Highlights from July 18
President Eileen Concannon welcomed the new Board at the July 18 meeting where it was reported that the annual dinner was a great success, with 400 in attendance and $19,000 in sponsorship donations, in addition to the generous video donation by Tsongas Litigation Consulting and the floral donations by R. David Adams. The feedback from attendees was quite positive. Kathleen Jensen is keeping a list of suggestions for next year’s dinner event.
The Board approved a vendor discount agreement with R. David Adams Flowers, providing a 20% discount on all goods and/or services (except weddings/Valentine’s Day) to KCBA members. KCBA will post this “member benefit” on the Web site. This discount will initially be offered for one year.
Highlights of August 18
The Board approved the motion presented by Amy Stephson, Labor and Employment Section chair, proposing two-year terms for section officers with an overall term limit of nine years for the nine sitting trustees. This proposal is neutral and no one will be dismissed as a result of this resolution.
The Future of the Law Institute (FLI) will again be held at Seattle University School of Law, the University of Washington School of Law and the King County Courthouse, November 30 and December 1. Eighty to 85 high school students participate in the program consisting of workshops for students and parents, a mock trial and the opportunity to meet judges. The King County Bar Foundation is looking to extend the program to reach middle school students and to make sure that FLI students go on to college and law school.
Concannon acknowledged Foundation President Colleen Kinerk’s great work on this year’s Bar Leaders Conference held in Wenatchee and announced that KCBA Trustee Anne Daly will serve as liaison to KCBF.
Highlights of September 19
Hon. Ron Kessler, president of the King County Law Library Board, reported that the Library is in good shape, well respected by the county and receiving adequate funding from court filing fees and appropriated funds.
This year also marks the five-year anniversary of the Library’s Legal Research and Training Center, located in the Library’s King County Courthouse facility. The center, originally funded in part by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is in steady use by those wanting to learn how to conduct legal research. Because the county will be building a new Juvenile Justice Center and Family Law Court, the Library’s presence will be increasingly important due to the large volume of family law pro se litigants seeking information and support.
Kathleen Jensen reported that membership renewal is up and even ahead in many areas, including 162 lapsed members who have rejoined. Another 122 attorney prospects have joined KCBA. Attorney prospects either are members new to KCBA or members who have been in lapsed member status for more than three years. Jensen and staff are continuing to work on membership renewals.
These selected issues were before the Board of Trustees at its July 18, August 18 and September 19 meetings. Complete minutes of these and other board meetings are available from the KCBA office.
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Joan Tierney, KCBA secretary/trustee, is the associate director of the Seattle University School of Law Center for Professional Development.
