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2008-2009 Annual Report

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2008-2009 Annual Report For the Public Good 2008–2009 ANNUAL REPORT [ KING COUNTY BAR FOUNDATION ] PRESIDENT’S LETTER Dear Friends and Colleagues: Pausing to reflect on the 2008–2009 year, I am struck by a profound sense of gratitude. The Foundation began the year with high hopes PreSIDent Douglas W. Greene and expectations, and an appropriately optimistic budget, but the Marcella Fleming Reed Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati The MFR Law Group, PLLC financial crisis that surprised most of the nation in the fall served to Joanie Kim make last year one of the most challenging in recent memory. As you VICE PreSIDent Nintendo of America might expect, the need for civil legal aid skyrocketed while revenue Stephen C. Ellis Davis Wright Tremaine Rosa Kim sources seemed to dry up almost overnight. Yet you met this challenge Microsoft Corporation with generosity and spirit, and I am delighted to report that your efforts SeCretarY to ensure access to the legal system and encourage diversity in the Kathryn M. Battuello Paul F. Mutty Attorney General’s Office Starbucks Coffee International legal profession were exceptional. TreaSurer Mary Jo Newhouse Though the Foundation’s overall revenue was down, the actual Megan S. Wells Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt, PC Navigant Consulting number of contributions made to the Foundation increased over the Benjamin G. Porter previous year! More people gave at the Breakfast With Champions. IMMEDIate Porter Kohli & LeMaster More people included a dues check-off contribution with their KCBA PAST PreSIDent M. Colleen Kinerk Constance L. Proctor membership application. In fact, almost 400 new donors contributed to Cable Langenbach Kinerk Vandeberg Johnson & Gandara the Foundation last year—another increase over the previous year! We & Bauer LLP couldn’t be more pleased with the encouraging and compassionate Geoffrey G. Revelle MeMBerS-at-LARGE Stoel Rives way you have responded to our community’s need. Peter S. Ehrlichman Dorsey & Whitney Donald B. Scaramastra Last year, the Community Legal Services programs served 10,407 Garvey Schubert Barer Megan McCloskey clients, the largest number to date. Your critical financial support for Rafel Law Group PLLC Harry H. Schneider, Jr. these programs was leveraged by 1,550 volunteer attorneys and Perkins Coie LLP 180 others to provide 34,503 hours worth of pro bono legal services TruSteeS James L. Austin, Jr. Robert L. Silver valued at $7.29 million. KCBF also granted $112,500 in minority Karr Tuttle Campbell MWW Group law student scholarships to the Seattle University and University of Washington law schools, making law school a reality for many students Catalina M. Cantu Linda J. Strout King County Port of Seattle who might have had to postpone or deny their professional goals. Risk Management Suzanne Thomas I applaud your commitment to providing a legal safety net in King Kaustuv Mukul Das K&L Gates Perkins Coie LLP County and remain grateful for your continuing support. Alejandro C. Torres Kenneth H. Davidson Attorney at Law Respectfully, Davidson, Czeisler & Kilpatric Christopher B. Wells Daniel J. Dunne Lane Powell PC Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe Benson D. Wong Paul S. Ficca Keller Rohrback LLP FTI Consulting Marcella Fleming Reed ...I am delighted to report that your efforts to ensure access to the legal system and encourage diversity in the legal profession were exceptional. President | King County Bar Foundation KCBF MinoritY LAW STUdent SCHolArsHips KCBF is one of the largest providers of minority law student scholarships in Washington. In 2008-2009, KCBF distributed $112,500 to the University of Washington and Seattle University law schools for this purpose. Over 500 students have benefited from this program since it began in 1970 with over half still practicing in Washington. BUildinG A Book of BUsiness Based on the premise that those minority attorneys who are successful within law firms are more likely to stay, this program helps minority associates in private practice improve their chances for success. In a closed-door seminar, successful minority lawyers instruct participants how to effectively market themselves and acquire new clients for their firms. FUTUre of THE LAW InstitUTE FLI is a year-long program for minority and economically disadvantaged high school students interested in learning more about a career in the law. FLI provides students with substantive legal workshops, career counseling, a mock trial, a courthouse tour, and opportunities to meet with legal professionals. Students are matched up with a mentor for the school year and are eligible for scholarships when they continue on to higher education. FUTURE OF THE LAW INSTITUTE SPONSORS: FOunDING FLIer | $5,000 + K&L Gates Microsoft Corporation FreQuent FLIer | $2,500 – $4,999 Dorsey & Whitney LLP Perkins Coie LLP Stokes Lawrence Washington Mutual Bank FLI SuppOrter | $1,000 – $2,499 Carney Badley Spellman, P.S. Greater Seattle Chapter of the Links, Inc. Helsell Fetterman LLP Christopher L. Hirst Mills Meyers Swartling Starbucks Coffee Company DIVERSITY KING COUNTY BAR FOUNDATION COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICESPROGRAMS From left to right: John McKay and Peter Ehrlichman HOUSING JUSTICE PROJECT (HJP) NEWCOMERS RESOURCE PROJECT FAMILY LAW MENTOR (MENTOR) HJP is a court-based, homelessness- (NEWCOMERS) Mentor facilitates pro bono representation for prevention program that assists low- Newcomers provides direct representation low-income clients in contested dissolution income King County residents facing loss and legal resources to immigrants and of marriage or parentage proceedings where of housing due to eviction. HJP volunteer refugees. Its largest panel collaborates with the children’s safety is at issue because attorneys and legal assistants meet clients CASA Latina serving unpaid and underpaid of domestic violence, child abuse/neglect, at the King County Courthouse in Seattle workers by referring those with wage claim criminal activity, or alcohol/drug abuse and the Regional Justice Center in Kent issues to a panel of volunteer attorneys who by opposing party. The program assigns on the day of their eviction hearings and provide direct representation. inexperienced or non-family law attorneys provide advice and consultation, legal rights (mentees) to an experienced family law education, negotiations with landlords, or full attorney (mentor) who provides initial representation at the show cause eviction VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS FOR PERSONS training and continues to assist each mentee hearing. If a case continues beyond the WITH HIV/AIDS (VAPWA) throughout the case. hearing, HJP volunteers have the option of VAPWA represents people living with keeping the case or sending it to VLS for HIV/AIDS or those who have legal concerns referral to a volunteer on the housing panel. related to HIV/AIDS. VAPWA handles cases KINSHIP CARE SOLUTIONS (KINSHIP) HJP also advises tenants in other landlord- in a variety of civil legal areas, including Kinship provides free representation to low- tenant matters. Because of a significant bankruptcy and debt, consumer issues, income relatives and other caregivers involved increase in the number of clients seeking employment issues, estate planning, family law in non-parental custody through referrals to assistance, HJP opened two, afternoon walk- (including domestic partnerships), housing, a volunteer panel of attorneys. Children who in clinics to provide advice to clients who do individual rights, Social Security issues, tort are subject to these proceedings are at-risk not have same-day hearings. defense, and vacating criminal records. in their parents’ care due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment or the parent’s substance abuse, incarceration, or other issue. Kinship NEIGHBORHOOD LEGAL CLINICS (NLC) VOLUNTEER LEGAL SERVICES (VLS) recruits, trains, and mentors the volunteer The NLC program offers free, half-hour, VLS provides direct representation of attorney through the legal process. limited legal advice consultations and low-income clients by volunteer attorneys referrals to King County residents and those regarding a variety of civil legal issues. Washington state residents with legal actions Common issues include bankruptcy, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REVISION SQUAD filed in King County who might otherwise debt defense, landlord-tenant, vacation of (REVISION SQUAD) have no access to the legal system. criminal records, guardianships, and wills. The DV Revision Squad provides The program strives to make the clinics VLS screens clients for financial eligibility, representation to low-income survivors of accessible regardless of a person’s disability resolvable legal issues, and program domestic violence in order for protection or lack of fluency in spoken English. The priorities. VLS volunteers include attorneys proceedings. Volunteer attorneys represent NLCs serve over 7,200 annually, regardless from every area of practice. victims in obtaining initial orders for of income, in 33 clinics countywide. protection and in filing motions for revision or reconsideration in cases in which a protection SELF HELP PLUS (SHP) order has been wrongly denied or is LEGAL SERVICES SHP assists low- to moderate-income insufficiently protective of the children. Since FOR THE HOMELESS (LSH) King County residents who will represent these motions involve court record review, LSH works with firms and individual attorneys themselves in uncontested divorces and briefing and oral argument and must be filed to provide free legal clinics at six of the establishment of parenting plans. SHP and served within ten days of the original
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