President’s Corner > Look Backward and Looking Forward

COLUMN

BY FRANCIS ADEWALE

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.

— Soren Kierkegaard

This edition appears in the December/January issue of Bar News, the last of 2025 and the first of 2026. Welcome to a brand-new year. In this column, I will seek to provide a review of some of the WSBA’s 2025 accomplishments, as well as look beyond what the eyes can see to the future. I have also included a list of the top 25 WSBA accomplishments for 2025. As Winston Churchill once said, “The longer you can look back, the farther you can look forward.”

Equity and Justice Plan

One of the great accomplishments of our Bar Association last year was the unanimous adoption of the Equity and Justice Plan by the Board of Governors. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council had worked tirelessly for more than three years to put this plan together. The plan has three essential 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 our state; and (3) deepen and broaden WSBA leadership’s ongoing commitments to addressing inclusion, belonging, and equity issues. The implementation of these goals will be one of the directive principles of the WSBA this year.

Rule of Law Ambassador Program

On May 1, 2025, more than 1,600 legal professionals across the state publicly retook their oaths to uphold the rule of law, reaffirming their commitment to the Constitution and justice for all.

The WSBA’s Rule of Law Ambassador Program is designed to help legal professionals carry out these duties—to educate and inform their communities about the rule of law in a way that builds connections and, ultimately, trust.

First WSBA Strategic Plan (2026-2029) Adopted

For the first time in recent memory, the Board adopted a three-year strategic plan. The first of the four goals relates to 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.” Other goals address technology, culture, and governance.

Pilot Project for Entity Regulation

The WSBA Entity Regulation Pilot Project is a response to the evolving landscape of legal services, where technology and new business models are changing how legal assistance is delivered. Historically, only individuals licensed by the Washington Supreme Court could own law firms and practice law. This pilot project seeks to test the implications of allowing entities, including those operated by individuals not licensed to practice law, to offer legal services under limited exemptions from existing regulations. Within 24 hours after the application portal opened, we began receiving applications. This is a monumental achievement.

First Bar Leaders Summit

To help regional and affinity bars collaborate and provide training for bar leaders, the WSBA organized the first ever statewide Bar Leaders Summit. The conference drew attendees from all regions in our state and was widely regarded by local bar leaders as a huge success. WSBA investment in bar leadership programs such as this greatly benefit our association, as future leaders of the Bar usually come from regional and affinity bars. I am living proof, as I started my bar leadership role as trustee of the Spokane County Bar Association before my election as District 5 governor.

First Rural Day of Service

The WSBA Small Town and Rural (STAR) Council held its first Rural Day of Service in 2025. Legal practitioners in rural areas all over the state were celebrated and acknowledged. Legal service delivery in rural areas and small towns in our state is a top WSBA priority, and I will be writing more about attracting practitioners to these areas in the future.

Looking Forward

If we did so much in 2025, what else is left for us in 2026? Quite a lot. My commitment is to build on these laudable achievements and continue to work hard to expand access to justice in the state of Washington.

We need to bend the arc of justice for those left outside the circle of human concern. It is a commitment that our noble profession made: Justice for all should never be a slogan, but a guiding principle and a reality for those left at the margins. We can do it: Bend the Arc! 

THE FULL LIST

FY 25 Top 25 Accomplishments

• Equity and Justice Plan adopted.
• Launched Rule of Law Ambassador Program.
• Held May 1 Law Day events across the state.
• Approved the first three-year strategic plan in recent memory.
• Legal Technology Task Force presented its final report.
• Sponsored and supported the Access to Justice (ATJ) Board to put on the ATJ Conference.
• Established updated Indigent Defense Standards.
• Launched the Entity Regulation Pilot Project. 
• Held the inaugural WSBA Regulatory School.
• Held the inaugural Bar Leaders Summit. 
• Made WSBA Deskbooks accessible for free via the Washington State Law Library.
• Board of Governors issued a statement in support of the rule of law.
• Held the inaugural Pathways to the Profession Summit.
• Held the second STAR Summit.
• Held our first Rural Day of Service. 
• Gave out summer stipends for law students interning in rural areas.
• Held our second annual rural job fair.
• Removed the resident agent requirement for out-of-state bar members. 
• Adopted bylaw amendments changing the title of “Young Lawyer” to “New Member.”
• Created a “retired” license status. 
• Conducted the second decennial demographic study.
• Adopted a Language Access Plan.
• Adopted AI policies for employees and those attending WSBA meetings. 
• Launched replacement discipline-system case and document management platform.
• Launched the second and third Washington Law Student Employment Retreat (WALSER) in partnership with affinity bars. 

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GUEST COLUMN > In each issue of Bar News, WSBA President Adewale asks one Washington legal professional, one “Hero of Justice,” to share how they came to practice law, read the column here.

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