Faces of Justice
NAWJ 38th Annual Conference
October 5-9, 2016
Seattle, Washington

Click here For NAWJ 38th Annual Conference Guide
 

Seattle Retrospective: Counterbalance, Winter 2017, Volume 32, Issue 12 (page 4)

From October 5-9, 2016 over 300 judges, attorneys, government officials, academic and legal experts convened for NAWJ’s 38th Annual Conference, Faces of Justice, in Seattle, Washington. Instrumental to bringing the conference to life is the Conference Planning Committee led by Conference Chair Hon. Susan Owens, Washington State Supreme Court and Co-Chairs Hon. Mary E. Fairhurst, Hon. Barbara Madsen, Hon. Sheryl Gordon McCloud and Hon. Debra L. Stephens, her colleagues on the Washington State Supreme Court. All supported by NAWJ 2015-16 President Lisa Walsh (11th Circuit Court of Florida).

Education Committee Chairs Hon. Karen Donohue (Seattle Municipal Court), Hon. Margaret Vail Ross (Pierce County District Court), and committee member Judith M. Anderson (Judicial Services Division, Administrative Office of the Courts) programed a concert of sessions that spoke to our members’ issues of today. Education program included: Challenges of Aging: Proactive or Reactive Response; Justice for Vets; Ethical Issues for Judges in Dealing with Human Trafficking; Keynote Speaker Professor Stephanie Coontz; Water Knows No Borders; New Challenges in Balancing State, Federal and Tribal Water Law Interests; Community Supervision of Female Offenders; Gender and Race in Law and Movies; A Conversation with Law School Deans Annette Clark, Dean of Seattle University School of Law, Dean Jane Korn, Gonzaga University School of Law, and Dean Kellye Y. Testy, University of Washington School of Law moderated by Justice Debra L. Stephens, Washington State Supreme Court; Sexual Assault on College Campuses; Many Faces of Trafficking - Labor Trafficking: Underground Economy Workshop; Ensuring Access to Justice for Limited English Proficient and Deaf and Hard of Hearing; Tribal State Court Consortiums; Keynote Speaker Karen K. Naranski on Voting Rights; Implicit Bias and Cultural Awareness; Transgender People and the Courts: Ensuring Respect and Fairness; and Incarcerated Voices: the IF Project.

Event Chair Hon. Marilyn Paja, Kitsap County District Court, coordinated a memorable, misty ferry excursion to the Suquamish Tribal Museum and Tribal Court, a tour of the modern Seattle Municipal Court led by its Presiding Judge Karen Donohue; and the world class attractions at Seattle Center – Chihuly Garden and Glass and The Experience Museum Project.

Volunteer Chair, Hon. Marcine S. Anderson (King County District Court, West Division), assembled an amiable team of volunteers to assist conference attendees in registration, signing-up for excursions, and directing speakers throughout NAWJ five-day conference.

Thank you to conference budget chair, Hon. Laurel H. Siddoway, Court of Appeals, Division II.

This wonderful conference could not have taken place without the leadership of the Friends Chairs Ellen Conedera Dial, Esq. and Nancy Dykes Isserlis, Esq. and the long list of sponsors they were able to gather in support of the conference’s programs and activities: Premier Sponsor: Perkins Coie Foundation; Gold Sponsors: Lane Powell PC, LexisNexis, Microsoft, Starbucks, Washington State Supreme Court Gender and Justice Commission; Silver Sponsors: Alaska Airlines, Regina and Charlie Cheever, CourtCall LLC, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, GEICO, JAMS, Nintendo, Inc; Pacifica Law Group Seattle, Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt; Thomson Reuters, Williams Kastner; Bronze Sponsors: Bullivant Houser Bailey PC; Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Gordon Tilden Thomas & Cordell LLP, Keller Rohrback L.L.P, Kozyak Tropin Throckmorton; Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP, Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, Patterson Buchanan Fobes & Leitch, Inc. P.S.; Stokes Lawrence, Summit Law Group, Washington State Association for Justice; Supporters: Aoki Law, Calibre CPA Group Jameson, Babbit, Stites & Lombard PLLC; King County Bar Association, Lisa Kinoshita, Jewelry Designer; Mills Meyers Swartling P.S., Talmadge/Fitzpatrick/Tribe, Washington State Bar Foundation.

Education programs and beautiful excursions are not the only highlights of NAWJ’s Conferences, each conference also swears in a new President — Hon. Diana Becton, California Superior Court, Contra Costa County — of the Association and a slate of officers, which are listed in this newsletter. Saturday night’s Gala Banquet gave chance to members to hear from their new President, Hon. Diana Becton, laugh at the Improv of Unexpected Productions, and for outgoing President Lisa Walsh to recognize the achievement of select members. The Hon. Judith S. Chirlin - Justice Joan Dempsey Klein Honoree of the Year; Elizabeth M. Hernandez, Esq. and Akerman LLC — Florence K. Murray Award; Hon. Cheryl J. Gonzales, Hon. Brenda Murray and Hon. Betty J. Williams - Mattie Belle Davis Award; Hon. Karen Matson Donohue - Justice Vaino Spencer Leadership Award.