Criminal convictions come with consequences that can be devastating for people already living on the margins of society. Even a misdemeanor conviction can create barriers to employment and housing, two major factors that impact one’s ability to turn their life around. Another critical factor is education, which studies have linked to drastic reductions in recidivism. However, for more than fifty years, the U.S. Congress restricted student aid to punish people with convictions on their record, effectively eliminating educational opportunities for those who would benefit most from higher education.

On the hundredth anniversary of Harmonium, the Bar Bulletin is delighted to share this parody of a famous poem, which not only experiments with the verb “to be” but also makes modest fun of current events.

Everybody’s favorite curmudgeon shares how the vicissitudes of his own life have made him reassess how to be present for others.

Devon Stark manages KCBA’s first and oldest pro bono program, the Neighborhood Legal Clinics (NLC). Devon is a true Seattleite, having grown up in West Seattle, spent 12 years playing violin, and later attended the University of Washington where she majored in International Studies with minors in French and Global Health. While an undergraduate, Devon considered pursuing a career working for a public health nonprofit. She was also interested in exploring law and maybe law school. This led her to Google search “volunteer legal internships near me” where she found an opportunity to be a volunteer clinic assistant through the Neighborhood Legal Clinics. Devon was a dedicated volunteer all through college. As a clinic assistant she helped open and close the clinic, checked clients in, helped with resources and made sure the clinic ran smoothly. From this experience, she saw firsthand how pro bono attorneys were able to make legal services accessible to people with limited income.

It really is a humbling experience to explain all the reasons KCBA awarded Russ Aoki the Outstanding Lawyer Award for 2023. It is not just the breadth of his experience and commitment to the legal community that is so impressive, but also the fact Russ has been contributing in so many ways for so many years.

RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges the Supreme Court of the United States to adopt with dispatch a binding code of ethics for the justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, comparable to the code of ethics imposed upon other federal judges adopted by the Judicial Conference, the Code of Judicial Conduct for United States Judges.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall said “The legal system can force open doors and sometimes even knock down walls. But it cannot build bridges. That job belongs to you and me.” Judge Judith Ramseyer took on that job and took it seriously. During more than a decade on the bench, Judge Ramseyer did it all by opening doors to ensure access to justice, knocking down walls to reframe the judicial system’s approach to therapeutic courts, and most importantly, building bridges across groups. Judge Ramseyer is now the well-deserved recipient of KCBA’s Outstanding Judge of the Year award.

Each year, the New Lawyers Division has the opportunity to select an Outstanding New Lawyer to be honored. Looking at the list of past winners is nothing short of a “Who’s Who” in the King County Bar. This year, like every other, we had an incredible slate of nominees, each of whom deserves recognition in their own right. In that regard, we extend our sincere congratulations to Marcia Cho, Raymond Delos Reyes, Chris Ryder, Emma Healey, Diego Rondon Ichikawa, Jackson Marchant, and Aaron Paker on their nominations. While we can only have one winner, we are fortunate to be practicing in a jurisdiction where there are so many outstanding lawyers.

At the June awards ceremony, King County Bar Association recognized Michael Goldenkranz as the 2023 Pro Bono award winner for his outstanding record of service with the Neighborhood Legal Clinics program. As a volunteer attorney with NLC, Michael provides legal advice on a wide range of civil legal issues to clients who might not otherwise have access to an attorney. He has volunteered about once a week for nearly twenty years, amassing hundreds of hours of pro bono service work, and assisting several hundred, if not thousands, of clients and their families.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Washington Athletic Club on June 20th for the 2023 Annual Awards Reception.

It was an evening of great conversation and much celebration, as we honored the brightest and best of Seattle’s legal community.