I often think of Transfer on Death (TOD) deeds as a new estate planning tool in Washington, but they’ve actually been around for almost a decade. That said, it seems like TOD deeds are still flying under the radar for many attorneys. In this column, I chat with Stephen Seely, Director of the Pierce County Law Library, about all things TOD. When Stephen was the KCLL Outreach Services Attorney, he created an excellent self-help Transfer on Death deed packet. The packet is available for purchase in the law library or via our website.

The other day when I was searching the KCLL catalog for something totally unrelated, the title Acting Skill for Lawyers popped up. I envisioned advice on how to chew the scenery with “Law and Order” level aplomb, did a big eyeroll, returned to my research, and moved on. Later in the week while giving a presentation on resources available for remote access through our Lexis Digital eBook subscription, I remarked that resources ranged from the full run of gold standard treatises like Corbin on Contracts to lots of “fun” titles such as . . . (naming the first title that popped into my head) Acting Skills for Lawyers. Dang it. That title had infiltrated my psyche.

While getting on my bike to ride to work in the cold rain and dark during Seattle winters can seem like torture, it is usually the best part of my day. I often have “Ah ha!” moments during my ride where I can resolve issues that seemed intractable the day before. The connection between the mind and body is an idea as old as the ancients. Roman poet Juvenal wrote orandum es tut sit mens sana in corpore sana — you should pray for a healthy mind in a healthy body.

In the February edition of the Bar Bulletin, Mike Goldenkranz (self-described “full-time curmudgeon”) made a compelling appeal to our community to create pathways for young attorneys to pursue low bono law practice.¹ Renting office space in the Puget Sound region is almost out of reach for young attorneys establishing a market-rate practice and virtually impossible for those starting a low bono practice. Add to that the cost of subscribing to Westlaw or Lexis and the other expenses of running a law office and suddenly you realize that maybe the only newbie attorney who will be able to afford to go low bono upon becoming barred is Kim Kardashian.