Welcome to the inaugural digital version of TCBA's Legal Brief. We hope you will become comfortable with this digital version as we trial this during the next year. The purpose of this transition is three-fold. One, we hope this platform provides a more interactive experience for our members; two, we hope to reduce our carbon footprint by reducing paper use; and three, we hope to reduce the association's overhead costs. We welcome your feedback. Please reach out to any of your board members with questions, concerns and suggestions.
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THE LEGAL BRIEF
A Publication of the Thurston County Bar Association
President’s Message By: Wayne Graham
Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne? And surely you'll buy your pint cup! and surely I'll buy mine! And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
Inside this issue:
President’s Message
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Meet your Board
I do hope that you all enjoyed a wonderful Holiday season with family and friends. As we close the door on 2023 and look forward to what 2024 has to offer, it comes to mind on which does one focus upon. What are we leaving behind or where we are going? One would hope that it is a bit of both. Your Thurston County Bar Association Board was faced with some difficult financial decisions for this upcoming year concerning programs and groups that we have been able to traditionally support monetarily that, in balancing our budget, was just not possible for the upcoming year. There were spirited discussions but ultimately, decisions had to be made. So, in the tenor of this message, is that the end of those stories with our Bar or not. I would hope not. Like many associations, as I stated previously, COVID had some substantial consequences on our ability to raise and maintain revenue. And we would hope you all know, as a non - profit, the goal is not to make money as an Association, just to break even. All of your Board members and Section Chairs are unpaid volunteers who are committed to the health and success of the TCBA going forward. On that note, the decision was made to nominally increase our Annual dues, which had not been adjusted for well over 25 years, from $50 to $65. In relation to some of the other Bar Associations in the State, we are close or at the bottom for that annual request. This small increase should help next year ’ s budget team in looking at hopefully reevaluating the funding requests of our community partners. We will also be expanding our Continued Legal Education opportunities this next year for not only our Bar members, but opening it up to other Bar associations as well. We are pleased to announce a three - hour Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Ethics CLE scheduled for March 8, 2024, that should be available both in person and on ZOOM, fingers crossed. A Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ethics credit will be required by the WSBA as part of our licensing requirement and this would include an additional two - hours of ethics credits as well. Please stay tuned for more information on that program as we finalize the curriculum. Your Thurston County Bar Association is here to work with and is here for all of our members. We look forward to facing our challenges with energy and as opportunities for success. Please send any suggestions, comments or concerns to our email address at tcba.info@gmail.com.
Local Hero Award: Jonathan Sprouffske
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View From the Bench
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Classifieds/Ads Misc Updates and Announcements/Invites
3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13,
19, 20, 21, 23
Young Lawyer’s Spotlight: Matthew Maki
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Washington State Law Library Article
Thurston County Volunteer Legal Services
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Section Updates
14, 15, 16, 17, 18
“In Re”: Isaac Fortunato
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2024 Membership Form
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2024 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL … FORM ON LAST PAGE
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Board Members 2023-2024
Wayne Graham President
John Kesler III President Elect
Brandon Koenig Treasurer
Michael Young Past President
Melissa Goldmann Secretary
William B. Pope Board Member
Angela Colaiuta Board Member
Matt Huot Board Member
Rosemary Fitzgerald Board Member
Jerry Gray Board Member
Marie Docter Board Member
Joseph Scuderi Board Member
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2023 WSBA LOCAL HERO AWARD RECIPIENT!!!
JONATHAN SPROUFFSKE
CONGRATULATIONS!! Thank you for your dedication and service to the Thurston County Community, Jonathan!
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A View From The Bench
By Judge Pam Nogueira City of Olympia
Happy New Year!
I became the Olympia Municipal Court judge just 3 months ago. Though, at this point in my career, being a judicial officer is second nature. For the prior 2 years I
was a full - time court commissioner for Thurston County Superior Court at Family and Juvenile Court. Before that I was judge pro - tempore for multiple courts while in private practice. What is new to me, however, is being able to affect change to the degree at which my new position affords. We have many changes on the works. Starting in January our court will have new calendar and local rules. These were sent out for comments in October and finalized in December. These changes are the first steps toward an effort to improve efficiency. We will have more in person appearances, especially for arraignments and dispositions, which will create an opportunity for criminal defendants to better engage with defense attorneys, sign documents, and obtain copies of orders. Another of my primary focuses is our community court. We have welcomed a review of the program by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) so we can better understand the gaps and unrealized needs of the program. Our staff is committed to attending continued education training and adhering to current best - practice standards. Our community court will also return to in - person. This will allow for a better connection between our participants and our providers and case manager. It will increase our ability to drug test and create an opportunity for our staff to assess needs, offer donations, and make new referrals. We currently also have, on the same day as our community court, the St. Peter Hospital ’ s street medicine mobile unit and the Nurture Hope ’ s mobile shower unit on our parking lot, offering services to participants.
In the future, I hope our court can partner with other local agencies and jurisdictions so that we can make the most of our resources in serving our community.
We expect a bright 2024 for this court and our community. Best wishes to all!
Swearing in ceremony for Judge Pam Nogueira.
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2023 TCBA Holiday Luncheon
The TCBA annual holiday luncheon was held on December 8, 2023, at the Olympia Country and Golf Club. We had 80 TCBA members including members of the judiciary and elected officials attend. It was great to see everyone and enjoy each others company! We hope you had a great holiday season!
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Looking for a new job opportunity or do you want to advertise a job opportunity at your law firm? Check out the Employment Opportunities page on the TCBA website, www.thurstoncountybar.com
There is no charge to post legal job opportunities.
Email Heather at tcba.info@gmail.com for more information.
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Young Lawyer Spotlight By Devin Kohr & Peter Lindgren, Young Lawyer Section Co - Chairs
Matthew Thomas Maki
WSBA # 59481
I grew up in … Yakima, WA.
Before Law School I... took a gap year and volunteered in Argentina for 6 months.
What I find challenging about being a new/young lawyer is … not having experience to fall back on and having to ask a ton of questions.
Some helpful advice received from a more experienced lawyer …. Is to always take the high road. You won ’ t always want to, but it will be beneficial in the long run.
The most memorable trip I ever took was … going to Guatemala for a month to teach English to Maya children at a school in Tecpán.
My wellness routine includes... pickleball. I ’ m addicted.
Nobody would ever suspect that I … am happiest when the Huskies beat Oregon.
My favorite song right now is... Fire Away by Chris Stapleton.
Three favorite places in Thurston County are... 23 Kitchens (a pickleball/restaurant facility), Woodard Bay, and Boston Harbor.
What you like about being a part of the TCBA … The sense of community. It is actually a fairly small group and it ’ s nice to see the same faces at a lot of the events.
If you would like to be featured in the Young Lawyer Spotlight or know someone you would like your fellow lawyers to get to know, email the TCBA Young Lawyers Section Co - Chairs, Devin Kohr at dkohr@bgwp.net or Peter Lindgren at plindgren@bgwp.net
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News from the Washington State Law Library
New Titles added to the eBook Library The law library has recently added even more books to our eBook library. Nutshells, Lexis eBooks, WSBA eDeskbooks and more are available to check out through our online catalog: https://librarycatalog.courts.wa.gov/ and can be read on your computer, phone or iPad/tablet. You will need a current library account to check them out. If you don ’ t have an account, you can create one at https:// librarycatalog.courts.wa.gov/cgi - bin/koha/opac - user.pl, or contact us to create one for you. If you already have an account, but don ’ t remember your password, use the ‘ forgot password ’ link to reset. For full details about using our eBook collection, check out this instructional blog post: https://medium.com/walawlibrary/lexisnexis - digital - library - ebook - collection - is - here - 847eac75e502. Books to Guide Your Legal Career Whether you ’ re just starting out, looking to open your own practice, or considering a change, you should check out our latest booklist on the library catalog: Books for Your Law Career. https://bit.ly/wsllyourlawcareer In - Person Research Service Available The State Law Library is open for in - person research services, Monday – Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, at our Tumwater location. You are strongly encouraged to review our updated website before your visit: https://www.courts.wa.gov/library/. Please contact the Reference Desk at library.requests@courts.wa.gov or 360 - 357 - 2136 if you have any questions: What We ’ re Blogging About: Book Reviews and Merging With the Supreme Court November was Native American Heritage Month, so please take a moment to read our Native American Heritage Month: Embracing Indigenous Knowledge and Educating Washington ’ s Students – With Indian Law Research Guide (Native American Heritage Month: Embracing Indigenous Knowledge and Educating Washington ’ s Students – With Indian Law Research Guide) post. Our friends over at the Spotlight on Civic Learning in Washington (Spotlight on Civic Learning in Washington) blog took the opportunity to celebrate the month by highlighting (https://medium.com/waciviclearning/native - american - heritage - month - 4487e7a8f6b4) the state ’ s Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State school curriculum, and we have provided some support to them by including an Indian Law research guide in our post. In light of an April 2023 National Judicial College poll of judges regarding hate crime laws, we pulled together an overview (https:// medium.com/walawlibrary/hate - crimes - in - washington - recent - changes - in - state - and - federal - law - and - a - guide - to - resources - 9986df1cd6ee) of federal and Washington hate crime laws, recent changes in the law, and selected hate crimes resources. Another changing legal landscape that we blogged (https://medium.com/walawlibrary/keeping - families - together - changes - to - washingtons - child - protection - system - bca8b61eea5b) about is the child protection system in Washington. In the post we provide an overview of the Keeping Families Together Act that went into effect in July of this year and other recent child protection reform efforts. To highlight the many new books we have received in the last several months we published two posts. One is on our new books for legal professionals (https://medium.com/walawlibrary/new - to - the - collection - books - for - legal - professionals - 1886c39c13d9) and the other is about our new books on criminal justice reform (https://medium.com/walawlibrary/new - to - the - collection - books - on - criminal - justice - reform - e52083897041). To read these posts and more or to subscribe to the law library blog, visit https://medium.com/ walawlibrary. Follow us on Social Media Be the first to know about what ’ s happening at the State Law Library. For service updates, special events happening in the legal world, new blog posts and even a cheeky post or two from the reference staff, follow us on these platforms:
Facebook (@walawlibrary) and Linkedin.
https://www.facebook.com/walawlibrary/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/washington - state - law - library
We look forward to seeing you and assisting you with your legal research.
Upcoming Holiday Closures
WSLL will be closed on the following holidays: Jan. 1: New Year ’ s Day Jan. 15: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Feb. 19: Presidents Day
The law library research room at Town Center 3 in Tumwater.
- Contributed by Washington State Law Library reference staff.
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Please help support legal organizations in the Thurston County community by donating!
Williams, Wyckoff & Ostrander, PLLC
We have spent over 30 years protecting injured workers in workers ’ compensation cases. Williams, Wyckoff & Ostrander, PLLC 2958 Limited Lane NW P.O. Box 316 Olympia, Washington 98507 Phone: 360.528.4800 Email: wwo@wwolaw.net Website: wwolaw.net
Thurston County Volunteer Legal Services
https://tcvls.org/donate/
and
The Dispute Resolution Center of Thurston County
https:// www.mediatethurston.org/ donate.html
Thank you for your support!
We provide free consultations to injured workers and we welcome your referrals.
ADVERTISING IN THE LEGAL BRIEF
The cost for advertising is $264 for a full page, $132 for 1/2 page, $60 for 1/4 page, and $30 for 1/8 page.
All advertisements are subject to approval of the Legal Brief ’ s Editorial Board. The Legal Brief is published bi - monthly (January, March, May, September and November).
For information on specs and to view past editions of the Legal Brief, visit our website:
The Legal Brief – Thurston County Bar Association
You can now pay for your advertising online here!
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Section/Committee Announcements...
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION SECTION
The next section meeting will be on January 17, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. on Zoom. We will be discussing Martin Luther King Jr. and related topics.
Meet the NEW Diversity & Inclusion Section Co - Chairs IVY - ROSE KRAMER KELSEY GASSELING
If you have any questions, please contact
Ivy - Rose Kramer at Ivy - rose.kramer@co.thurston.wa.us and Kelsey Gasseling at Kelsey.gasseling@co.thurston.wa.us.
VISIT THE TCBA DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION SECTION WEB PAGE HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
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Section/Committee Announcements, Continued
YOUNG LAWYER SECTION
The next section meetings are on January 24 and 31 at 12:00 p.m. at Pizzeria La Gitana in Olympia.
Meet the Young Lawyer Section Co - Chairs PETER LINDGREN DEVIN KOHR
If you have any questions, please contact Peter Lindgren at plindgren@bgwp.net and Devin Kohr at dkohr@bgwp.net
VISIT THE TCBA YOUNG LAWYER WEB PAGE HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
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Section/Committee Announcements, Continued
FAMILY LAW SECTION
Meetings are typically held on the second Tuesday of every month. Meetings are held at 12:10 p.m. via Zoom.
Meet the Family Law Section Chair MEREDITH GERHART
If you have any questions, please contact Meredith Gerhart at (360) 350 - 6505 or Meredith@gerhartlegal.com
VISIT THE TCBA FAMILY LAW SECTION WEB PAGE HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
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Section/Committee Announcements, Continued
REAL ESTATE, LAND USE AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW SECTION
The next meeting is a CLE on January 25, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. at Mercato Ristorante in Olympia.. The topics is “ Municipal Code Enforcement ” presented by Dalton Maurer, City of Olympia Lead Code Enforcement Officer and Kevin Zwink, City of Lacey Code Enforcement Officer. Section Members RSVP to astanton@dfpblaw.com by January 17. The event is free, but attendees must purchase their own lunch.
Meet the Real Estate, Land Use & Environmental Law Section Chair TREVOR ZANDELL
If you have any questions, please contact Trevor Zandell at 360 - 742 - 3500 or tzandell@dfpblaw.com.
VISIT THE TCBA REAL ESTATE, LAND USE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECTION WEB PAGE HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
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Section/Committee Announcements, Continued
CRIMINAL LAW SECTION
Stay tuned for details about the next section meeting.
Meet the new Criminal Law Section Co - Chairs OLIVIA ZHOU DIANAANDERSON
If you have any questions, please contact
Olivia Zhou at olivia.zhou@co.thurston.wa.us and Diana Anderson at diana.anderson@co.thurston.wa.us
VISIT THE TCBA CRIMINAL LAW SECTION WEB PAGE HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
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TCBA & Other Upcoming Events
TCBA January Member Luncheon & CLE: January 26, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. (social 1/2 hour starts at 11:30 a.m.) at Tugboat Annie ’ s & on Zoom. The Topic is: Washington Law Potpourri presented by John A. Kesler III, Attorney at Bean Gentry Wheeler Peternell, PLLC. See more information on page 23.
Half Day Ethics CLE: March 8, 2024, from 9:00 a.m.— 12:00 p.m. Location: TBD. We plan to offer one Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Ethics credit and two Ethics credits. Stay tuned for more information.
March 2024 Issue of the Legal Brief: The deadline to submit articles and advertisements for the March 2024 Legal Brief is February 21, 2024. Please email them to Heather Ligtenberg at tcba.info@gmail.com.
Save the Dates: 2024 TCBA Member Luncheons & CLEs: See page 21 for the dates.
Please refer to the “ News & Events ” section on the TCBA website for a full list of upcoming events.
Dear Thurston County Bar Association Members,
Thank you for your participation in the Salvation Army ’ s Adopt - A - Family program in 2023!
Every year, TCBA partners with the Salvation Army to make the holiday season a little brighter for those in our community in need of assistance. We participate in two ways. First, our members, their firms, agencies, families, and friends adopt families of various sizes, and the participants donate gifts to the family members. Second, we “ pass the hat ” to supplement our overall donations in the form of grocery store gift cards.
In 2023, the TCBA membership adopted 24 families. Additionally, our "pass the hat" donations totaled $2,325.00 toward the purchase of Safeway gift cards for these 24 families.
As I said during the Holiday Luncheon, your commitment to our community made this holiday season a little brighter for our adopted families. I am very proud to be a part of this legal community.
Jerry Gray, Adopt - A - Family Program Chair
Benefits to Establishing a Link from the TCBA Website to your own Website
The TCBA website is accessible through the major search engines, so potential clients looking for an attorney in Thurston County can easily find you. You can provide potential clients with information about you and your practice in an inexpensive, efficient and professional manner. The website is linked from the WSBA website so attorneys from outside of Thurston County can easily find attorneys here for various cases.
It ’ s FREE, courtesy of TCBA as a benefit for being a TCBA member.
If you would like to include your weblink on the TCBA website, please let Heather Ligtenberg know at tcba.info@gmail.com.
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Dixie Cattell & Associates, LLC
Let us handle all your court reporting needs. We provide prompt, high - quality transcripts and professional service. Offering Depositions via Zoom Videoconferencing or In Person.
Certified Court Reporters & Videoconferencing
• Depositions/Arbitrations/Interviews
Online Scheduling
•
• Complimentary Conference Rooms • Electronic PDF Transcripts • Experienced Legal Videographers • Hyperlinked Exhibits • Online Transcript Repository
Call 360 - 352 - 2506 or email us at:
dcattell@comcast.net to schedule your next deposition.
There are several ways to handle exhibits with Zoom.
Options include emailing them to all participants and using screen share or other Zoom features. We will consult with you prior to your deposition to assist with the method that works best for you.
Congratulations to
Save the Dates for the
2024 TCBA Member Luncheon and CLEs at Tugboat Annie ’ s at 12:00 p.m. (Social 1/2 hour starts at 11:30 a.m.):
Honorable Judge Pam Nogueira
for her appointment to the Olympia Municipal Court and
Commissioner Megan Rue for her appointment to the Thurston County Superior Court!
January 26, 2024 February 16, 2024 March 22, 2024 April 26, 2024
Topics: TBD
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“ In Re: Isaac Fortunato ”
1. Name and year admitted to Bar: Isaac Fortunato; 2023
2. Areas you practice in: Criminal law
3. I became a lawyer because . . . I thought that I could make a positive difference on the criminal justice system.
4. The hardest part of being a lawyer is . . . Finding a work - life balance.
5. I would give this advice to a first - year law student: Experiment.
6. Traits I admire in other attorneys: Integrity, Rationality, Adaptability, and Humility
7. If I were not practicing law, I would be . . . Okay.
8. What is the first thing you will do when you retire? Travel.
9. If you could time travel, would you go to the past or the future? Why? I would go to the future because I could potentially mitigate damage upon my return.
10. What words of wisdom would you pass on to your childhood self? Be yourself.
11. What words of wisdom would you give to a young lawyer new to the profession? Talk to a more experienced attorney!
Brief synopsis of Cindy Gaddis, her personal life, her work life, and any special awards or activities.
I was born and raised in rural Northeastern Iowa. My mom is an Iowan and my dad is a Brazilian. I have two siblings, both older. I studied political science and sustainability at the University of Iowa. I received my undergraduate degree in May 2020 (virtually). In August 2020, I began my legal studies at Gonzaga University School of Law. Throughout my law school career, I worked for the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney ’ s Office. After graduating law school and passing the bar, I returned to Olympia to continue my work at the county prosecutor ’ s office. In my free time, I enjoy visiting my friends and exploring Western Washington.
Contact information (work phone and email):
Work phone: (360) 786 - 5540
Email: isaac.fortunato@co.thurston.wa.us
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If you are interested in contributing a column to one of our Legal Brief Newsletters, we want to hear from you!!
Funny, interesting, educational or even controversial articles written by our TCBA members are always welcome.
Please submit to tcba.info@gmail.com
TCBA is on Facebook!!
Join the private TCBA group at the link below where you will see information about the TCBA events and CLEs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/810480342493440/ You can also “ like ” the TCBA public page at the link below, but we will only be posting limited events open to non - members on the public page: https://www.facebook.com/thurstoncountybar/
TCBA January Member Luncheon & CLE
January 26, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. (11:30 a.m. social half hour starts) at the Viewpoint Room (below Tugboat Annie ’ s) & on Zoom
Washington Law Potpourri presented by John A. Kesler III, Attorney at Bean Gentry Wheeler Peternell, PLLC
Cost is $30 for TCBA members and $35 for non - members 1 CLE credit is pending approval by the WSBA
To Register: On the TCBA website: https://thurstoncountybar.com/event/september - member - luncheon - cle/ or mail a check with your name, WSBA #, and email address to TCBA, PO Box 1653, Olympia, WA 98507
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