William G. Knebes will sit as pro tem commissioner in the Clallam County Superior Court Family Court on August 2, 2019. Mr. Knebes retired as as Commissioner in the Family Court, and he continues to serve as a private mediator. Mr. Knebes was awarded Jurist of the year during his term as Family Court Commissioner.
Bar News
Alex Schodowski is commissioner pro tem July 2019
Alex Schodowski will sit as pro tem commissioner in the Clallam County Superior Court Family Court July 1-12, 2019. Ms. Schodowski is an attorney in Port Townsend, and has been practicing law since 2011.
Free Legal Clinic July 20th
Clallam and Jefferson County Probono Lawyers Presents: Free Legal Clinic
This general legal clinic runs from 12PM to 2PM at the Masonic lodge on Lincoln street in Port Angeles and provides a free, drop in, legal advice clinic, for low income residents of Clallam and Jefferson Counties. Participants will have the opportunity for a free one on one consultation with an attorney who can address questions regarding the following topics:
Child Support
Landlord/Tenant
Creditor/Bankruptcy
Foreclosure
Dissolution
Domestic Violence
Wills & Estate Planning
Custody
Public Assistance
Employment
Those interested in participating in this event should bring to the clinic, all relevant paperwork regarding their legal matter or questions.
For more information, please call or email: 360-504-2422; [email protected]
For those interested in volunteering their time, please contact Shauna Rogers McClain.
CLE: Chemical dependency treatment by Stormy Howell June 7
Please join the Clallam County Bar Association for their CLE on June 7, 2019, Chemical dependency treatment and the justice system by Stormy Howell, J.D. The program starts at noon at the usual location. For more information, contact CCBA President Donna Knifsend at 360-670-9406.
Local Mandatory Arbitration Rule 1.3 amended
LMAR 1.3, Claim Limit was modified effective September 1, 2018. It reads:
The limit for claims subject to mandatory arbitration is $100,000.00, exclusive of interest, attorney fees and costs. For the purpose of this rule, a “claim” is defined to be the net value of the claim, after all reductions for comparative negligence or setoffs.
Free Legal Clinic June 15 2019
Clallam and Jefferson County Probono Lawyers Presents: Free Legal Clinic
This general legal clinic runs from 12PM to 2PM at the Masonic Lodge in Port Angeles, 622 South Lincoln Street, and provides a free, drop in, legal advice clinic, for low income residents of Clallam and Jefferson Counties. Participants will have the opportunity for a free one on one consultation with an attorney who can address questions regarding the following topics:
Child Support
Landlord/Tenant
Creditor/Bankruptcy
Foreclosure
Dissolution
Domestic Violence
Wills & Estate Planning
Custody
Public Assistance
Employment
Those interested in participating in this event should bring to the clinic, all relevant paperwork regarding their legal matter or questions.
For more information, please call or email: 360-504-2422; [email protected]
For those interested in volunteering their time, please contact Shauna Rogers McClain.
CLE May 17, 2019: discovery, depositions, trial advocacy by Sal Mungia
The May 17, 2019 bar lunch CLE focuses on discovery, depositions and trial advocacy. If you don’t know Sal, the presenter, you should! I have seen him present before and highly recommend. More information about Sal is below.
All CLE donations directly support Clallam Jefferson County Pro Bono Lawyers.
Ariel Speser
Past President, CCBA
“The highest calling of any lawyer is to give a voice to those who have no voice and to restore hope to those who have forgotten what hope looks like.”
Salvador Mungia
Salvador A. Mungia
Over the last 30 years, Salvador A. Mungia has worked vigorously to advance equal justice. Sal has committed his career not only to his clients but also to the improvement of the justice system. He has served his profession by being president of the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association in 1999, president of the Washington State Bar Association in 2009, chair of the Equal Justice Coalition from 2016-2017, and he currently serves on the board of the Endowment for Equal Justice and the Washington State Access to Justice Board. However, Sal considers his highest achievements as those times when he has represented individuals in both state and federal court, both individually and in class actions, free of charge to protect their rights so that he can do his part to ensure that those without any power are not taken advantage of.
A partner at Gordon Thomas Honeywell, Sal generously gives his time, his money, and brings unbridled enthusiasm to the legal community in his quest to serve and make a difference in the lives of those for whom justice is frequently out of reach. He has devoted thousands of hours of pro bono representation in class action and individual civil rights cases and where fees have been awarded, he has donated them back. Sal’s leadership, accomplishments, and his lifelong dedication to civil legal aid are recognized by the Tacoma Pierce County Bar Association, Washington State Bar Association, Access to Justice Board, Washington Association for Justice, ACLU of Washington, Northwest Immigrant Right’s Project and Endowment for Equal Justice, among others.
Sal is the type of leader many aspire to be and the legal aid community is proud to recognize and honor him.
Ariel Speser
WA Supreme Court to hold court in Port Townsend
The Washington State Supreme Court will hear cases, meet the public, and visit schools on May 13 and 14, 2019. On Monday, May 13, 2019, the nine justices of the Supreme Court will host a public forum to answer questions from the audience, starting 3:00 p.m. at the Port Townsend City Hall, 250 Madison Street.
There will be a CLE for attorneys from 1:30-2:30 with Justices Debra Stephens and Sheryl Gordon McCloud. The Clallam-Jefferson Pro Bono Lawyers is organizing and hosting this part of the event. Contact Shauna Rogers McClain for more information, 360-504-2422.
There will also be a social from 5-6:30 p.m. A link for registration and location information is below.
On Tuesday, May 14, 2019, the justices will hold court and hear three cases beginning at 9:00 a.m.
No. 96313-4, State of Washington v. Frank A. Wallmuller: Whether a community custody condition prohibiting the convicted defendant from frequenting “places where children congregate such as parks, video arcades, campgrounds, and shopping malls” is unconstitutionally vague.
No. 96262-6, Freedom Foundation v. Service Employees International Union Local 925: Whether email messages kept on a public university’s email system consisting of exchanges between university employees and a private labor union concerning unionization efforts are public records subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act, chapter 42.56 RCW. Note: Attorney Jacob Fox Metzger, is a graduate of Port Townsend High School.
The court will reconvene at 1:30 p.m. to hear the last case of the day:
No. 96660-5, Mark Elster and Sarah Pynchon v. City of Seattle: Whether the city of Seattle’s campaign voucher program, which levies a property tax to fund vouchers that city residents can use to support political candidates, violates First Amendment principles.
There is no charge for any of these events. More information and to register for the Tuesday social:
Law day luncheon 2019
Seattle University School of Law Dean Annette Clark is the guest speaker for the Clallam Jefferson County Pro Bono Lawyers’ annual Law Day celebration on Friday, May 3rd.
If you have attended Law Day in the past, you know this event is a great opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues and celebrate our achievements in providing free civil legal aid in our community. The theme for this year’s Law Day, Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society- focuses on these cornerstones of representative government and calls on us to understand and protect these rights to ensure, as the U.S. Constitution proposes, “the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity”.
Last year’s event was a sellout so we encourage you to sign up soon! RSVP today to reserve your spot and obtain location information. Email us at [email protected] or call 360.504.2422. The lunch is noon to 1:15, and the ex parte calendar will start late that day.
Criminal vacate & expungement clinic May 4 2019
The criminal vacate & expungement clinic is this Saturday, May 4, 2019, at the Landing Mall in Port Angeles from Noon-2:00 PM. Volunteer attorneys are needed.
Shauna Rogers McClain
Executive Director
Clallam-Jefferson County Pro Bono Lawyers
360.504.2422