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.
Nov. 14, 2025
TOP MEETING TAKEAWAYS
Legal Profession Pipeline. The Board held its annual discussion with the deans of Washington’s law schools and the chair of the Law Clerk Board to talk about trends, opportunities, and challenges with respect to legal education and the legal profession. Topics included innovative methods and programs to grow the legal pipeline, especially in rural areas of the state; ways the WSBA can support and engage with law schools; encouragement for legal professionals to get involved with K-12 schools to inspire future legal professionals; and bar-exam preparation.
2026 Legislative Session. The Board approved the WSBA’s 2026 legislative priorities, which include supporting and advancing bills that promote access to justice, provide funding for the state’s court system, and provide funding for civil legal aid and public defense services. The Board also recommitted to its position that lawmakers should create a process to study the inefficiencies and inequities created by local court rules, funding, and technology.
2027 License Fee. The Board followed its license fee policy to adopt a $7 increase to the active-lawyer license fee next year. Per its policy, the Board applied an inflation factor (Washington L&I COLA) to the current fees to reflect the real and changing value of the dollar; a strict application of the inflation factor would have yielded a $32 increase. The Board then evaluated projected expenses and revenues and the Bar’s unrestricted reserve fund and decided to lower the inflation-generated factor by $25 for a net $7 increase. The Washington Supreme Court will now review the Board’s 2027 fee recommendations for reasonableness.
Learn more about the Board’s license fee policy and its goal to create a stable, predictable, and sustainable annual budgeting process for members at: www.wsba.org/for-legal-professionals/license-renewal/license-fees/license-fee-policy.
Pass Score for New Bar Exam. The Washington Supreme Court adopted the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), with administration to begin in July 2026. That new exam requires a new pass score, which is set state by state. The Board looked at resources and score mapping conducted by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) and voted to recommend that the court adopt a passing score of 616, comparable to the standard under the current iteration of the exam. That recommendation will now go to the Supreme Court for consideration.
Learn more about the NextGen Bar Exam and other licensure pathways approved by the Court in 2024 at: https://wabarnews.org/2024/07/10/alternate-pathways-your-questions-answered/.
CONGRATS TO GOV. AHEARNE > Congratulations to WSBA Governor-at-Large Tom Ahearne for winning the 2025 Rev. John J. Cavanaugh Award from the University of Notre Dame. The award honors Notre Dame alumni who perform outstanding service in the fields of government, public service, or local, state, or national politics. Read a Q&A with Governor Ahearne at https://my.nd.edu/page/2025-thomas-ahearne.
The Board also:
- Approved an updated list of interview questions for the Judicial Recommendation Committee.
- Voted to terminate the WSBA CLE Committee.
- Held first-read presentations about proposed amendments to WSBA Bylaws regarding political activity by WSBA governors and officers and the Board’s conflict of interest policy.
- Held its annual mandatory anti-harassment training.
SAVE THE DATE > The next regular meeting is Jan. 16–17, 2025, in Seattle. To subscribe to the Board Meeting Notification list, email barleaders@wsba.org.