November prompts reflection on both personal and professional gratitude, marking the onset of the festive season. It’s a period of celebrating achievements, reconnecting with friends and family, cherishing the past year’s milestones, and eagerly anticipating future accomplishments in the coming year.
I am grateful for many things in my personal and professional life. Given that I am writing for the Bar Bulletin, I would like to highlight my deep appreciation for the King County Bar Association and the professional community I have the honor to be a part of.
KCBA is committed to collaborating with the judiciary and our legal system and supporting the community it serves. Part of our efforts involves evaluating candidates vying for or seeking appointments to judgeships and conducting the Judicial Officer Survey. All of these efforts are aimed at bolstering and maintaining our judicial system and a more just society.
In September I had the privilege of attending KCBA’s Past Presidents Reception, hosted by former KCBA president Scott Smith at his beautiful home. Over a dozen former presidents of KCBA and KCBF attended, with their tenures spanning nearly four decades of leadership in KCBA and KCBF. It was inspiring to interact with so many of our past leaders, who were not only there to reconnect with their friends and colleagues but also to impart to me and KCBF President, Vanessa Soriano Power, their wisdom and insights. One past president aptly remarked on the unique role KCBA plays for lawyers, noting that it shifts us from our usual adversarial roles, fostering collaboration towards shared objectives. This perspective truly resonates and aligns with my view of the significance of KCBA in our professional lives.
Echoing that observation, this month’s KCBA Annual Bench-Bar Conference stands as a testament to productive collaboration. On November 10th, judges and lawyers will convene in person at the Seattle Convention Center, marking our first such gathering since 2019. I encourage KCBA members to take advantage of this special opportunity to meet and engage with state and federal judges from all levels of our Washington Courts, including our newest King County Superior Court Judges.
The Bench-Bar Conference offers us all the opportunity to continue to elevate and improve our profession, irrespective of our roles as judges or attorneys. It encourages open dialogue and mutual learning while fostering understanding between members of the bench and the bar. It also provides an opportunity to interact with our judges outside of the context of ruling on motions or serving as arbiters of specific disputes on behalf of our clients. It’s also fun.
In October, I attended an interesting presentation which delved into the interplay between Washington’s tribal courts and the state and federal judicial systems. A significant point of discussion was the difference between state courts, which follow a Western “justice by strangers” model, and tribal courts, where decisions often come from those acquainted with the parties involved, focusing on restorative justice and community harmony. Despite their differences, a foundational similarity exists: the community’s trust and confidence in the system is essential for perceiving legal outcomes as fair and just.
Currently, public trust in our judicial system and other key institutions has dwindled significantly. In 1999, a Gallup poll revealed a high of 80% of Americans had trust in the judicial system. Fast forward to 2022, another Gallup poll showed this trust had declined to just 47%. Furthermore, an April 2023 survey conducted by Marist, NPR, and PBS indicated 62% of Americans possess little to no confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court.
To restore this trust, the bar and judiciary must unite in their efforts. As foundational elements of our profession, both must work hand-in-hand to promote transparency, guarantee consistency, and exemplify genuine fairness in legal outcomes — all of which are essential for authentic justice. By directly addressing systemic issues, both lawyers and judges can better promote and safeguard individual rights and revive public confidence in our system. The upcoming Bench-Bar Conference is an important step in that direction. For that, we all can be grateful.
