Much has been said and much ink has been spilled about the crisis in public defense. Overworked and underpaid public defenders have been leaving in droves with no one to replace them, resulting in court backlogs and unrepresented citizens languishing in jail until someone is available to take their case. While much of the attention has thus far been directed at the defense side, prosecutors say they too are struggling in many of the same ways.
“It’s literally: we’re not getting applicants,” explains Joseph Brusic, the Yakima County prosecuting attorney and president of the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Board of Directors. “If we don’t get applicants in the door, then we’re not hiring—we don’t have a body.”
The feature story of the latest issue of Washington State Bar News, available online now, delves into the emerging hiring and retention problems among prosecutor offices throughout Washington, and explores a few of the suspected causes.
“Talking to people who have just taken the bar, I’ve asked them how it is looked upon if they say they want to become prosecutors,” Brusic said. “They said they’re almost ridiculed because students don’t see those positions as having value.”
Also in this issue: Lawyers are, of course, held to certain expectations. They are expected to dress appropriately, to speak appropriately, and even to have the appropriate posture for court. But while the expectations are seemingly rooted in commonly accepted rules and norms, an important question remains: whose rules and norms?
“Physical appearance and implicit bias present a unique challenge to Asian American female litigators because they are members of a group that is often perceived to be more docile or meek than others,” writes attorney Adriena Clifton. “Drawing from my own challenges in fighting such stereotypes, I seek via this article to discuss the common—and often invisible—experiences of Asian American female litigators who face prejudice about both their race and gender.”
In this issue you’ll also find a column on lawyer ethics in cases of client perjury, an overview from WSBA staff about the value of your license fee, insights from a recent law school graduate about her experience volunteering at the UW Federal Tax Clinic, and a bevy of columns, features, and important WSBA information.
