News – NWSidebar

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The Derek Chauvin Trial: Early Insights from WSBA President-Elect’s Judicial Perspective

Very little about the trial against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is standard. The mere fact that there is a trial is somewhat unusual. Police-involved deaths rarely result in prosecutions, let alone convictions of the officers involved. (Despite about 1,000 police-involved deaths per year, since 2015 only 121 officers have been arrested on charges of murder or manslaughter resulting in 44 convictions, according to the New York Times.) Few police-involved deaths are as widely well-known as the summer day in 2020 and the now-infamous video showing Chauvin kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, ending in Floyd’s death. And certainly, never before has such an intensely high-profile criminal case taken place amid the unprecedented courtroom restrictions to amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Legal Research Companies Casemaker and Fastcase Merge

Legal publishers Casemaker and Fastcase today announce their merger and joint building out of legal research and analytics, news, data, and workflow solutions. The two companies will combine their teams and technologies to innovate research, analytics, and workflow offerings that empower lawyers with powerful digital solutions for their clients.

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State Supreme Court Case Could Determine Fate of King County’s Inquest Process

King County is one of the only jurisdictions in the country that requires an inquest every time a police officer kills a community member. But will these inquests continue to be largely pro forma processes that almost always appear to absolve officers of wrongdoing? Or will they become a meaningful tool for police accountability, a truly fair and transparent examination of what happened and why when law enforcement kills a member of the community? Families whose loved ones have been killed by law enforcement hope it is the latter.

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Remembering Paula

The long-serving executive director of the WSBA, Paula C. Littlewood, died of pancreatic cancer on Dec. 14. We mourn the terrible loss of a great leader and a loving friend.

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Washington Prepares for First-Ever Remote Bar Exam

For the first time in its history, the WSBA will administer the bar exam remotely. On Dec. 3, the Washington Supreme Court issued an order authorizing the WSBA “to conduct the February 2021 administration of legal licensing examinations for admission using remote testing software,” citing the “extraordinary barriers” created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.On Dec. 3, the Washington Supreme Court issued an order authorizing the WSBA “to conduct the February 2021 administration of legal licensing examinations for admission using remote testing software,” citing the “extraordinary barriers” created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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The 10 Most-Read NWSidebar Articles of 2020

You probably won’t be surprised by the trend that emerges when one glances through the most-read articles published to NWSidebar in 2020. As of this writing, after about nine months of COVID-19—with a vaccine off-ramp still months out and new spikes in cases resulting in yet another statewide lockdown—much has been learned about, adapted to, and coped with regarding the pandemic that has turned all of daily life upside down … and then spun it a few more times just for good measure.

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Lessons From Earth to Outer Space: Space Law, Elon Musk, and the Future of Mars

The history of space law can be traced to competition among developed countries that demanded new ground for growing political pretensions.

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Honoring Veterans in Washington State Bar News

Each November we dedicate a day to pause and reflect on our veterans. In the latest issue of Washington State Bar News, we’ve done just that. In recognition of Veterans Day, we’re sharing stories that focus on issues affecting service members, their families, and the legal professionals who make serving veterans their duty. Members of the WSBA Legal Assistance to Military Personnel Section help explain its origins and what its section members do

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When the Feds Came to Town: An Interview with Former Oregon Federal Public Defender Steve Wax

Steve Wax, legal director for the Oregon Innocence Project and Oregon federal public defender from 1983 to 2014, has called for convening a grand jury inquiry into the the federal response to protests in Portland. We spoke with Wax to better clarify the questions behind the legal actions that took place.

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WSBA Chief Disciplinary Counsel Receives National Bar Counsel Award

WSBA Chief Disciplinary Counsel Doug Ende is an eclectic personality on top of being a meticulous and measured legal ethics professional. This certainly was not lost on the National Organization of Bar Counsel (NOBC), which presented Ende with the 2020 NOBC President’s Award virtually on July 30.

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When Court is Back in Session: The Plan for Washington Courts to Resume During COVID-19

Everything from social distancing in a jury trial to managing a backlog of cases remain top of mind for officials at all levels of the state court system. A review of county superior court websites reveals that many courts continue to prioritize virtual proceedings while developing methods to handle in-person interactions safely.

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Are You Prepared for a Pandemic?

COVID-19, especially in Washington state, poses a threat on the legal profession and the world. We dive into the current circumstances and look at ways to prepare for pandemic.

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Taming the Skies: What’s on the Itinerary for Service Animals and Airlines

Jonathan Ko dives into the USDOT’s recently proposed changes to regulations for service animals on commercial flights. Spoiler: pigs actually wouldn’t fly.

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Legislative Disclosure: Impacts and Implications of AP v. Washington Legislature

For years, agencies calling for sensible Public Records Act reform have remarked that change would not come until the state’s lawmakers were also subject to the PRA. That day finally arrived on Dec. 19, 2019, when the Washington Supreme Court issued its opinion in Associated Press et al. v. Washington State Legislature, et al.

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Legislative Update re: HB 1788

WSBA members may have seen that HB 1788 was pulled from the Rules Committee and placed on third reading, which means that it will receive a floor vote in the House in the next several days.

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The Top 10 Most Popular NWSidebar Articles in 2019

As the hub for voices of Washington’s legal community, the content on this blog is as varied as WSBA members themselves.