Washington State Bar Association
| Type | Legal Society |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Puget Sound Plaza, Seattle, WA |
| Location |
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Membership
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33,000+ |
| Website | http://www.wsba.org |
The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) is authorized by the Washington Supreme Court to license the state's 35,400 lawyers. The WSBA both regulates lawyers under the authority of the Court and serves its members as a professional association, without public funding. The WSBA's mission is to serve the public and the members of the Bar, ensure the integrity of the legal profession, and to champion justice.
In the days of Washington Territory, lawyers who had cases set for argument before the State Supreme Court were required to be present at the beginning of the Court term in January. Sometimes they waited for weeks for their cases to be called.
On January 19, 1888, a group of these lawyers met in the Supreme Court chambers to form the Washington Bar Association. This was a voluntary organization and did not include all lawyers admitted to practice; originally it consisted of 35 lawyers, at a cost of $5 a year. In 1890, the name changed to Washington State Bar Association.
In 1930, as more lawyers were admitted to practice, it was proposed that the Bar Association have a paid executive secretary and a paid representative in Olympia when the Legislature was meeting, that it have an official publication, and that it be incorporated. George McCush of Bellingham headed an Incorporation Committee to draft a Bar Association Act proposal. The committee proposed that the Bar Association be an agency of the state, creating "a complete integrated (i.e., mandatory membership) Bar which is officially organized, self-governed and all inclusive." The annual license fee would be $5. In 1933, after much debate and some redrafting, the legislature enacted the State Bar Act (Ch. 2.48 RCW).
According to its Bylaws, WSBA will not take positions on issues concerning the politics or social positions of foreign nations; take positions on political or social issues which do not relate to or affect the practice of law or the administration of justice; or support or oppose, in an election, candidates for public office.
Today, a 14-member Board of Governors (BOG), elected geographically, directs the WSBA. There is one governor for each of the 10 districts (except for the 7th District, which is divided into 7th-North and 7th-South), plus three at-large governors (one of whom must be a "young lawyer" as that term is defined under WSBA bylaws). The Board is elected solely by WSBA members, except for the at-large governors who are selected by the Board.
Annually, the Board selects a president-elect and elects one of its members as treasurer. It employs an executive director to carry out the purposes and functions of the Bar. The WSBA employs a staff of approximately 145.
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Wikipedia