[WSBAPT] Fw: Update from WSBA Governor Paul Swegle

Fri Jun 7 10:03:40 PDT 2019

-------Original Message-------

From: Paul S
Date: 6/7/2019 9:38:40 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients:,
Subject: Update from WSBA Governor Paul Swegle

Hello fellow WSBA members, and happy Friday!

As usual, these views are solely my own.
Feel free to share this email.
Email pswegle at gmail.com if you receive this indirectly and wish to join my
email list.     

Sorry for the lack of communication in recent months. I've been very busy
teaching, writing, and lawyering. 

It has also been advantageous to let some of the dust settle from all of the
recently concocted chaos.

In that regard, some of you have expressed your dismay at the ongoing 
Yelling Tour."  Yes, I am aware of that current travesty. All I can say is,
we will have a new president in a few months, hang in there!

In the coming months, some other members of the Board will also cycle off,
including one associated with suspiciously similar acrimony in the past,
according to this 2009 story from the Oregon Daily Emerald - https://www
dailyemerald
com/archives/papailiou-denied-position/article_4597d3e8-27ee-5165-b030-85a258
0028f.html  

But let us focus on the positive.

The Board. The WSBA Board of Governors majority is a strong, smart,
independent, diverse and dedicated group who continue to strive to improve
the WSBA, despite the efforts of some to reimpose what felt to many Members
like a permanently entrenched, opaque, unresponsive, and heavy-handed power
structure. 

ESHB 1788.  As most of you have either heard or surmised, the legislation to
restructure the WSBA entirely under the Washington Supreme Court was
defeated - at least temporarily. Thanks to all of you who raised your voices
to object - you helped play a key role in this very positive outcome! 

No Mandatory Malpractice Insurance. This was certainly the most challenging
substantive issue of late. There were strong arguments on both sides, but
the Board of Governors rejected all of the proposals relating to mandatory
malpractice insurance at its Yakima meetings. Member opposition to the
proposals was very strong, and certainly not only for self-interested
reasons, as some claim. Many raised valid concerns that the proposals would
cause much more harm than good by taking out of practice many attorneys who
perform valuable services to those most in need. I appreciate all of the
arguments made on both sides of the issue, thank you for being involved. 

The Acting ED - Terra Nevitt. I remain very confident in our acting
Executive Director, Terra Nevitt. I ask that all WSBA Members provide her
their full support as she works to guide the WSBA through change. Please let
her do her job and do not distract or second-guess her. 

We are all just riding out the present storm until a strong and very
thoughtful new leader takes the helm in a few months, Rajeev Majumdar.
Reviewing or critiquing the acting ED's performance prior to those changes
would be premature and counter-productive. 

New President Elect - Kyle Sciuchetti.  At our recent BOG meeting in Yakima,
we elected another fine individual to serve as president following Rajeev
Majumdar. 

Kyle is with the Miller Nash firm in their Vancouver, WA offices. He is
licensed to practice in WA, OR, and ID. Kyle is serving diligently and
thoughtfully on the Supreme Court Structure Workgroup with me, and he served
with me on the small BOG team that worked hard in Olympia to defeat ESHB
1788. 

I admire Kyle as a BOG colleague for his thoughtful and diplomatic approach
to tough issues, I consider him a friend, and I believe he will be an
excellent president when his time to serve arrives. 

Supreme Court Structure Workgroup.  Chief Justice Fairhurst and her staff
have been running a very tight and thoughtful ship. The Structure Workgroup
has collected much of the information it needs to begin actively discussing
and debating what the WSBA should look like in the future. 

There is a Structure Workgroup meeting this Monday from 9 to Noon. We are
nearly finished. If you care about the future of the WSBA, participate! 

Some voices are calling for the elimination of elected Member representation
within the WSBA. They say you Members do not care enough to play an
effective and thoughtful role in your organization. I oppose that position
and urge that you do so as well. You are the Members, you provide the WSBA's
entire $21 million budget, and you deserve a strong, elected role in its
governance.  

You may attend Monday's Structure Workgroup meeting in person, or you may
watch via video or call in. 

Here's a link to the agenda and video/call-in information: Structure
Workgroup Link for Monday, June 10.  (https://www.courts.wa
gov/content/publicUpload/Supreme%20Court%20Workgroup%20on%20WSBA%20Structure/
upremeCourtWorkGrouponWSBAStructureAgenda0610.pdf)

Thank you all for your dedication to the WSBA. Have a wonderful weekend. 

Sincerely, 

Paul Swegle
Board of Governors, District 7N
Immediate Past Chair, Corporate Counsel Section
Washington State Bar Association
__________________________

Paul Swegle
General Counsel
(206) 300-7165

Startup GC Blog

Contract Drafting & Bear Spray - FieldGuide Podcast

Contract Drafting and Negotiation

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