Twelve years ago, WSBA conducted the first comprehensive demographic study as part of an ongoing effort to foster a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable legal profession. Roughly 10 years later, as planned, we’re diving into the demographics of WSBA members with a new study that will guide a new Equity and Justice Plan.
“We cannot support and strengthen the legal profession without understanding the makeup and experiences of Bar members,” WSBA staff wrote about the matter in the latest issue of Washington State Bar News. “We cannot advocate for equitable outcomes for all without addressing the wide gulf in representation between Bar members and the diverse communities who need legal help.”
Featured in this month’s edition of the WSBA’s official member magazine, we go over the most salient aspects of this new effort. More importantly, the WSBA and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council wants your input. Send your feedback on the draft plan as it prepares to present a first reading to the Board of Governors in January 2025. Visit the Equity and Justice Plan page to read the draft plan, provide feedback, and learn more about the demographic study, including how to earn CLE credit.
If it seems you can’t go anywhere these days without hearing about AI, you’re about to hear some more. Even if you’re eye-rolling over AI’s mass infiltration of daily life, we can’t deny that, as the authors of the first in a series of planned articles write this month, “Generative AI (GenAI) has emerged as a groundbreaking subset of artificial intelligence (AI) with the potential to revolutionize virtually every industry, including the legal field.” In this article on the keys to implementing GenAI effectively in legal teams, you will learn important terminology and what considerations should be made for implementing GenAI.
Then read the other features and columns in this issue to learn about recent amendments to CR 26 and 30, meet the winners of the 2024 Washington Young Lawyers Committee Public Service and Leadership Awards, explore the ethics of diligence under RPC 1.3, and more.
Last but not least, at the conference called the National Association for Bar Executives Communications Section Workshop, held in October, Bar News won two Luminary Awards for excellence in regular publications (best magazine) and excellence in authored article.
