As we all know, one of the most stressful but imperative requests an attorney or pro-se litigant can make to the court is to seek a protection order. Laura Groves and Peyton Healy are attorneys with backgrounds in both Family and Dependency law. Laura has been practicing for 19 years, and Peyton has been practicing for four years. We write this article today as we have observed both positives and negatives in practice and in court caused by the changes to Chapter 7.105 of the Revised Code of Washington that went into effect July 1, 2022.

One of the most persistent beliefs about jury trials is that cases are won in opening statement. It is a belief largely born out of primacy theory, which is the idea that what jurors hear first at trial is most influential to their final verdict. The belief in opening statements as the key decision point for jurors has been repeated in publications, television series, movies, and endless CLE presentations. Harvard University Professor of Law Ronald S. Sullivan, Jr. recently wrote, “Though Hollywood movies about courtroom dramas often glamorize the closing arguments given by lawyers, in reality the opening statement is likely the most important single event of a trial.” Last year, a retired trial judge in California presented a CLE on “how to win your case in opening statement.” We hear it regularly from some of our own clients. But this profession, as smart as its members are, routinely embraces old wives’ tales, pop psychology gimmicks, and other beliefs that give attorneys that sense of control and belief that they are inching closer to success, so we wanted to explore the research on this issue and offer insights into whether cases are won in opening statements.

Welcome to the final installment of this three-part series where I get the pleasure of telling you about the hard work that our volunteer members put into our Sections to provide valuable learning opportunities and engaging special events for Section members.

There are many benefits to joining a Section. For one, every Section has a designated listserv, where Section members can email their colleagues with questions, suggestions, and cross-referrals. Another benefit of Section membership is access to all Section CLEs through our KCBA CLE Video Library. And perhaps, best of all, most of our Sections put on monthly one-hour lunchtime CLEs from September through June. Many of the Sections also host special events such as receptions, happy hours, and other networking opportunities.

“Always Appealing” is a column addressing current issues in appellate practice and recent appellate cases written by the lawyers of Smith Goodfriend, P.S., a Seattle law firm that limits its practice to civil appeals and related trial court motions practice.

An appellate court has authority under RAP 18.9 to impose sanctions or award attorney fees “on its own initiative or on motion of a party” against “a party or counsel,” who “files a frivolous appeal.” The purpose of sanctions is to deter frivolous appeals and, when the sanctions are in the form of an award of fees to respondent, to compensate the respondent for being forced to defend against the frivolous appeal.

Three years before Washington became a State, King County Bar came into existence, built upon the social rubble of the anti-Chinese riots of 1886.

How deep is juror distrust today? When we asked a recent set of focus group jurors to reveal their first impressions after hearing a defendant had admitted liability, their immediate reactions were telling:

As I enter my final month as President of the KCBA, June is beginning to reveal glimmers and glimpses of our long-awaited summer weather. The often gray and gloomy days of the past months are slowly beginning to dissolve into the fresh and bright days and evenings which make the Northwest so special to many of us. It was worth the wait.

June 2024 marks the end of my first full membership year as your Member Services Director. It’s been a wonderful year, and I am proud of all the work our staff, Committees, and Section leaders have put in to make it a year full of engagement, education, and fun.

Several years ago, in my mid-fifties, I took up the sport of mountaineering. Several friends who were experienced in this sport encouraged me to the point that I began to believe it was possible. What I did not appreciate initially was the amount of work required.

Welcome to the second part of this three-part series where I get the pleasure of telling you about the hard work that our volunteer members do in our KCBA Sections to provide valuable learning opportunities and engaging special events for Section members.