Report from the April 2007 Meeting

The Board of Governors meeting in Kelso on April 13, 2007 was predictably interesting. The Board approved an extremely modest increase in the per-member charge for WSBA’s sections, recognizing the importance of the work of sections to the Bar and with the intent to develop a long-term policy regarding WSBA’s financial support for the sections. The Board also appointed WSBA immediate past-president S. Brooke Taylor to serve as a WSBA representative in the ABA House of Delegates.

The BOG then returned to the final report of the Death Penalty Subcommittee, held over from the March meeting. After a lengthy and thorough discussion of the report and consideration of the various submissions of interested parties, the Board voted unanimously to approve and adopt the report and its recommendations. The report in its entirety can be found at www.wsba.org/websitepostingfinal32707.pdf.

Finally, the Board received a preview of the report by the MCLE Board on its review of rules regarding Admission to Practice (“APR”) Regulation 104(e). Among other things, this regulation, made effective by the Washington Supreme Court and due to begin enforcement on June 1, 2006, places a limit on the number of CLE credits that attorneys and earn from in-house seminars. This credit limit has caused a great deal of concern among law firms that routinely host in-house CLEs for their attorneys. The MCLE Board has been looking at the matter and the BOG expects to receive a full report and recommendations at the June meeting in order to take action on the issues that have been raised regarding the rule.

I welcome your input and thoughts on this or any issues that come before the Board of Governors. Also, the full minutes of these meetings can be found online at www.wsba.org/info/bog/minutes+2006-2007.htm. Please be in touch.