Distinguished Service Award: Lish Whitson
By Kristy Ball
I first met Lish through a chance encounter with his wife, Barbara, at a local gym while I was studying for the bar exam. Barbara graciously introduced us, and that introduction marked the beginning of more than 14 years of working with — and learning from — Lish. It has been one of the greatest privileges of my professional life.
Lish was admitted to practice law in 1973. Over the past four decades, he has exemplified an unwavering commitment to the highest standards of professionalism, always guided by a deep dedication to serving the broader community.
Before attending law school, Lish served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Afghanistan, where he taught English and pottery. After returning home, he followed his passion for helping others and earned his law degree from the University of Washington School of Law. He began his legal career with the Public Defender Association before transitioning to private practice.
In 1989, Lish was asked to represent a 29-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer whose insurance company had refused to cover her recommended treatment. That case sparked a passion that would define much of his legal career: advocating for individuals who had been denied health care or long-term disability benefits, often on a pro bono basis. In recognition of this work, he received the King County Bar Association’s Pro Bono Award in 1993.
Lish’s advocacy extended far beyond the courtroom. As a member of the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession and in partnership with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, he helped create legal education programs across the country focused on women’s health and access to care.
His dedication didn’t stop there. He worked closely with the Washington State Insurance Commissioner to improve access to preliminary injunctions for patients in urgent need of medical care. He also contributed to the drafting of the Washington State “Patient Bill of Rights,” helping ensure that every Washingtonian could access quality health care.
His service to the legal profession has been equally remarkable. He has chaired or served on numerous committees, including roles as a governor of the Washington State Bar Association; chair of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association’s Professional Negligence Committee; trustee of the King County Bar Association; chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Lawyer Referral & Information Services; and member of the ABA House of Delegates. He was part of the original task force that helped draft the Washington Rules of Evidence and served as a Special Hearing Officer in WSBA disciplinary matters. His leadership has extended to editorial boards, judicial recommendation committees, and various task forces.
Lish is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, the King County Bar Foundation, and the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, a charter Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, and a member of the William Dwyer Inn of Court — organizations all dedicated to promoting excellence in advocacy, ethics, and professionalism.
Lish’s deep commitment to lawyer referral services is especially noteworthy. His work with both the ABA’s Lawyer Referral and Information Services and the King County Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service has had a lasting impact. Friend and fellow ABA LRIS volunteer Sheldon Warren recently shared the following:
“I met Lish and his wife Barbara in 1984 or 1985 at — where else — an annual ABA LRIS Workshop. I was volunteering in the L.A. County LRIS one or two days a month and the service’s directing attorney was Cindy Raisch, who was instrumental in launching the effort that led to the California Supreme Court’s adoption in 1987 of Minimum Standards for a Lawyer Referral Service in California (codified by the California State Legislature). Cindy suggested that I attend the Annual Workshop where I could meet other like-minded people (“LRIS true believers”) who were passionate about LRIS. Lish was one of those people.
“Lish was instrumental in starting the ABA’s Program of Assistance and Review in 1987 or 1988. PAR is designed to help lawyer referral programs nationwide improve their management and operations by providing on-site and virtual visits and advice from a team of volunteer LRIS Consultants/experts.
“Lish served as chair of the ABA’s LRIS Standing Committee in the early 1990s and it was during this period that the Standing Committee began work on drafting Model Rules for the Operation of a Lawyer Referral Service. Besides serving as a co-drafter on these Model Rules, Lish was instrumental in managing their adoption by the ABA’s House of Delegates in 1993 (no small task, to say the least).
“Even after stepping down as chair, Lish has remained actively involved as a PAR Consultant and with the ABA’s LRIS Standing Committee, regularly serving as a speaker (primarily on ethics) at the ABA’s annual LRIS Workshop. He has always been, and remains, available if called on to assist in convincing lawyer referral and information services that they are “in the business of public service,” a philosophy he helped instill while chair of the Standing Committee.”
Beyond the legal profession, Lish has made a lasting impact in the broader community. He has served as president of the boards of the Allied Arts Foundation, the Washington Defender Association, and the Downtown Emergency Service Center, a shelter and advocacy organization for the homeless. He also chaired the Marrowstone Summer Music Festival, part of the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras, and served as president of the Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center.
In 2023, after retiring from private practice, Lish joined JAMS as a mediator and arbitrator, continuing his commitment to justice and resolution.
Lish’s legal accomplishments are extraordinary, but what stands out most is his lifelong dedication to service — both to the profession and to the people it serves. I am deeply grateful to have had Lish as a mentor, a boss, a colleague, and, most importantly, a friend.
Kristy Ball practices in Helsell Fetterman's Litigation department and has been a member of KCBA's Lawyer Referral Service since 2009 and served as the LRS Committee Chair from 2013-2021.
