Admission by Portfolio Evaluation: Core Competencies, Portfolio Requirements, and Next Steps
The proposal for the portfolio evaluation, now under consideration by the Washington Supreme Court, is […]
New Pathways to Practice: A Prospective Attorney’s Journey Through Oregon’s SPPE Program
For some aspiring attorneys, especially those with the responsibilities of raising a family or those […]
For the People: King County District Court Program Promotes Civic Engagement
KCDC’s Community Engagement Program aims to promote civic engagement, build trust, demystify the “black robe,” […]
How the QT+ Committee Helps Make the Invisible Visible
Since its inception, the Commission has played an active role in examining how the legal […]
Fortifying the Record: Shielding Vulnerable Populations Through Data Privacy—SB 6081 and Beyond
SB 6081 is a targeted data privacy measure designed to protect individuals from the unauthorized […]
Affinity Bar Spotlight > Washington Women Lawyers
WWL’s mission is twofold: to further the full integration of women in the legal profession, […]
Managing Client Trust Accounts: Preventing the Most Common Compliance Failures
For many Washington lawyers, managing a client trust account (IOLTA) is one of the most […]
Volunteer Spotlight: Q&A with Ann Guinn
Guinn is a law firm practice management consultant and has been a WSBA volunteer for […]
Update From Olympia: A Recap of the 2026 Washington Legislative Session
Legislators passed an $80.2 billion supplemental operating budget with approximately $1.6 billion in new spending […]
Constitutional Confusion: Washington’s Weapons-Surrender Statute
The last few years have witnessed much confusion in the trial courts about whether Washington's […]
Second Chances
The types of cases in which Judges for Justice involves itself often involve grisly murders […]
Affinity Bar Spotlight > Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle
MAMA Seattle was founded in 2006 to empower attorney mothers and encourage professional success. […]
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN FOCUS
Let’s Get Technical: An Interview with Justice Colleen Melody
From the time since it was created in 2015 and up until her appointment to […]
Q&A With Rural Practice Grant Recipients
The WSBA is now accepting applications for its 2026 Rural Practice Summer Internship Grants. Application […]
Learning Outside the Box (Legally) in Washington State
This shift to homeschooling has created significant legal and policy implications, particularly for families and […]
Drafting Wills and Trusts: Be Careful Naming Life Insurance Beneficiaries
It is not unusual for attorneys to use estate planning software or form documents in […]
Affinity Bar Spotlight > Filipino Lawyers of Washington (FLOW)
FLOW’s core goals are to unite and amplify Filipino legal professionals through advocacy, mentorship, and […]
When Comfort Enters the Courtroom
How Washington pioneered the use of courthouse facility dogs to help victims, witnesses, and vulnerable […]
Whole Genome Sequencing at the Legal Threshold
In July 2023, Rex Heuermann was arrested and charged with seven murders between 1993 and […]
Creative Recreation: Recreational Injury Cases Present Unique Challenges
I have found that these cases require creativity, agility, preparation, and grit—the same qualities that […]
Approaching Retirement Age? Go Back to Law School—in a Different Country
I quickly realized that golf, tennis, sun, and beaches were not for me. I thought […]
WSBA NEWS > GRAPHICALLY SPEAKING SERIES
#LawTok U: How TikTok is Revolutionizing the Pathway to Practice
Rather than learning about constitutional modalities through the traditional channels of law school, many law […]
Washington Lawyers Turn Up the Volume at Law Rocks Seattle
Law Rocks began in London in 2009 as a way for members of the legal […]
Deceived and Deductible: The IRS Clarifies Theft-Loss Relief
In March 2025, the Internal Revenue Service eased restrictions by issuing an IRS Chief Counsel […]
What They Gave Each Other
It might seem improbable that two women, each the mother of a child catastrophically injured […]
Affinity Bar Spotlight > South Asian Bar Association of Washington
The South Asian Bar Association of Washington (SABAW) was founded in 2001 by a group […]
WSBA NEWS > SPECIAL LEGAL PATHWAYS COVERAGE
Alternative Pathways to Lawyer Licensure
The Washington Bar Licensure Task Force recommends bar exam alternatives and more equity and clarity in the character and fitness process. […]
New Pathways to Lawyer Licensure: Part II
This article takes a closer look at—and answers some of the (many) questions asked about—the […]
New Pathways to Lawyer Licensure
Washington State Supreme Court orders launch change […]
Apprenticeship, Not Academia
The traditional path to becoming a lawyer in Washington state can be daunting. That’s how […]
WSBA Technology Task Force Report: Key Highlights
Using the Washington Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Technology Principles as a guide, the Task […]
2025 WNMC Public Service & Leadership Award Recipients
Displaying leadership through service, five local leaders stand out: Chelsey Butchard, Alejandra Cabrales, Austin Hellman, […]
Foreclosure Mediation in Transition: Key Changes for Attorneys and Community Mediators
Senate Bill (SB) 5686, passed in the 69th Legislature (2025) and signed by the governor, makes significant […]
Justice Unveiled
The Attorney General’s new Cold Case Unit for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and People embarks on […]
Advise, Advocate, and Empower: The U.S. Military’s Victims’ Counsel Program
VCs are military attorneys detailed to provide free legal representation to eligible victims of sexual […]
Q&A with 2025-2026 WSBA President Francis A. Adewale
Get to know new WSBA President Francis A. Adewale–what inspired him to run for the […]
Meet Your 2025-2026 Board of Governors
Photos and bios for the WSBA president, president-elect, immediate-past president, and members of the Board […]
Get With the Plan
As of July 27, there is a new mandatory parenting plan form that reflects changes […]
Access for All
Q&A with Rob Mead, the Washington State Law Librarian, about the WSBA Deskbook collaboration, hat […]
RURAL PRACTICE IN FOCUS
Far-Flung Places: A WSBA Travel Series on Rural Legal Practice
In coordination with members of the STAR Committee, we reached out to rural practitioners throughout […]
A Short Primer for Potential Small-Town Lawyers
Thinking about swapping town for country? Take a look at the following 10 statutes practitioners […]
How to Volunteer with the WSBA
Learn about the work carried out by some of the people and groups that make up the WSBA’s volunteer community. […]
The Beauty of Brevity
When less is more: Advocate more effectively for your client with a short and simple […]
Using ‘Reasonable Cause’ to Avoid IRS Penalties
Taxpayers ask to have IRS penalties forgiven for many reasons. One of the most common, […]
The WSBA’s Commitment to Wellness
Hearing about another attorney’s personal struggles can reinforce that it’s OK to talk about mental […]
And the Temple Rocked
The Washington Supreme Court’s foundation-shaking decision in Martinez-Cuevas v. DeRuyter Bros. Dairy holds dairy workers […]
Three Big Developments in Soft IP Law
This article highlights the key elements of each of these new legal frameworks and suggests […]
The ABCs of NFTs
What started as a blockchain-based game allowing users to trade and sell virtual kittens has […]
Working Toward a ‘Just Court’
A wide-ranging interview with Chief Justice Steven C. González by Hon. Lisa H. Mansfield […]
Election Rejection
How the history of voting rights informs modern elections […]
Buy the Book
A few must-add titles for your bookshelf […]
When Is an Appeal Appealing?
Counseling clients on whether to file an appeal in Washington […]
Update from Olympia (2021)
An overview of the Legislature’s 2021 session […]
Lawyers Against Systemic Racism
How Pierce County lawyers reimagined their role as community allies in the movement for systemic […]
Legal Regulatory Sandbox Could Incubate Innovation in Washington
The sandbox aims to provide new alternative legal services to those who otherwise could not […]
Employers & Employees Take Note
Washington’s first-in-the-nation long-term care program goes into effect Jan. 1, 2022 […]
The Lawfulness and Awfulness of Employee Non-Solicitation Agreements
If non-solicitation of employees in the franchise industry is pernicious, why is the practice not […]
Put It In Writing
Washington Supreme Court enhances malpractice insurance disclosure to clients […]
Rebooting In-Person Arts
Support for the arts by attorneys, who play a prominent role in public life, can […]
Q&A With 2021-2022 WSBA President Judge Brian Tollefson (Ret.)
Finding common ground for the benefit of all our members and the public will be […]
Meet Your Board of Governors
The Board of Governors is the governing body of the WSBA that determines the general […]
FAMILY LAW IN FOCUS
A Backward Glance: Reflecting on Family Law Practice Over the Years
The Washington Family Law Deskbook editors share some thoughts on their long careers, how the practice of […]
Pasco, 1976: Confronting Racism, Redlining, and Housing Discrimination
When I was young, there were no Black residents in Kennewick, my hometown, just a […]
Military Pension Division and Application of Res Judicata
Two 2020 Washington Court of Appeals opinions dealing with military pension division demonstrate the continued […]
The Unsettled Policy Landscape of Drug Possession Laws in Washington
This article aims to answer some unanswered questions regarding the impact of the Blake decision […]
Double Header: 50-Year Member Celebration
The WSBA honors two classes of 50-year members at T-Mobile Park […]
2021 Public Service & Leadership Award Recipients
The Washington Young Lawyers Committee honors four local leaders: Jack Chang, Meha Goyal, Diego Rondón […]
This Year’s Winners Are …
The Acknowledging Professional Excellence (APEX) Awards honor exemplary members of the legal community, including legal […]
Does Your Telecommuting Policy Increase Your Risk of Workers’ Compensation Liability?
Experience shows telecommuting policies are all too frequently silent on a key concern: The risk of […]
Want a Successful Mentoring Relationship? Focus on Building Trust
At its core, trust is the belief that someone or something is safe, honest, and […]
Advocating for Clients in Jail
Criminal defense attorneys have a critical role to play in helping their clients receive better […]
Reach Your New Year’s Resolution Goals With Help From ProBonoWa.org
With more than 100 statewide organizations registered on the site, you can filter your search […]
Interview with Justice G. Helen Whitener: Mentor, Educator, Trailblazer
Judge Lisa H. Mansfield interviews Washington Supreme Court Justice G. Helen Whitener to talk about […]
Gender, Justice, and the Power of Data
The Washington Supreme Court Gender and Justice Commission's latest report is an update to a […]
What You Need to Know About the New Washington Nonprofit Corporation Act
In 2021, the Washington Legislature adopted an all-new Washington Nonprofit Corporation Act, which took effect […]
MBA Spotlight: Loren Miller Bar Association
The Loren Miller Bar Association (LMBA) was started in 1968 by Black attorneys who joined […]
Funding Legal Aid Makes Our Communities Stronger
As members of the legal community in Washington state, we are asking you to join […]
Tips for Buying a Law Practice
Whether you have started a law practice and are looking to expand rapidly or are […]
How to Close Your Law Practice
So it’s time to close your law practice. Whether it’s because of a change in […]
Returning to the Office?
ASK A LEGAL ADMINISTRATOR > While a return to the workplace may be up in the air […]
