By Alice Paine and Roger Goodman

The Geisness Award, named for the first Executive Director of KCBA, Helen Geisness, recognizes contributions to the King County Bar Association. This year it will be presented to Fred Noland.

As KCBA president, 2000-2001, Fred took the Association to a new level in public policy advocacy by initiating the Drug Policy Project. Through the Project, the Association is moving Washington toward a more enlightened approach to drugs, and the Association has gained in stature in the process. Fred’s leadership made it happen.

That leadership has been characteristic of Fred’s work as a lawyer and as a public citizen, demonstrating both vision and courage in encouraging this project, but always careful to consult widely to insure there was full support for a potentially controversial program. Fred brought the King County Medical Society, the Washington State Bar Association, the Washington State Medical Association and the Washington State Pharmacy Association into the project. Since then another dozen or more groups have joined the coalition.

The Drug Policy Project has enjoyed broad support among our membership and increased involvement by many who were never active before. To quote a few: “The KCBA deserves much thanks for tackling this controversial issue, and I wish you luck with all efforts to move from a criminal law emphasis to one based on regulation, education and treatment.” “I am in favor of the resolution. I feel that throwing every drug offender in jail is an enormous waste of our society’s resources and ultimately harmful.” “A great start. I am impressed you took the effort to make the recommendation to the people and the state legislature. We as a people must stop wasting valuable government resources by the one-option, general application of locking youth and addicts up in prisons.” “My only comment is that I am so proud to be a part of an organization that has completed such a report. Thanks for this; what a wonderful achievement. May it truly make a difference.”

As the testimonials from King County Bar members reveal, the drug law reform effort that Fred Noland got started has activated the KCBA membership, has fostered improved relations between the bar and the medical professions and has greatly enhanced the KCBA’s voice in the public policy-making process.

Fred’s drug law initiative has also attracted much attention beyond King County and Washington State, as the King County Bar has been celebrated for its groundbreaking work in the area by the American Bar Association, the National Conference of Bar Presidents, the National Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and other leading legal organizations.

The project has gained national attention and praise. In Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Wisconsin and other states, local and state bar associations have begun to follow the King County Bar’s lead in drug policy reform, replicating and adapting the King County Bar model in establishing their own drug policy projects and working with their respective state and local legislatures to improve their drug laws. The KCBA’s work in this area has even garnered international attention from scholars, journalists and public officials, from New Zealand to Brazil to Canada to the Netherlands.

Fred Noland’s passion to make our drug policies more effective and more humane has truly put the King County Bar Association on the map and has bolstered its reputation for committing to serve the interests of the less fortunate in our society. Fred’s fearlessness of controversy has served as an example for other bar leaders to address difficult social policy questions to help bring about positive changes in the law for the sake of enhancing public order and public health, protecting our children better and making wiser use of taxpayer dollars.