In addition to holiday parties and gatherings with friends and families, December brings the Winter Solstice. As days become colder and shorter, and nights get longer and darker, I often feel wrapped in contemplation (as well as my warm and cozy blanket). This natural turning point in the seasons serves as a powerful metaphor for optimism in the face of challenges. As the longest night of the year is immediately followed by longer days, we are reminded to look for places in our lives where things are getting brighter. Our bar is no exception.

November prompts reflection on both personal and professional gratitude, marking the onset of the festive season. It’s a period of celebrating achievements, reconnecting with friends and family, cherishing the past year’s milestones, and eagerly anticipating future accomplishments in the coming year.

October is the month to celebrate the harvest and embrace the beginning of the autumnal chill. Our shadows grow longer, and we are reminded it is also the month synonymous with ghouls, goblins, tricks and treats. Thanks to KCBA, there is no need to be spooked.

September ushers in Fall, the beginning of school for many, and the start of farewell to the warm days of our Northwest summer. Fall is the tipping point between a time of ripening, harvest, and abundance, and the time to begin preparing for the slower and colder hibernating months ahead. It is an opportune time to reflect on KCBA’s accomplishments while also setting our sights on our future goals.

Change can be difficult. However, with reflection we often realize change is needed and often brings new opportunities, new perspectives, and a fresh start. The King County Bar Association has encountered some intense change in the last few years. A global pandemic, the departure of two Executive Directors, the unionization of our staff, a potential spinoff of our beloved Housing Justice Project, increasing demand on our pro bono services, and the changing needs of our members have all presented challenges to our important organization.

July is finally here, and it brings with it the weather many of us wait for throughout the grey winter and wet spring months of the Pacific Northwest. It also brings the new fiscal year at the King County Bar Association which means a change in our leadership and a reminder it is time to renew our memberships in, and commitments to, KCBA.

It has been an honor and privilege to serve as your President for the last twelve months. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity.

May is a busy month. We hope to see many of you at the Breakfast with Champions event on May 9th hosted by the King County Bar Foundation. Our KCBF President Scott Collins wrote about it so eloquently last month; if you haven’t read his column, please do. He covers in great detail why the event is important to our legal community. It will be a fantastic breakfast with philanthropist and former Seattle Seahawk Doug Baldwin. The event is almost sold out, so I hope you were able to snag your ticket!

How times have changed! When I started as a volunteer attorney for the Neighborhood Legal Clinics 34 years ago, KCBA provided access to justice for our low-income neighbors by coordinating a network of pro bono legal services staffed by volunteers. While many of those same volunteer programs continue today, KCBA has dramatically evolved in its delivery of pro bono civil legal services to our community. That evolution has been more out of necessity than choice.

It is not every year that we have the chance to influence the accountability of the highest court in the United States. In these first months of 2023, KCBA has played a major role in moving the nation forward in demanding that its highest court take steps to protect its integrity.