At a time when the legal profession is increasingly called on to demonstrate integrity, steadiness, and public service, Scott Collins stands out as a lawyer who lives those values every day. His career has been shaped not by a desire for recognition, but by a quiet, persistent commitment to doing things the right way—thoroughly, ethically, and with genuine respect for the people around him.

Litigation is as much about clarity as it is about advocacy. As an advocate, you need to learn complex concepts, scrutinize them as critic and cross-examiner, and teach them as a persuader. You must cross and then bridge the chasm between sophisticated technical concepts and your audience’s everyday understanding to solve the problem of misunderstanding before it starts.

A young woman calls your law office right before the end of the day. She is quite distraught and tells you she is very worried that she will be homeless soon. Her husband of nineteen years filed for divorce two weeks ago, right after the last payment was made on their twenty-year mortgage. Immediately after filing, he moved in with his (unknown to the wife until after she was served with the divorce paperwork) girlfriend of four years, whom he has been apparently supporting through her master’s degree program. 

The King County Bar Association’s Leadership Development & Nominations Committee is pleased to announce the following slate of KCBA members for open positions on the Board of Trustees, effective July 1. Additional candidates may run for any of these offices through the petition process prescribed in the bylaws. If no petitions are received by April 10, the slate will be deemed elected.

This month let’s get back to basics. Everyone involved in litigation needs a primer on mediation from time to time. Whether you are new to this process or a seasoned professional, it is a good idea to remind ourselves why we do this.

The civil appellate bar in Washington State is small. Most disputes are settled, before or after litigation is commenced, and of those few cases that are resolved by trial or dispositive motion, even fewer are appealed. 

The KCBA Labor & Employment Law Section is proud to present the 59th Annual Pacific Coast Labor & Employment Law Conference at the Seattle Convention Center on April 23 & 24, 2026.

Starting in law school, we are taught how to “represent” our clients. We learn how to advocate for their interests in contract negotiations, how to frame arguments for judges and juries, and how to draft pleadings and respond to discovery in a client’s voice. 

I love reading good books. And almost as much as I love reading them, I love talking about them. I ran into a book loving friend of mine at Mirabelle in Pioneer Square at lunch the other day and our conversation (in between bites of heavenly quiche) quickly turned to—what have you been reading lately? 

“The time is always right to do what is right.”
— Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,