When I chose Seattle as my home more than 23 years ago I did so for many reasons. Among others, the city reminded me of San Francisco where my dream to become an attorney was formed. When I arrived here the hills and older neighborhoods felt like home. I had no idea then the history of this beautifully diverse city: of Profanity Hill, of the expulsion of the Duwamish, the violence and attempted expulsion of Chinese laborers, or of the King County Bar Association.
Lawyers in Seattle began meeting informally as early as the 1870s. An officially organized association of lawyers was theorized in 1884; however, no formal association was created until 1886. On February 7, 1886, an angry group of white Seattleites forced some 350 Chinese out of their homes and businesses onto a ship at the very same dock where the Duwamish were once expelled from their homelands. The vigilante actions against the Chinese, and a court’s finding they need not go aboard the ship, culminated in a riot where five men were wounded, one of whom lost his life several days later.1
KCBA was formed after the anti-
Chinese riots, in part to condemn and censure the attorneys who took part in the vigilante action. I am so grateful to have been asked to serve as the leader of an organization whose very beginnings were to favor law and order over race blaming, violence, and forced removals.
Today, KCBA’s mission is to promote and support a diverse and collegial membership; work with the judiciary to achieve excellence, equity, and accessibility in the administration of justice; and to benefit the community through public service and engagement in public policy.
According to the American Bar Association, the legal profession is one of the least diverse in our nation. Promoting and supporting a diverse membership in this environment can be difficult, but not impossible. For KCBA, diversity in the profession begins early! In fact, we are currently collaborating on a planned May 1st Law Day program to demystify courts and the legal professions for middle school students.
KCBA’s Anti-Racism and Equity Committee is supporting law school applicants of color by assigning volunteer attorneys to provide support and feedback on application materials. Our membership team is working to increase our partnership with Minority Bar Associations with the aim of pooling resources and providing members of these associations with access to the networking, education, and other opportunities KCBA offers.
As Karen Orehoski shared in her President’s Page, KCBA is committed to collaborating with the judiciary and our legal system and supporting the community it serves. Our Judicial Candidate Evaluation Committee is composed of attorneys and lay members who screen candidates for the judiciary. We support judicial conferencing where attorneys have confidential conversations with sitting Superior Court Judges to provide feedback. These efforts, and others like our Judicial Survey Committee continue to work to effect excellence in the judiciary.
There is so much more that achieving our mission offers, so many more committees and working groups creating innovative and meaningful ways to serve our membership and our community. I look forward to exploring these with you in future issues of the Bar Bulletin. Until then, I will enjoy the views from this beautifully diverse city, from the docks to the hills and every valley between with intention and gratitude.
1 Lampson, Marc, (1994) From Profanity Hill King County Bar Association’s Story, King County Bar Association.
