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, as well as past meetings, are online here: www.wsba.org/bog.
Sept. 26-27, 2025
TOP MEETING TAKEAWAYS
Passing the Gavel. The WSBA’s new officers were sworn in to kick off the 2026 fiscal year beginning in October: Francis Adewale is president, Kari Petrasek is president-elect, and Nam Nguyen is treasurer. Read more about each of them, and the rest of the Board of Governors, here.
Expanding the License Fee Exemption Based on Financial Need. The Board approved a bylaw amendment to better support members who are experiencing a financial hardship. The amendment expands the current license-fee hardship exemption in three ways: (1) increases the number of times an active member is eligible for the hardship exemption from two to three; (2) raises the eligibility threshold from 200 percent of the federal poverty level to 270 percent of the federal poverty level; and (3) changes the name from “Hardship Exemption” to “License Fee and Assessment Exemption Based on Financial Need.” The amendment will now go to the Supreme Court for approval. The goal is to have these changes in place by the time the upcoming license renewal season starts in November.
“Strategic Roadmap for Washington’s Legal Profession in a Time of Technology Disruption.” The Board received and accepted the final report from its Legal Technology Task Force. After almost 18 months of extensive study and surveying, the task force grouped its recommendations within 10 key points, paramount of which is that “legal professionals must integrate new technology tools into their daily work to serve clients efficiently, ethically, and competently.” The report suggests critical ways that the WSBA can support legal professionals and adapt its regulations, as well as recommendations for courts and law schools. Read the entire report online at http://bit.ly/432Ugf9. Expect to learn more as the Board turns the report into action plans in the coming months.
Fiscal Year 2026 Budget. The Board of Governors approved the FY 26 budget, which includes a $10 increase in the active-attorney license fee (approved in November 2024 and the first increase since 2020) to maintain regulatory programs and services. The final budget includes about $800,000 in planned use of unrestricted general fund reserves—still maintaining reserve funds far above the minimum $2 million requirement. This budget was the first to be built using a new license-fee policy, which will be the standard for years ahead: A market factor (cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA) will be considered each year to ensure the license fee is keeping track with the changing value of the dollar; then the Board will adjust the fee, depending on anticipated changes in revenues, expenses, reserve funds, and program needs.
New Licensing Pathways. The Licensure Pathways Implementation Steering Committee provided an update on its work to implement the Washington Supreme Court’s adoption of bar exam alternatives to establish competency to practice law. The Steering Committee approved a list of core competencies that individuals must demonstrate to be admitted to the bar developed by one of its subcommittees. Other subcommittees continue to work on remaining policies for the new licensing pathways and creating a plan for evaluating the success of the pathways. The committee hopes to submit draft implementation rules to the court by spring 2026.
Revised Legislative Policy and Procedures. The Board amended the WSBA’s policies and procedures for Bar entities to comment on legislation and rulemaking. The recommended amendments, from the Board Legislative Committee, consolidated several policies on legislative activity into a single document and aligned the WSBA’s practice with relevant rules and case law.
Law Clerk Changes. The Law Clerk Board recommended several amendments to rules and regulations related to the Law Clerk Program intended to increase participation and clarify requirements. The amendments include increasing the number of law clerks that a tutor can take on, decreasing the years of experience needed to qualify to be a primary tutor, and expanding the list of qualifying textbooks and materials that can be used for the program. The amendments were approved by the Board to move forward to the Supreme Court for consideration.
WSBA Strategic Plan for FY 26-29. The Board adopted a three-year strategic plan focused on four goals: 1. Access to justice (advance a fair, inclusive, effective, and accessible legal system for all people in our state—ensuring all Washingtonians have the resources, knowledge, and support needed to seek justice); 2. Technology (provide legal professionals with education and resources to understand and optimally utilize emerging technologies to ensure the continued delivery of high-quality, ethical legal services, improve career satisfaction, and increase the public’s access to legal services); 3. Culture (Foster a culture where inclusivity, belonging, civility, and wellness are foundational, ensuring that all legal professionals can thrive and serve their communities and clients with excellence and integrity); and 4. Governance (commit to a continuous process to enhance and improve WSBA governance structures and processes to ensure transparency, accountability, and inclusive engagement, while effectively serving the needs of the legal profession and the public and appropriately preserving confidential information). Within each area, the plan identifies objectives and indicators of success.
The Board also:
- Heard an update from the Council on Public Defense on implementation of the WSBA standards for indigent defense, in light of the Supreme Court’s adoption of its own related standards in June.
- Adopted the 2026 Keller deduction.
- Heard an annual report from the Client Protection Board.
SAVE THE DATE > The next regular meeting is Nov. 14–15, 2025, in Seattle. To subscribe to the Board Meeting Notification list, email barleaders@wsba.org.