The WSBA Board of Governors determines the Bar’s general policies and approves its annual budget
The agenda, materials, and video recording from this Board of Governors meeting (held in Shelton), as well as past meetings, are online here: www.wsba.org/bog.
SIDEBAR
The WSBA Receives Clean Financial Audit
Certified Public Accounting firm Clark Nuber has issued an unmodified, “clean” audit opinion for the WSBA’s 2024 fiscal year. This marks another year of upstanding independent audit reports for the state bar. The WSBA has been issued “clean” audits—that is, without a modified opinion, verifying that our financial records accurately present our fiscal status and obligations—dating back to at least 1970. Additionally, the WSBA’s annual audits have had no management letters—that is, no issues of note or concern to communicate to the Board of Governors—dating back to at least 1996.
“Financial integrity is paramount,” said WSBA Treasurer Kari Petrasek. “We’re proud to have another consecutive year of an unmodified opinion, highlighting the accuracy and prudent management of our financial operations.” More information about the WSBA’s finances can be found at www.wsba.org/about-wsba/finances.
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March 21-22, 2025
TOP MEETING TAKEAWAYS
In Support of an Independent Legal Profession. A theme of the meeting was the need for the WSBA to act in defense of the profession and against any erosion to the rule of law. Toward that end, Board members agreed to submit an amicus brief—at the appellate level—in Perkins Coie LLP v. U.S. Department of Justice. They referenced the Board’s March 12, 2025, “Statement in Support of an Independent Legal Profession Free from Government Retaliation” to reiterate their viewpoint: The rule of law, the bedrock principle of our democracy, depends on lawyers being able to represent all interests and to challenge government overreach without fear of retribution. Relatedly, the Board joined more than 50 bar associations as co-signers of an ABA statement in support of the rule of law. The WSBA is also launching a Rule of Law Ambassador Program. Email ambassadors@wsba.org to join the distribution list.
License Fee Philosophy. After almost a decade of fiscal prioritization and strategic actions to keep the license fee essentially flat, the Board is considering a license-fee philosophy focused on future sustainability and predictability for members and the association. The philosophy would have the Board start with the assumption that the fee should be annually adjusted by a market factor (Washington’s L&I cost-of-living adjustment); any increase would then be offset by revenue or cost-saving initiatives or strategic use of reserve funds. The goal is to create a “soft landing” for members—that is, the license fee should keep pace with actual costs of business annually to avoid significant, intermittent fee increases. The Board is seeking feedback before codifying and putting the philosophy to use.
Setting a New Course for Equity and Justice. Leaders of the WSBA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council presented a draft Equity and Justice Plan to fulfill the WSBA’s purpose of regulating the legal profession and improving the quality of legal services. “This is a plan for every member of the public and for every member of the Bar,” said WSBA President Sunitha Anjilvel. The plan is based on a membership study that provided wide-ranging data about the composition of Washington’s legal profession and member experiences in the workplace. After receiving much feedback from members, the Council prepared the current draft with three goals: (1) Strengthen the legal profession by building community and fostering belonging; (2) Advance a fair, inclusive, effective, and accessible legal system for all people in Washington; and (3) Deepen and broaden WSBA leadership’s ongoing commitment to address inclusion, belonging, and equity issues. “We’re talking about justice for all here, and all means all,” said Gov. Tom Ahearne. The Board is expected to review and potentially adopt the plan at its May meeting.
Support for Rural Practitioners in the Legislature. The Board authorized representatives of its Small Town and Rural (STAR) Council to write a letter to inform legislators considering Senate Bill 5027, establishing a loan repayment program for public defense attorneys and prosecutors. The letter will identify relevant concerns being researched by the STAR Council—including the critical need for lawyers in some rural areas, particularly public defenders and prosecutors—and how a loan repayment program could be part of the solution. The STAR Council arose from the WSBA’s strategic goal to support rural practice and access to justice in small towns and rural parts of the state.
Expansion of License Fee Hardship Exemptions. After considering member feedback, licensing data, and economic statistics, the Board considered a recommendation from the Budget and Audit Committee to increase the number of times a member is eligible for the hardship exemption from two to three, and to raise the eligibility threshold from 200 percent to 270 percent of the federal poverty level. The Budget and Audit Committee will fine-tune the proposal and bring it back for Board action soon.
The Board also:
- Held its annual meeting with the Washington Supreme Court, discussing topics such as the WSBA’s draft Equity and Justice Plan and implementation of the court’s new alternatives to the bar exam and entity regulation pilot program.
- Discussed the idea to create seats on the Board of Governors for public (non-legal licensee) members. Governors expressed feedback and concerns, including the need to gather member-wide feedback if this idea were to come forward as a full proposal.
- Heard an update from the WSBA’s Council on Public Defense regarding new standards for indigent defense—the Legislature and local jurisdictions are encountering implementation challenges with the WSBA’s newly adopted standards, and the Washington Supreme Court is currently considering whether to update its own standards that would be codified in court rules.
SAVE THE DATE > The next regular meeting is May 2-3, 2025, in Port Angeles. To subscribe to the Board Meeting Notification list, email barleaders@wsba.org.