On Sept. 22, the WSBA invited legal professionals, friends, family, and the public to once again celebrate legal luminaries from around the state of Washington.
The 2022 APEX — Acknowledging Professional Excellence — Awards were held virtually, presenting awards and accolades across 12 categories and recognizing the contributions WSBA members have made toward access to justice, pro bono service, innovation in the law, and much more.
Presented jointly by outgoing WSBA President Hon. Brian Tollefson (Ret.) and newly sworn-in President Daniel D. Clark, the black-tie affair was broadcast via YouTube. Clark began the evening by thanking the many members of the WSBA Board of Governors — past, present, and newly elected — for their many contributions.
“What a tremendous honor it is to serve, but also what a tremendous amount of time and dedication it is [that] each and every member of our board puts into service for our organization, for our members, and to serve the public,” Clark said.
The awards ceremony featured videos of all the winners, as well as warm words from a few special guests. Introducing the Sally P. Savage Award, Washington State Bar Foundation Board President Tracy Flood, her voice choking with emotion, thanked the award winner and all those who contribute to the foundation.
“Thank you to everyone for their support,” Flood said. “You are making a difference.”
This year also marks the first presentation of the WSBA’s highest honor since being renamed after the late Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst. Following praise from Clark — who was a mentee of Fairhurst’s and called her “a true legal giant and legal luminary” — was a video presentation featuring Fairhurst’s sister, Katy Taylor.
“She believed that anything was possible,” Taylor said. “And anyone could be the change that they wanted to see in the world.”
You can watch the full APEX awards ceremony, as well as individual videos featuring each of the award winners, on the WSBA’s YouTube channel. Then follow the WSBA on Twitter and search for #wsbaapexawards to see what others are saying.
