COLUMN
BY Alain Villeneuve AND TIFFANY LYNCH
A dollar matters to me; it always has and always will. My father once told me: “When parents fight about the color of the carpet, that really means the bank account is empty!” Treasury matters, even more so at the WSBA since it manages license fees. After a career in Europe as a mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineer, I decided to pivot to the legal profession. The University of Illinois opened its doors to me as their first foreign J.D. student whose native language was not English. Money was very tight as I bet my house on this new career.
Off-campus jobs were closed to foreigners, so I manned the school’s front desk on weekends. I also landed a position as a Lexis associate, putting paper in the printers to supplement my meager budget. At $10 per hour, I covered out-of-state tuition without any grants or financial aid, both of which were denied to foreigners. At graduation, I was broke, and the cost of sitting for the bar was almost the straw that broke this camel’s back. But in 2003, I graduated without a single dollar of debt. That’s why, as governor of District 7-South, I volunteered on the Budget and Audit Committee and ran for the honor of becoming the WSBA’s new treasurer. In this role, fees will matter to me.
To the above context, I also believe the WSBA is well managed; let me explain. I practiced in Illinois from 2003 to 2020, where I paid registration and practice fees, before moving to Washington. In Illinois, lawyers must register with ARDC at $385 per year. They also can join either the Illinois State Bar ($455 per year) or the Chicago Bar ($395 per year) or even both. Both associations pressured us law students into joining. I paid well above $600 per year for over a decade, so I was impressed by the fees when I arrived in Washington. But that’s not all.
Working in downtown Chicago, I often walked past the luxurious offices of Illinois’ bars. For years, I thought the marble receptions were those of top-10 law firms. My first visit to the Washington State Bar Association made me proud. The WSBA occupies two small floors of a rather average building on 4th Avenue without any pomp or circumstance.
Glass plaques adorn the lobby, listing recipients of APEX awards. When I looked closer, I noticed that the last time they were updated was 2019, more than six years ago. Board meetings are always in humble venues, and the food costs are low. Alcohol is not paid for, and even the plaque I received with my sworn oath seems like an Ikea frame with a color photocopier page inside. Don’t get me wrong—I love the respect of the membership and the careful spending of fees. As the new treasurer, I believe that’s fiscal responsibility, and my role is to continue this tradition.
Before we talk about the FY 2027 budget, I want to relay an anecdote. Recently, a constituent reached out to me to raise an issue about a free WSBA legal search tool. Frankly, I had no idea the WSBA offered it. A little scratching uncovered a long list of benefits to members, including free CLEs. All of these benefits are included with active lawyer license fees, which for 2027, increased only $7, or about 1.5 percent. Inflation stands at 3.4 percent.
At its Sept. 24, 2026, meeting, the Board of Governors approved the FY 2027 budget, which follows historical budgeting patterns similar to those used for FY 2026. As FY 2026 concludes, the WSBA recognizes the financial impact of several unprecedented events, including the July 2026 bar exam cancellation, its subsequent rescheduling, and Board-approved reimbursements for certain applicant expenses. The WSBA is currently pursuing partial reimbursement from a variety of sources for costs related to the bar exam.
Although these costs were not included in the budget, the WSBA has continued its historical trend of outperforming budget projections. The FY 2026 budget anticipated a net loss of $917,305 (to be taken from reserves); however, despite the unexpected exam-related expenses, the WSBA still expects to finish significantly under budget. This fantastic performance predates me, and I would like to give a shoutout to Nam Nguyen, our past treasurer and current president-elect, and Tiffany Lynch, the WSBA director of finance. Final financial results will be reported after the annual external audit of the financial statements is completed in December.
FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET
General Fund Expenses by WSBA Programs & Services
A. Licensing and Admissions Services
16% > Costs to administer admissions and annual licensing processes for just over 40,000 WSBA members including lawyers, LPOs, and LLLTs; to administer the Entity Regulation pilot program; to maintain and respond to questions about members and their public information; and to support the Supreme Court-mandated MCLE Board, which adjudicates issues involving continuing legal education requirements. $4,074,166
B. Outreach and Engagement
4% > Supports WSBA outreach to the public, legal professionals, bar associations, policymakers, and others in order to enhance volunteer recruitment, raise awareness and understanding of WSBA programs and priorities, and create a sustainable network. $992,289
C. Management and Operations
27% > Includes costs associated with the WSBA Board of Governors, leadership, management, volunteer engagement, and internal support (finance, technology, human resources, etc.). $6,935,426
D. General Counsel
5% > Legal representation and support to the WSBA, the Board of Governors, and other boards, task forces, and committees; records requests and litigation management; and oversight, interpretation, and analysis of WSBA Bylaws and other legal issues. $1,204,269
E. Legislative and Law Improvement Efforts
1% > Supports work with WSBA leadership and sections to formulate positions on legislation, track relevant legislation during session, and provide technical advice on bills and existing statutes to the Legislature. $308,518
F. Discipline and Disability Systems
30% > Costs to handle consumer inquiries; to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate written grievances about lawyers, LPOs, and LLLTs (e.g., costs associated with disciplinary counsel, hearing officers, and the Supreme Court-mandated Disciplinary Board); to administer the WSBA audit program; and to educate members and law students about legal ethics, trust account compliance, and the discipline system. $7,614,908
G. Publications
3% > This category includes costs to develop, design, produce, and distribute WSBA print media and publications, including Washington State Bar News, the WSBA’s official publication. $890,320
H. Supreme Court-Mandated Boards and Programs
3% > Costs to support four of six boards and programs mandated by the Supreme Court: (1) Access to Justice Board; (2) Limited License Legal Technician Board; (3) Limited Practice Officer Board; and (4) Practice of Law Board. Costs associated with the Disciplinary Board and MCLE Board, which adjudicate regulatory issues, are included in the Licensing and Admissions Services and Discipline and Disability Systems categories. $708,046
I. Member Benefits
4% > Includes costs of programs benefiting the WSBA’s membership as a part of their annual license fee: (1) legal research tool (Fastcase); (2) monthly CLE programs (Legal Lunchbox™ Series); (3) the Professional Responsibility Program; (4) the Member Wellness Program; and (5) a confidential 24/7 member assistance program. $981,926
J. Public Service, Diversity, and Washington State Bar Foundation Support
4% > Costs to support: (1) WSBA public service programs (including the Powerful Communities Project and the Pro Bono WA portal); (2) work to advance diversity and inclusion in the legal profession; and (3) administrative costs of the Washington State Bar Foundation, which provides grant funding for these activities. $944,930
K. Sections Administration
1% > Includes staffing and administrative costs to support 29 sections, and to help sections develop “mini-CLEs” that are not offset by per-member charge revenues. $356,888
L. Member Services and Engagement
3% > Includes costs of outreach, education, training, and support to newly admitted WSBA members. Also includes funding for the WSBA’s mentor programming. $729,561
About the authorS
Alain Villeneuve is the WSBA treasurer and District 7-South governor. He can be reached at:
Tiffany Lynch is the WSBA director of finance and can be reached at: