As we quickly approach the holiday season, we can’t believe how quickly our Neighborhood Legal Clinics 50th anniversary year has sped by. Here are some of the highlights:

The King County Bar Association hosted another Swearing-In Ceremony for those who passed the July Summer Bar Exam. More than 150 new attorneys were sworn-in by King County Superior Court Presiding Judge Ketu Shah at two ceremonies on October 9.

Yes, we have impressive fall foliage here in Washington. But everyone (from the North East) talks about how good the autumn leaves are in New England and New York’s Hudson Valley, upstate (or at least up river) from New York City (“the City”). So we decided to check it out. In the process, found a few places for you to try next time you head upstate in New York (and new England).
 

Practicing gratitude can enhance relationships and reduce stress, and rather than emphasizing competition and individualism, gratitude can remind us of the interdependence we share in our personal and professional lives. Listing even one or two things that I am grateful for every day helps me focus on the important things in life and sets a better tone for that day. I might be grateful for a great interaction with a client, a kind act from a family member, or a client’s smile at pro bono clinic. Opportunities for cultivating gratitude abound everywhere.

As we are in the midst of harvest season, and giving thanks for all that we have, I want to thank the Bar Association for being partners with the Court to improve accessibility to courts, for championing the rule of law, and for ensuring we work toward a more civil society.

The following are highlights from the KCBA Board of Trustees meeting held on September 18, convened by KCBA President Erin Overbey.

Workarounds can be effective in the construction world. Unfortunately, they do not work in a court of law, especially when it involves control of assets for companies operating under a receivership. Having just prevailed in two landmark cases that went all the way to the door of the Washington State Supreme Court, the intersection of contract law and receivership law in contractor pay disputes has been clarified.
 

Did you miss your chance for tickets to see U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson speak on September 9?

KCBA hosted a reception at Benaroya Hall before the discussion between Justice Jackson and Melinda Gates, and this event was only available for purchase by our current membership.

What once was old is not new again. For years trial attorneys relied on shortcuts to make key decisions in the process of striking jurors they believed to be biased against their clients. 

One hallmark of our democracy is the peaceful transfer of power, dating all the way back to George Washington. For over 200 years, even bitter political opponents have yielded their authority to the candidate who receives the necessary votes to claim victory.