As a trial lawyer, I discovered early on that if a jury likes you, they are unlikely to hurt you. The same holds true for your client. That is why it is mission-critical to personalize a corporate client and then show that the people who are designated to personify the corporation are worthy of the jury’s trust. In mediation, these same concepts apply.

Executives in middle-market companies, as well as the law firms that advise them, are hearing a common refrain these days when it comes to AI: “Just try something.” On the surface, that advice feels safe — low stakes, exploratory, and positioned as a way to “learn.” But in practice, these pilots rarely scale. They don’t stick, and they don’t solve the pressures that matter at the board level.
 

Every mediator has seen it: attorneys arrive at the table armed with firm positions, often drawn like battle lines. These stances can serve a purpose — signaling strength to clients and opposing counsel — but they can also become barriers to resolution. 

KCBA’s Legal Advice and Referral for Kinship Care (LAARK) program is staffed by two full-time attorneys and two legal assistants and is supervised by the statewide kinship care legal aid coordinator, Celeste Miller. LAARK was started in 2022, but the coordinator position has existed since 2019. LAARK is a statewide program that provides consultations and legal advice and does not have an income limit.
 

Trustee Heather Maloney reports on the New Lawyers Division’s year-end work, from launching a newsletter to planning CLEs and community-service projects. She highlights recent events, strong turnout, and upcoming opportunities — including a December clinic open to all volunteers — and emphasizes NLD’s commitment to new lawyers.

You might have frequent-flier miles or something as basic as a punch card for a free coffee. You like rewards. You know how you like to be treated when you walk into a favorite restaurant or bar. They may not know you by name but they treat you like royalty. They know you have choices and you choose to patronize their business.

The following are highlights from the KCBA Board of Trustees meeting held Oct. 15, 2025, and convened by KCBA President Sidney Tribe.

The KCBA Board of Trustees met on Oct. 15 under the leadership of First Vice President Mary Sakaguchi. Trustees covered a full agenda, including updates on governance, programs, and operational issues that continue to shape KCBA’s service to the legal community.

The construction industry is confronting a pivotal and prolonged workforce crisis. Demand for new infrastructure, commercial projects, housing, and advanced manufacturing facilities continues to grow at record-setting levels. Yet, the supply of skilled and semiskilled labor is shrinking, not simply at a gradual pace but at an alarming rate.

Every November, a small involuntary flinch returns. Veterans Day arrives, and something in me contracts. It is a reflex made of regret, belated reverence, and the uncomfortable truth that, for years, I misunderstood the very people the day is meant to honor.

Weather experts have put a La Niña advisory in place, which typically brings cooler and wetter conditions to Seattle and amplifies our region’s rainy fall and winter seasons. It also means a heavier snowpack in the Cascades. This might mean cozy vibes with warm drinks in hand for some of us or hitting the powder for the adventurous. Whatever you decide, my hope is that we make the most of what this season has to offer.