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.

Most personal injury mediations are not complicated by a defendant’s inability to pay what a plaintiff demands. Over the past two months, I have covered the basics for handling your first personal injury mediation when the availability of settlement funds was not a complicating issue. This month we address that complication.

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.

In Oltman v. Alaska, Division I affirmed Washington’s long-arm statute allows for minimum contacts through the acts of an agent.  This article explores the factual and legal analyses underpinning this compelling personal jurisdiction decision.  

Being a Citizen Means Making Your Country Better

Last month, California released Leslie Van Houten after 52 years of incarceration.  A voice from the past reminds us how she got there.

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.

“There will never be enduring peace unless and until human beings come to accept a philosophy of life more adequate to the cosmic and psychological facts than the insane idolatries of nationalism and the advertising man’s apocalyptic faith in Progress towards a mechanized New Jerusalem.”

– Aldous Huxley, Introduction to Bhagavad-Gita translated by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood (London, 1944).

Texas Rangers v. Boston Red Sox (Fenway, Jul. 4–6, 2023). Overheard at the grandstand: “‘movurit. I kid you not. Just . . . why’d it have to be Bucky Frickin’ Dent?”

Wildfire smoke has not been gruesome so far this summer; hopefully, I am not jinxing the situation by stating so. I hope we will take advantage of the Pacific Northwest summer weather during lunch by being away from our desks for a bit and not worrying over the air quality index (and client matters).