/eNd2e

Listen to Judge Smith’s full story and be sure to listen to the first six episodes of the podcast. Hear directly from podcast guests what has influenced their views on the rule of law and legal practice and how they are helping to shape our profession, lifting others up and continuing to move us toward a more just and inclusive legal system. https://zurl.co/ba6Nb

Need a transcript of the episode? Please email [email protected] and we will send it over to you.

06/10/2026

New Pathways in the New Bar News

After completing her undergrad and moving to Oregon, Bayley Rea decided to enroll in law school and take the traditional route to becoming a lawyer. That traditional route, it turned out, was not for her.

In the new issue of Bar News, you can learn more about Rea’s story and the WSBA’s newly proposed “portfolio evaluation,” a pathway that would allow prospective lawyers to earn their licenses by completing specific work product and practice hours, rather than by passing the bar exam. https://zurl.co/lVUSb

Bayley Rea, after facing personal challenges, pursued a non-traditional path to law licensure instead of retaking the bar exam following her father’s death and the birth of her child. Oregon&…

06/09/2026

Do You Have a Minute? Supervising and Being Supervised

RPC 5.1 addresses the responsibility of lawyer-supervisors while RPC 5.2 outlines the corresponding duties of lawyer-subordinates. This column discusses different facets of those rules. https://zurl.co/GKjX8

RPC 5.1 addresses the responsibility of lawyer-supervisors while RPC 5.2 outlines the corresponding duties of lawyer-subordinates.

06/08/2026

In Conversation with Benton Franklin Legal Aid Society (BFLA)

Q&A in Bar News magazine with executive director Barbara Potter, housing justice program manager Victor Barajas, volunteer attorney grant writer Marla Marvin, and volunteer LLLT Mark Von Weber. https://zurl.co/WaNpK

A Q&A with the Benton Franklin Legal Aid Society.

06/05/2026

Join us for the next free Legal Lunchbox: Financial Expert Essentials at 11:55 a.m. on Tuesday, June 30. This program is for 1.50 Law & Legal Procedure CLE credits.

This seminar is presented in collaboration with the Washington New Members Committee (WMNC) and examines how legal teams can identify, evaluate, and effectively work with financial expert witnesses throughout litigation. Visit the WSBA CLE Store to register: https://zurl.co/J1UYf

06/04/2026

The ‘Hot Potato’ Rule: The Coolest Name in Legal Ethics https://zurl.co/PWoLp

Under the judicially created "hot potato" rule, a law firm cannot drop a client “like a hot potato” to avoid a conflict.