Displaying leadership through service, four local leaders stand out
BY ALEXANDER R. REAGANSON
Earlier this year, the Washington Young Lawyers Committee (WYLC) asked the legal community to nominate new or young lawyers who have gone above and beyond in serving their communities for its annual Public Service and Leadership Awards. This year’s award recipients stood out by displaying a history of exemplary leadership and commitment to public service and pro bono work.
For each nominee, the committee weighed the following factors: (1) leadership and service in the local community or within a bar association; (2) mentoring; (3) involvement in WSBA, American Bar Association, and/or local bar association activities; and (4) volunteer work with pro bono or public service programs.
After plenty of deliberation over the largest number of nominations we’ve received in recent years, the committee is pleased to announce Ndiabou Diagana, Coco Avery Holbrook, Casie Rodenberger, and Brittany Tri as the 2024 Public Service and Leadership Award recipients.
MAKING THE CHOICE TO SERVE
Robert Greenleaf, author of The Servant as Leader, said, “The first and most important choice a leader makes is the choice to serve, without which one’s capacity to lead is severely limited.”
This year’s Public Service and Leadership Award recipients all have made that choice, showing us that a public service ethic paired with commitment to the community is the foundation for successful leaders. The WSBA and the WYLC are proud to have such inspiring members working to help Washingtonians. Congratulations to the 2024 WYLC Public Service and Leadership Award recipients!
Ndiabou Diagana
Diagana is a city attorney for the City of Burien and was previously honored by the University of Washington School of Law with the Jack Macdonald Merit Award in recognition of her commitment to public service and leadership.
A former volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate, since graduating from law school in 2019 Diagana has continued to embody the word “advocate” as a city attorney working to ensure that justice continues to be accessible for all. Additionally, Diagana uses her engineering background to help business owners from diverse communities protect their intellectual property and is a regular volunteer at legal clinics in King County. As an immigrant, Diagana brings a unique perspective to the Washington legal profession and a passion for giving back to the community.
Coco Avery Holbrook
Recently promoted from “kitchen sink” generalist to assistant managing attorney for Northwest Justice Project’s Wenatchee field office, Holbrook also volunteers with Wenatchee Pride and is a member of Disability Rights Washington.
A not-so-recent East Coast transplant, Holbrook graduated from Boston University School of Law in 2018 and came to Washington ready to bring mental health and civil rights advocacy to Central Washington’s rural communities. Holbrook helped establish and continues to elevate Northwest Justice Project’s special education practice, as well as making sure that a rural perspective is considered in the organization’s statewide advocacy efforts. Never one to shy away from a little “good trouble,” Holbrook goes above and beyond for their clients, even if it means taking on water quality issues in a community on top of a client’s utilities and eviction case.
Casie Rodenberger
Rodenberger strives to be one of Bellingham’s best as an attorney with Whatcom Law Group, while also serving as the vice president for public service of the statewide organization Washington Women Lawyers.
Once a member of the University of Iowa College of Law’s (’18) Pro Bono Society and now an American Bar Association Fellow, Rodenberger has focused her practice and life on seeing and solving the problems regular people face with institutions of power. Whether helping folks get transitional housing as a board member of Sun Community Services, or covering for her support staff in a pinch, Rodenberger’s service-minded record and passion speaks for itself.
Brittany Tri
The lead associate at Alford & Associates, PLLC, Tri volunteers at the Everett’s FIRST Legal Clinic to help prevent unnecessary child removals by CPS and to make prenatal and post-natal support available to at-risk parents.
Tri is a lifelong Washingtonian who grew up in Lake Stevens and graduated from the University of Washington School of Law in 2015. Starting with UW’s Human Rights and Street Law clinics, Tri continues her passion for volunteer service as a board member for Sound Pathways, which provides harm reduction and case management services in Snohomish County. Tri’s commitment to this work is so strong that, in a case with FIRST Legal Clinic, she made sure a former client had childcare while the client took the time she needed to address the issues she was facing. If that doesn’t deserve recognition, then the committee couldn’t tell you what does.
About the author
Alexander R. Reaganson is a staff attorney at Northwest Justice Project’s Vancouver office and chair-elect of the Washington Young Lawyers Committee. He can be reached at: