Washington State Bar Association

10/16/2026

Join us on Wednesday for our MentorLink Mixer: Networking & Community Building, presented in partnership with the Washington New Members Committee. It’s a free, virtual event of real conversations between legal professionals ready to expand their networks and those who have already built theirs.

Oct. 21, 4-5:30 p.m. | Virtual via Zoom

Register here by Monday, Oct. 19: https://zurl.co/rCCh0

Join us as a mentor or mentee!

10/15/2026

Visit the WSBA Lending Library! The Lending Library is a free service to WSBA members offering the short-term loan of books on topics related to practice management, wellness, technology, and career development. Get started here: https://zurl.co/5ylVg

Check out a few of our many new titles recently added to the WSBA Lending Library:

Demystifying AI through Due Diligence and Data Management: A Governance Guide https://zurl.co/pKm0K

Legal Tech Ecosystem: Innovation, Advancement & the Future of Law Practice https://zurl.co/T9zvs

The Small and Mid-Size Law Firm Talent Playbook https://zurl.co/yt5Bc

The Lending Library is a service to WSBA members offering the short-term loan of books on topics related to practice management, wellness, and career development.

10/14/2026

New President, New Board, and More in the New Issue of Bar News

Read an in-depth interview with the new WSBA President Kari Petrasek in the newest issue of Washington State Bar News. As WSBA president, Petrasek plans to focus on advancing and implementing the WSBA’s strategic goals, and she is especially passionate about continuing to find ways to support rural practitioners and to strengthen public trust and confidence in the legal system. Her theme for the year is near to her heart.

“This year, my theme is to recognize, celebrate, empower, and foster a thriving volunteer community made up of over 1,500 WSBA volunteers whose dedication makes our organization’s work possible and enriches the resources we provide to members of the legal community. I also want all volunteers to know the Board and the WSBA support you and are here to help you.”

Petrasek is not the only new member of the WSBA’s governing body. As the Bar enters a new fiscal year, we have several fresh faces on the Board of Governors, and in this issue you can meet them all. Check out a preview of the October issue of Bar News magazine here on NWSidebar: https://zurl.co/V47Qe

Lawyer, prolific WSBA volunteer, baseball afficionado—now Kari Petrasek can add WSBA president to her bio.  As WSBA president, Petrasek plans to focus on advancing and implementing the WSBA’s strategic goals, and she is especially passionate about continuing to find ways to support rural practi...

10/13/2026

Lingua Franca: New WSBA Opinion on Language Access

America’s still-vibrant mosaic puts a continuing premium on language skills in many walks of life—including law practice. Recognizing the critical importance for lawyers and clients to understand each other, the WSBA earlier this year issued an advisory opinion discussing language access issues in law practice. Read the full article here for Bar News: https://zurl.co/i80NJ

America’s still-vibrant mosaic puts a continuing premium on language skills in many walks of life—including law practice. Recognizing the critical importance for lawyers and clients to understand each other, the WSBA earlier this year issued an advisory opinion discussing language access issues ...

10/12/2026

Get to know WSBA members through the Beyond the Bar Number Bar News column, a space where members share their story through a series of personal questions. Read through past questionnaires here and request your own questionnaire at [email protected].

Know a member who should be featured? Nominate a colleague in the comments below and we'll reach out to them! https://zurl.co/Tw0FU

December 17, 2024 NWSidebar Beyond the Bar Number > Robbie Philbrick Get to know WSBA member Robbie Philbrick. Request your own questionnaire at [email protected]. Read more

10/09/2026

Register for the next free Legal Lunchbox: Tribal Court Protection Orders at 11:55 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27. This program is for 1.50 Law & Legal Procedure. Visit the WSBA CLE Store to register: https://zurl.co/e3hDY

This session will review how the Tulalip Tribes' culturally-rooted response to family and domestic violence resulted in Tulalip's robust and innovative victim services model. Attendees will learn about Tulalip's trauma-informed legal procedures and where Tulalip and Washington's protection order procedures align and differ.

10/08/2026

Mock Trial Mentors needed at Dimmitt Middle School!

Ready your gavels! Sixth graders at Dimmitt Middle School in Bryn Mawr-Skyway are preparing for a mock trial based on S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders, and they'll present their cases at Renton Municipal Court.

Volunteer for an hour or a full day on Friday, Oct. 23, or Friday, Oct. 30. Sign up here to volunteer → https://zurl.co/KDuIh

10/07/2026

Attend the next WSBA MentorLink Mixer: Networking & Community Building. This free virtual mixer will be held on Oct. 21, from 4-5:30 p.m. Register here as a mentee or mentor: https://zurl.co/5kG2y

10/06/2026

Northwest Courts Wrestle with AI ‘Hallucinated’ Citations by Pro Se Litigants https://zurl.co/elQzH

In September 2026, courts in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho dealt with cases involving fake citations generated by AI tools used by pro se litigants. Judicial frustration arose over these fabricated…

10/05/2026

Join us for the 2026 Diversity Employment Expo for WA Future Legal Professionals!

When: Saturday, Oct. 17 | 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Where: WSBA Offices, 1325 4th Ave, Suite 600, Seattle, WA 98101

Registration: https://zurl.co/ykE1i

This program is intended to support law students, APR 6, and LLM students, who may face heightened barriers to success early in their legal careers. This includes students from communities that are underrepresented or marginalized in the legal profession. Any law student may participate.

This event is in partnership with affinity bar associations, including Latina/o Bar Association of Washington, Loren Miller Bar Association, Korean American Bar Association of Washington (KABA), Filipino Lawyers of Washington (FLOW), Washington Women Lawyers , and the Joint Minority Mentorship Program.

Register as either a participant (JD, LLM, LPO student or APR 6 clerk) or as a mentor/event volunteer.