September ushers in Fall, the beginning of school for many, and the start of farewell to the warm days of our Northwest summer. Fall is the tipping point between a time of ripening, harvest, and abundance, and the time to begin preparing for the slower and colder hibernating months ahead. It is an opportune time to reflect on KCBA’s accomplishments while also setting our sights on our future goals.
The KCBA Board gathered in July for our annual Board Retreat where we discussed and began preparing for the year ahead (but not for hibernation). We talked about what the year ahead should look like — both for the Board and KCBA. At its core, KCBA is a membership organization that exists to serve its members — you. A central theme of our discussion was determining how the Board can ensure that KCBA consistently offers innovative programs and benefits to its members while making significant and impactful contributions to our community. We devoted a significant part of our retreat to discussing KCBA’s commitment to becoming an anti-racist organization.
In March 2023, the Board approved KCBA’s Anti-Racism Statement, crafted by our Anti-Racism and Equity Committee. The commitments that KCBA makes in the Statement are (1) to recognize and create awareness about racism’s pervasive influence in the law and the legal community; (2) to incorporate the perspectives of BIPOC individuals at all levels of KCBA’s work; (3) to invest resources in initiatives supporting racial equality; (4) to create and promote a sustainable environment which enriches the lives of BIPOC professionals; (5) to foster programs to enhance BIPOC presence in the legal profession and the judiciary from early education through ongoing professional development; (6) to educate internal and external community partners about racism and anti-racism; and (7) to denounce racism explicitly in any setting. The full statement can be found at kcba.org (https://www.kcba.org/?pg=ARE-Committee).
Mary Sakaguchi, co-chair of this committee, joined us at the retreat to emphasize the Statement’s significance and the necessity of integrating it into KCBA’s core mission. She urged us to consider ways to move beyond mere aspirations and find tangible measures of our progress toward becoming an anti-racist organization. The Board is wholeheartedly dedicated to this cause, ensuring that every facet of KCBA, from staff to leadership, and across all committees and members, continually works towards this goal.
One concrete takeaway from the retreat is an understanding that we need to increase engagement with and among our members. As I have said in this column before, I firmly believe the more one engages with and participates in KCBA programs, the stronger the connection to our mission and the value it offers to members and the community. As a corollary to that belief, the Board is going to work at increasing volunteerism and participation within our membership. Bridget Schuster, KCBA’s Member Services Director, and her team are actively working to create new volunteer opportunities for our members, including a chance to volunteer with KCBA members at Food Lifeline on September 23rd. They are in the beginning stages of partnering with the YMCA’s Youth & Government Program to recruit volunteers for their mock trial competitions and are working with our bench for Law Day activities to take place in May. More to come on these upcoming volunteer opportunities.
In addition, the Kinship Care Solutions Project seeks volunteer attorneys (contact Paul McVicker paulm@kcba.org) and our Neighborhood Legal Clinics (which is impressively preparing for its 50-year anniversary next year) always welcome new volunteers. Any member who is looking for a way to get involved, please contact Bridget (Bridgets@kcba.org) or me (karen@go-trial.com).
Another important focus for KCBA is continuing to lead in the formation of public policy. Under Rory O’Sullivan’s guidance, our Public Policy Committee will present its legislative agenda to the Board this December. The legislative agenda will outline areas in which the Committee will engage with lawmakers and the State Legislature during the law-making process. The Public Policy legislative agenda will likely focus on reducing barriers to reentry for formerly incarcerated people, supporting safe and secure housing, and using technology to improve access to levers of democracy. The legislative agenda will honor KCBA’s mission, and the Board is dedicated to upholding our commitment to our members, anti-racism, and equality when it considers the legislative agenda.
Part of the Board’s job is strategic planning. The strategic plan sets out our goals for the years ahead for our members, for staff, and for our civil legal aid work. The process of strategic planning allows us to reflect upon KCBA’s values and mission and to create a vision for the future. KCBA is actively working on its strategic plan, which will serve as an important tool for putting the Anti-Racism Statement into action. With the input of KCBA staff and members, our Strategic Plan will outline the priorities for the next three to five years. Every part of the plan and action items in the plan must honor and carry out the work called for in the Statement.
As the Board focuses its efforts this year in alignment with our commitment to anti-racism, equality, and inclusion, we will also do this through the important lens of serving our members. Words alone cannot manifest our commitment; it is through tangible actions and robust policies that we will truly make a difference. Rooted in our commitment to anti-racism and the pursuit of sound public policy, we aspire not only to uplift our members but also to steward a legal community which stands as a proud example of equity, inclusivity, and positive change. I am filled with optimism about the transformative potential this next year brings.
