Since its founding in 1886 in order to discipline lawyers who were denying due process to Chinese immigrants, KCBA has maintained diversity as a core part of the Bar’s mission. Throughout the years, the Bar has continued to stand against inequities in the legal profession including establishment of the Minority Law School Scholarship program in 1969 to increase the diversity of lawyers who practice in King County, passing a resolution in 1970 that no bar meeting could be held at a location where “male-only” laws were in force, development of a statement of protest demanding justice after the Death of George Floyd, and most recently acknowledging through an Anti-Racism Statement that we recognize the pervasiveness of racism in our legal system and that it is imperative for KCBA to make an explicit commitment to embrace anti-racist policies and ideals.
Guiding the work of KCBA since 2011 has been the Bar’s Diversity Definition Statement which reads, “Diversity is defined by the King County Bar Association to refer to individuals who self-identify with those groups historically discriminated against and/or who are underrepresented in the legal profession including on the basis of disability, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.”
To further this work, at the March 15, 2023, KCBA Board of Trustee’s meeting the Board approved the Diversity Committee’s request to change the Committee’s name to the “Anti-Racism and Equity Committee.” The Committee proposed the name change not only to make certain their core mission is clearer for our members, the legal community, and the public, but also to emphasize that the Committee is actively addressing racial inequity in addition to being concerned with other diversity issues which impact the attorneys who practice law in King County and the clients we serve.
While changing the Committee’s name, the Board also took a critical step to make an explicit commitment to embrace anti-racist policies and ideals by approving the Anti-Racism statement published below.
I want to thank the members of the Anti-Racism and Equity Committee for their extensive work developing this very important statement to guide KCBA’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion for all.
Kathleen Jensen is KCBA’s Interim Executive Director. She can be reached by email at (kathleenj@kcba.org) or phone (206.267.7053).
The King County Bar Association’s
Anti-Racism Statement
Approved by the Board of Trustees
on March 15, 2023
The King County Bar Association (KCBA) recognizes the pervasiveness of racism in our country including in the legal system. In a letter to the “Judiciary and Legal Community,” issued on June 5, 2020 the Washington State Supreme Court wrote, “[t]he injustice still plaguing our country has its roots in the individual and collective actions of many, and it cannot be addressed without the individual and collective actions of us all.”1 We at KCBA join in our Supreme Court’s call for action to denounce racism. KCBA commits to identifying, addressing, and eradicating racial inequities in the legal system.
KCBA defines racism as attitudes, practices, policies, and law which negatively and disproportionately target or result in inequitable outcomes for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals, populations, and communities.
While we denounce racism, we cannot stop there; active engagement through anti-racism efforts is necessary. KCBA’s anti-racism approach requires consistent and widespread effort to combat white supremacy, educate all members of our community regarding the harmful effects of racism, the dismantling of intolerance, the inclusion of BIPOC perspectives and lived experience, and promotion of racial equity.
As attorneys, we took an Oath to uphold the United States Constitution and the Washington State Constitution. We must act in ways that ensure the individuals’ due process and equal protection rights are not violated.
The King County Bar Association commits to the following anti-racism policies and practices:
1. Creating awareness and recognizing the role racism has played and continues to play in all areas of the law;
2. Incorporating the perspectives of BIPOC individuals at all levels of KCBA’s work, including the board, committees, and internal staff;
3. Investing resources that will support initiatives focused on racial equity;
4. Promoting and creating a sustainable environment that enriches the lives of BIPOC legal professionals;
5. Developing and supporting programs to increase and retain the number of BIPOC individuals in the legal profession and the judiciary. This reflects the diversity of the King County community through early, secondary, college, law school, and continuing education;
6. Actively educating stakeholders both within the King County Bar Association and outside of the bar on the topics of racism and anti-
racism; and
7. Denouncing racism explicitly in any setting.
There is no one solution to combating racism. Nonetheless, KCBA acknowledges the existence of racism and is committed to its eradication.
It is incumbent upon the KCBA Board, staff, committees, and members to pursue these objectives. The KCBA Board directs the KCBA Committees to collaborate with the KCBA Anti-Racism and Equity Committee in pursuing these endeavors. To accomplish these efforts, the KCBA Board directs the entire KCBA community to commit to adopting and promoting these anti-racism principles and practices by collaborating internally and externally with specialized groups, organizations, and committees in the areas of diversity, anti-racism, and equity.
1 Washington State Supreme Court, “Letter to Members of the Judiciary and Legal Community.” June 4, 2020. Washington Courts, Washington. Judiciary Legal Community SIGNED 060420.pdf (wa.gov)
