Leading professional-malpractice defense lawyer Lori Worthington Hurl has built a career grounded in preparation, collaboration, and her mother’s example. She balances a busy practice with grace and good humor, credits mentors and close peers for her success, and supports others with kindness and community service.

“It’s Sept. 22, 2025, and an account manager named Lauren walks down the busy hallway and knocks on her boss’s door. But this meeting does not go like it should. For seven years, Lauren has worked to build her accounts, sell medical supplies, stand up for her coworkers, and make money for the company. Lots of money for the company. Today she is hoping for the good news that her work will be recognized; maybe she will be promoted for her leadership and her success. But her boss has something else in store for her.

Karen Murray highlights KCBA’s long history of shaping public policy to advance justice and equity — from legal aid in the 1930s to today's fight for housing justice. She urges community members to join the Public Policy Committee and be part of the next milestones.

Howard Goodfriend decodes how a Washington Rule of Appellate Procedure can bind respondents when appellants don’t order a full trial transcript. He explains the respondent’s options and why it’s better to pay up for an adequate record than risk losing on review later.

A few weeks ago, I was honored once again to attend KCBA’s fall swearing-in ceremony for new bar admittees. This is a wonderful, inspiring event that always makes me reflect. 

The rule of law is under pressure. As members of the legal profession, we are uniquely positioned to respond. The King County Bar Association’s newest volunteer initiative, the KCBA Civics Stewardship Program, offers attorneys and judges a meaningful opportunity to help the community understand its rights, responsibilities, and the essential role of justice in a democratic society.

We knew, no matter what we said about the technology at issue in our case, there was little chance the jurors would understand any of it. Even if, by unlikely miracle, a few of them understood some of it, they certainly were not going to be able to effectively talk about it in deliberations.

Cherie Morris shows how divorce coaching can complement legal representation by helping clients manage emotions, de-escalate conflict, and focus on the practical. In turn, coaching — including joint sessions for the parties — yields calmer clients, smoother settlements, and sustainable outcomes. 

If not for Seattle’s reputation for coffee, this place might have become equally renowned for its chocolate. With the holidays rapidly upon us, we thought it would be timely to check out some of the options for locally sourced chocolate. We have nothing against good national chains, like See’s, but there are more than enough local choices for your chocolate cravings and for stocking up on gifts for the holidays (or plan ahead for St. Valentine’s Day).

Bisma Shoaib interviewed women antitrust leaders to outline priorities for the next era of competition policy. Shoaib, an antitrust attorney at the FTC’s Northwest office, says these steps will curb concentrated power, promote fairness, and help antitrust keep up with technological disruption.