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Kudos to Past APEX Award Winner
In early February, The Seattle Times showcased attorney Adam Ballout and the nonprofit he co-founded, FIRST Legal Clinic, which helps parents in trouble keep their families together before children are removed to foster care [“From CPS and crisis to a family again: Everett attorney finds a new way,” by Claudia Rowe]. Reading the article, it dawned on me how attorneys like Adam, instead of simply taking on cases, recognize a systemic repeated problem and work to propose a big-picture solution by taking the initiative and gathering the necessary stakeholders to get it done. His team has worked with more than 1,600 families, 79 percent of whom were able to stabilize without losing their kids to the state.
In 2023, FIRST Legal Clinic won the WSBA’s APEX Award for Pro Bono and Public Service for a group. (I was beyond humbled to receive the Pro Bono and Public Service Award for an individual that year.) It is very gratifying to see coverage and recognition of lawyers and legal organizations who look at the big picture and work to propose solutions.
Michael B. Goldenkranz
Seattle
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