There were many sad farewells of established Seattle-area restaurants in 2025, but also many new openings to balance it out. This month, we checked out two new restaurants well worth trying and one well-established niche brewpub.

The following are highlights from the KCBA Board of Trustees meeting held Dec. 17, 2025, and convened by KCBA President Sidney Tribe.

Did you know? The Mission of the King County Bar Association New Lawyers Division is to further the objectives of new and aspiring lawyers by representing the diverse interests of the Division’s members to the Association and the legal community, creating opportunities for continuing legal education, mentoring, and networking, as well as addressing the needs of the community through pro bono and volunteer service

Facing fear is an important part of professional development. The fear of making mistakes is one such fear, and while overthinking and hesitation are byproducts of this fear, these aspects slow productivity and limit growth. This is a reminder that viewing mistakes as a natural part of learning and improvement, and errors as opportunities for feedback rather than failure, allows for more confidence in decision-making.

We are living in very strange times. The practice of law, in particular, seems perched on notably shaky ground. Court orders are routinely ignored at the highest levels, longstanding norms and precedents are swept away in shadow docket opinions with no explanation of the reason why, and AI assistance that was supposed to be a boon to the overextended attorney has resulted in the public shame of sanctions for several.

At the law library, our resources and services can help take some of the stress out of the daily woes of practicing law. And we can even help you find a good place for lunch when you’re down at the courthouse.

There has been a flurry of restaurant closings and openings in the past few months. Among the diverse new openings to check out, we discovered a couple of new options for Thai food in north Seattle.

Retired federal prosecutor and uber volunteer William Braun explains how the Court of Appeals strengthened enforcement of firearm surrender in DVPO cases, ruling that trial courts abuse their discretion when they refuse to impose sanctions or end proceedings without accounting for missing weapons. The decision underscores the courts’ duty to protect survivors and reduce the heightened risk of violence when abusers retain guns.

Your job search is like a strategy game. You won’t always be in the mood to look for jobs, so it’s important to build engines that will keep you moving, even when you’re not feeling particularly motivated. Every bit of planning you do moves you closer to the finish line.

The KCBA Board of Trustees met on Nov. 19 under the leadership of President Sidney Tribe. Trustees, officers, staff, and guests gathered to receive updates on recent programs, operational priorities, and key governance actions.

Natalie Kim lays out how legal teams can reduce chaos and increase impact by adopting a product management mindset focused on clarity, prioritization, and continuous improvement. Kim outlines how user-centered design, ruthless prioritization, and tight feedback loops help lawyers work more strategically rather than reactively.