The full version of this joint President’s Corner column will appear in the next issue of NWLawyer. The thing that we need in the world today is a group of men and women who will stand up for right and to be opposed to wrong, wherever it is. A group of people who have come […]
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By the time this gets published, LGBT Pride month will be coming to a close or have already ended, but I thought I would share a few thoughts about it anyway. Prior to my job here at WSBA, I worked on several college campuses, leading LGBT centers. Often I was asked why it was necessary […]
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In the March issue of NWLawyer, we hear from WSBA members on their views on President Trump’s executive orders on immigration, including: an in-depth legal analysis of the orders, perspective from an Iranian-American attorney, and a story about an innovative solution that employs technology to assist immigrants and refugees in need of representation.
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Almost a month ago, on Jan. 14, 2015, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Mellouli v. Holder, No. 13-1034. This case involves questions of drug possession and deportation and could have a big impact on immigration law.
Read More…“I have the faith to believe that this excessive suffering […] will in some little way serve to make […] a better country.” As individuals, it is easy to forget that our lives are interconnected with others. In America, we pride ourselves as a country built on the independence and innovation of individuals. The greater […]
Read More…Read three examples of how tribal common law can lead to results differing from those reached under state law. If you are unfamiliar with tribal courts, you may be surprised to hear they apply tribal customs and traditions to resolve legal disputes. Indeed, I find this is one of the most interesting parts of working […]
Read More…Learn more about the Salinas v. Texas ruling and how it could affect cases in Washington. On June 17, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States continued its stream of criminal procedure holdings, this time “holding” that the prosecutor’s use of a defendant’s pre-Miranda silence as evidence of guilt does not violate the defendant’s Fifth […]
Read More…A look at 3 recent cases of excessive force verdicts and the Graham balancing test. A jury in the Santa Ana Federal Court returned a verdict on April 4, 2013, after 10 days of evidence against two Long Beach officers who shot and killed 37-year-old Douglas Zerby in December 2010. The civil rights and wrongful death suit […]
Read More…Pre-trial proceedings, like bail hearings, are critical in criminal cases. Should the right to counsel be expanded to cover them? Last month marked the 50-year anniversary of the seminal U.S. Supreme Court Case Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335, 83 S. Ct. 792 (1963), where the Court held that the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provided […]
Read More…Learn how marijuana legalization affects DUI laws and investigations. One of the many myths surrounding the passing of Initiative 502 was that for the first time, it became illegal to drive under the influence of marijuana. Truth is, it has always been illegal to drive under the influence of any intoxicating substance, whether that is […]
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