On January 13, 2023 KCBA hosted nearly 600 attorneys, judges, students and community leaders who gathered to celebrate Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his teachings. He lived his life in service and in the belief that dedicating one’s life to others would make the world a better place.
As Dr. King said on February 4, 1968, to his congregation in Atlanta, “Everybody can be great . . . because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” It is from these words that we are encouraged to live our lives for the betterment of others, to find ways to impact not only those around us today but every day and to be a person of service by dedicating our efforts to that end — every day.
The King County Bar Association is built on lawyers providing service to their colleagues, the community and to those in need. This association is supported by volunteer leaders and participants who serve on our boards, sections and committees. Other volunteers provide much needed legal guidance and support to members of marginalized communities through our numerous pro bono programs.
Over the years that I have been at KCBA, I have seen the level of volunteerism decline as lawyers have become busier at work and at home, leaving very little time to volunteer. This is by no means a challenge that only KCBA is facing. According to a Gallup poll the percentage of respondents who reported volunteering time has continued a downward trend from 65% in 2013 to 64% in 2017, 58% in 2020 and most recently fell to 56% in 2021.1 Although a recovery in volunteerism may be impacted by the recent concerns about COVID-19 exposure and public health safety measures, we must work toward a turnaround in volunteerism as it brings a culture of community among our members.
If you are looking for ways to volunteer or to join in community with your colleagues at KCBA, I encourage you to join one of our many committees. We have opportunities that are short, just a few meetings annually, opportunities that meet monthly for an hour a month, and opportunities that require more time at various times during the year, leaving time to focus on other opportunities.
For example, we are looking for interested individuals to join our Awards Committee where we select recipients for the Association’s awards for Outstanding Judge, Outstanding Lawyer, Friend of the Legal Profession and the Helen Geisness Award for service to KCBA. This is a shorter commitment opportunity where you can directly impact whom from KCBA is being honored for their contribution to the legal community.
If you are interested in working to achieve excellence in the judiciary, the Judicial Candidate Evaluation Committee is tasked with rating judicial candidates for election or appointment to the bench. You do not need to be a trial lawyer or even regularly appear in court to participate; you just need to have been a member of the bar for at least three years and have a desire to ensure excellence in the judiciary.
If you prefer to help judges who are already on the bench, the Joint Bench Bar Judicial Conferencing Program may be the spot for you. This program is a confidential program that provides reliable information to participating judges, helping them gain insight into, and improving, their performance on the bench.
Do you ever wish there was a specific opportunity, service or activity at KCBA? If so, the Membership Committee may be a place for you to meet your colleagues and work towards our goal to assess, predict, and ensure that KCBA serves the needs of its diverse membership. This with a view toward increasing the organization’s capacity to serve the community through a growing, active and responsive membership. Here is your opportunity to join us to build a better legal community together.
Would you like to help KCBA develop its diversity commitment? Then I would encourage you to join one of our busiest committees this year, our Diversity Committee. In addition to developing an Anti-Racism statement for KCBA, the committee is discussing Land Acknowledgment/Real Rent, our core values, a name change for the committee, addressing creating/expanding an LSAT Grant Mentorship component to the LSAT Grant Program and expanding diversity across the association and all of its working committees. If you are interested in helping KCBA move forward in our mission to support a diverse membership and achieve excellence, equity and accessibility in the administration of justice this committee may be for you.
As the 23rd Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Luncheon came to a close, Judge Richard Jones, MLK Committee Chair, asked us to “remember one thing as you walk out this door, it’s not about just today, it’s not about just Monday, because if that is all you can tell me if I see you on Tuesday, then shame on you, you missed the boat.” He went on to tell us how Bakari Sellers gave us a charge and inspirational words today and he asked all of us to try to carve out some hours to celebrate Dr. King’s life and give your talents to better somebody else’s life.
If you are ready to accept the charge, please reach out to me and I can help you find a perfect volunteer opportunity with KCBA!
Kathleen Jensen is KCBA’s Interim Executive Director. She can be reached by email at kathleenj@kcba.org or phone (206.267.7053).
1 “U.S. charitable donations rebound; volunteering still down.” Gallup survey 01/11/2022.
