Do you trust me? More and more, the answer to that question is no, regardless of whether the question asker is a family member, neighbor, elected official, or legal professional. In the spirit of trust, on May 1, 1,600 legal professionals across Washington publicly retook their oaths to uphold the rule of law in honor of Law Day, an annual tradition for legal professionals and the WSBA.
WSBA President Sunitha Anjilvel told the crowd of legal professionals at the Temple of Justice: “In courthouses spanning the state, we are standing together today, across geographic, cultural, and political identities…. We are reaffirming to Washingtonians that our most important job is to uphold and defend an independent judicial and legal system that champions justice for all.”
Of course, one question is why legal professionals feel the need to reaffirm those commitments?
“This year, however, the events took on renewed urgency in the face of a sharp decline in public trust and confidence in the legal system,” WSBA Legal Editor Katrina Mulligan writes in “Restoring Faith in the Law,” one of the features of the new issue of Washington State Bar News. “Recent studies reveal an increasingly polarized nation—where perhaps the only point of consensus is a deep and growing distrust of government institutions.”
This trend strikes at the core of our democracy: When we lose faith in our system of government, built upon the constitutional principle of a free and independent judiciary, we risk its erosion. In such times, the question becomes: ‘If lawyers and judges are not willing or able to defend liberty and freedom for all people under the law and Constitution, who will?’”
In keeping with that theme, WSBA Executive Director Terra Nevitt writes in this issue: “community can be difficult to form across large and diverse groups of people (like the 42,800 legal professionals licensed by the WSBA). Voluntary bar associations, however, pull together legal professionals based on a shared geography, demographic group, or area of practice. While these are still diverse groups, to be sure, they are smaller communities united toward common goals. That can make for powerful connections and action—often directly in service to those who need legal assistance. These communities also remind us that the things we have in common can be more important than the things that divide us.”
Of course, much more has been happening in Washington’s legal world, and much of it is featured in the new issue of Bar News.
On April 27, the 105-day 2025 legislative session adjourned after legislators passed the biennial state budget while contending with a budget deficit of up to $15 billion over the next four years that resulted in spending freezes and policies with fiscal impact to the state. The Legislature also passed several significant policy bills this session, and the WSBA Legislative Affairs team was there to track it. In this issue, WSBA Legislative Affairs Manager Sanjay Walvekar gives an overview of the bills that matter most to legal professionals in Washington.
In this issue, you’ll also find a Q&A with two past presidents of the Vietnamese American Bar Association, a breakdown of the patenting process for artificial proteins, a look at the ethics of telling clients hard truths, thoughts on how to navigate Tribal law research, a Q&A with Sound Legal Aid, and much more.
