Did you know? Your NLD board and committees are working hard to bring you new and exciting content! Since September, we have hosted networking events including Speed Networking and Back-to-Law-School Mixers; social events including Tacos and Trivia Night and a CLE every other month. CLEs usually have a hybrid attendance option, but coming in person is a great way to meet other NLD members. And remember, CLEs hosted by the NLD are complimentary for NLD members.

A KCBA Mentor of the Year will be announced at the April 9, 2026, New Lawyers Division Spring Soirée, sponsored by the New Lawyers Division. We’re all invited—and you should consider attending.

The evening gives us the opportunity to recognize a colleague who demonstrates, through action, deep respect for our profession and for the role that shared learning, skill development, and experience plays in helping lawyers become the best versions of themselves. Sharing knowledge helps all of us refine our professional paths. Talking with others about the challenges we face—and the career choices we’re navigating—often brings clarity and perspective.

The Board of Trustees convened on February 18, 2026, with President Sidney Tribe presiding. Trustees, officers, staff, and guests received updates on leadership transitions, member engagement, financial performance, pro bono impact, and several key governance actions.

While there may not be a single most important meal of the day, lunch serves a critical role in maintaining one’s energy for the rest of the day (a point hard working lawyers seem to forget sometimes). But, when time permits, lunch or brunch can be the nicest meal of the day. We checked a few more options for lunch and brunch.

I am intrigued by the different types of awareness month topics. April, for example, is both National Stress Awareness Month and National Poetry Month. While National Stress Awareness Month highlights our modern stress epidemic, National Poetry Month celebrates poetry and its cultural significance. These two topics, although seemingly antithetical to each other, offer a crucial reminder: creativity can serve as an antidote to stress. By acknowledging the stressors in our lives and turning to art, writing, or another creative hobby, we can create moments of calm and a brief creative oasis in the midst of daily pressures.

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In the wake of the federal government’s recent large scale immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, many bar associations and individual lawyers alike have expressed their concerns about lawless, unconstitutional actions such as unlawful use of deadly force, entering into private homes without a judicial warrant or permission, chemical agents used at close range on peaceful protestors, placement of citizens on “domestic terrorist” watchlists for simply expressing First Amendment protected speech, and more. Such actions have not been limited to Minnesota, and many smaller scale unlawful acts are ongoing right here in King County, to say nothing of the alarming reports of detainee abuse at the large federal immigration detention center in Tacoma. And there is no guarantee that a larger operation will not be conducted in Seattle.
 

The recent deaths of Bob Weir and Phil Lesh got me thinking about the Grateful Dead’s steady presence in my life across many decades. I discovered the Dead as a teenager in the fall of 1972 with the release of their live triple album, Europe ’72, and attended concerts whenever I could through my college years, which was pretty easy to do in the northeast, where the band booked numerous concerts over a couple of weeks, all within a hundred mile radius.
 

As our long Seattle winter turns to spring, our community begins to feel a familiar sense of renewal. For those of us in the legal profession, this season offers a natural opportunity to reflect on our shared responsibility—not just to our clients, but to the broader community we serve. Each year, that reflection comes into focus when we gather for the King County Bar Foundation’s Breakfast With Champions on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at the Sheraton Grand Seattle.
 

As I began writing this month’s Bar Bulletin article, I found myself wondering which observances are recognized in April. I soon discovered that the month is marked by a wide range of them including National Poetry Month and National Humor Month—reminders that creativity and laughter are not luxuries but necessities. April is also National Volunteer Month, a time to give back to the communities that sustain us, as well as Earth Month and National Garden Month. In addition, April is marked by the “Pink Moon,” signifying the arrival of spring, and in a modern spiritual context, a time for reflection, personal growth, and planning actions that align with one’s goals.