LET US HEAR FROM YOU!
We welcome letters to the editor on issues presented in the magazine. Email letters to wabarnews@wsba.org. All opinions, statements, and conclusions expressed in letters to the editor represent the views of the respective authors and do not necessarily carry the endorsement of the WSBA or its Board of Governors. Publication of letters to the editor is not to be deemed an endorsement of the opinions, statements, and conclusions expressed by the author(s).
Tales From a Woman in Maritime Law
I was excited to see the cover article in Bar News [“No Longer Bad Luck on Board,” December/January 2025] about the local female maritime bar. In 1986, I was the only female member of the admiralty department at Bogle & Gates, which was one of the first admiralty firms in the Pacific Northwest. Paradoxically, my clients were more accepting of a female maritime attorney than the senior members of my department. I was not permitted to travel on business, for example, not even to Tacoma to attend the annual seafood client development dinner held there. (I was told that a certain kind of woman might jump out of a cake at the dinner and embarrass me!) The fact was that most clients appreciated having a woman advising them, something that the stories of the eight admiralty attorneys in this article confirm. Opposing counsel could, however, sometimes be less than respectful; I was once told by opposing counsel that I was “nothing but a paper tiger.” Within an hour of that conversation in Seattle, a U.S. marshal was arresting the factory trawler at issue in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. His client ended up paying the factory trawler crew that I represented millions of dollars in back pay and prejudgment interest in a landmark class action suit, as well as a multimillion-dollar criminal fine for dumping plastics at sea. I am still proud to be a proctor in admiralty and thrilled to read about eight prominent, successful women who are now warmly welcomed on board.
Lynn Bahrych
Shaw Island
Beyond the Ambassador Program
Kudos on the launch of the WSBA ambassador program. I’ve been lobbying for years for an organized way to promote public goodwill toward the legal profession and awareness of what we do for those in need, and to instill trust and confidence in our legal profession. We make headlines and prominent news when a huge verdict is assessed against a government entity or a school district for its failings, or when a plaintiff’s or class action litigator is deemed a white knight in a tragic case. These are instances of public relations, negative or positive, that are reactive and incident dependent. Instead, I would like to see a concerted effort where WSBA executives, members of the Board of Governors, and ambassadors through the new WSBA program accomplish some or all of the following:
1) Publish op eds in the The Seattle Times and air stories on local TV and radio about what our bar members are doing that the public isn’t aware of. Our state and county bar publications often feature pro bono efforts and other activities of our bar members that go above and beyond. Share those stories with the general public. Help change some perceptions of lawyers as overpriced gladiators or hired guns for businesses and the wealthy.
2) Use these same modalities to feature programs that folks in need may not be aware of. Show people where and how they can get much needed legal access and help.
3) Set up speakers to share what lawyers do and how folks can access pro bono clinics and other programs in local libraries, community centers, town halls, and other places that folks convene.
4) Volunteer outside of the legal sphere in communities to help folks accessing social or health services.
5) Do “show and tells” (I’m dating myself) in local schools to educate and inspire kids. For those who have kids in school, volunteer to be a speaker or set up a short mock court experience or debate using a book that the students are reading.
All of us can be a public ambassador in our neighborhood. We’re doing a much better job of featuring our local heroes and pro bono ventures among ourselves. Let’s take it to the streets. Bring your enthusiasm and your ideas and sign up to be a WSBA ambassador (contact saran@wsba.org). It’s an easier and more impactful New Year’s resolution than the usual diet and exercise pledge.
Michael B. Goldenkranz
Seattle
Letters to the editor published in Bar News must respond to content presented in the magazine and also comply with Washington General Rule 12.2 and Keller v. State Bar of California, 496 U.S. 1 (1990).* Bar News may limit the number of letters published based on available space in a particular issue and, if many letters are received in response to a specific piece in the magazine, may select letters that provide differing viewpoints to publish. Bar News does not publish anonymous letters or more than one letter from the same contributor per issue. All letters are subject to editing for length, clarity, civility, and grammatical accuracy.
*GR 12.2(c) states that the WSBA is not authorized to “(1) Take positions on issues concerning the politics or social positions of foreign nations; (2) Take positions on political or social issues which do not relate to or affect the practice of law or the administration of justice; or (3) Support or oppose, in an election, candidates for public office.” In Keller v. State Bar of California, the Court ruled that a bar association may not use mandatory member fees to support political or ideological activities that are not reasonably related to the regulation of the legal profession or improving the quality of legal services.