Depending on your age, America may have felt divided for your entire life—certainly your adult life.
“At any given time, roughly half of us seem to feel deeply fearful for the future of our country,” writes WSBA Executive Director Terra Nevitt in the new issue of Washington State Bar News. “Like many, when I am out in community (in law schools, in professional settings, and even on the sidelines of my kid’s soccer games), I find myself drawn to likeminded people.”
Indeed, a new comprehensive study from the NORC at the University of Chicago bears out that Americans are becoming profoundly polarized across the nation. Because of such divisions and the waning trust in public institutions like the legal system, the WSBA has launched a Rule of Law Ambassador Program.
“[T]he focus is apolitical—in fact, the purpose is to unite legal practitioners across the political spectrum to demonstrate to Washingtonians that the rule of law serves all of us,” writes Nevitt. “Our concern stems not from who is currently in power; it stems from the deep divide, apathy, and cynicism that is affecting U.S. citizens, causing them to devalue and turn away from our basic tenets of democracy.”
The new issue of Bar News features much more, including an interview with the newest Washington Supreme Court Justice, Salvador Mungia. In a wide-ranging discussion with Elizabeth Porter, James W. Mifflin University professor of law at UW School of Law, Mungia shares his inspirations, thoughts on transitioning to the other side of the bench, and recommendations for lawyers advocating before the court.
Also this issue, we celebrate the nearly 1,000 volunteers without whom the WSBA would struggle to accomplish all that it does. In honor of National Volunteer Week (April 20-26), we recognize the many volunteers who help present CLEs, research member well-being, and so much more.
You can also find many more columns and features on topics like the ethical considerations for compensating fact witnesses, one attorney’s experience seeking grief support through his employer, innovative ideas for tackling Washington’s access-to-justice crisis, and more.
