Washington

Lawyer gets 5-year suspension for firing gun into colleague’s law office

A lawyer who practices in Portland, Oregon, has received a five-year suspension for firing six bullets into the law office of a colleague, narrowly missing the law firm manager who was in the building.

Apr 27, 2021 12:08 PM CDT

‘Cataclysmic’ decision striking down strict liability drug law puts past convictions at risk in this state

Years of convictions could be at risk following a Washington Supreme Court decision that struck down the state’s felony drug possession law.

Mar 15, 2021 10:43 AM CDT

Judge apparently didn’t realize his belittling references to slain man were live on YouTube

A judge in Washington has said he is “truly sorry if I offended anyone” after he made belittling livestreamed references to a man killed by officers on a drug task force.

Mar 15, 2021 9:35 AM CDT

Firm hired by state AG to investigate gay lawyer’s bias claim is protected from suit, court says

Updated: The Washington Supreme Court has ruled for a law firm contending that it was protected from lawsuit by a lawyer who claimed that its investigation into his bias claim was negligent.

Jan 29, 2021 2:04 PM CST

Relax with our favorite long reads of 2020

Throughout the year, the ABA Journal publishes in-depth features on the business of the legal profession, developments in the law, lives that have been impacted by the justice system and the ways society influences—and is influenced by—the law. What follows are some of our favorite features from 2020.

Dec 23, 2020 10:10 AM CST

Former Washington state bar leader remembered as a champion for legal innovation

Paula Littlewood, a champion for legal industry innovation who led the Washington State Bar Association for more than a decade, died of cancer Monday.

Dec 17, 2020 8:59 AM CST

Texas judicial conduct system and Washington bar association grapple with cyberattacks

Cyberattacks affected the work of the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct and a website of the the Washington State Bar Association, according to two recent news stories.

Dec 15, 2020 10:40 AM CST

9th Circuit revives lawyer’s suit against ex-husband for alleged email snooping

A federal appeals court on Tuesday revived a Washington lawyer’s suit contending that her then-husband violated the Stored Communications Act by accessing her work emails.

Dec 9, 2020 10:17 AM CST

Voters across US approve measures on police reform and criminal justice

Ballot measures intended to reform policing gained approval in jurisdictions across the country last week, while several other criminal justice reforms also won approval.

Nov 9, 2020 2:55 PM CST

Formerly incarcerated lawyer wins state legislature race

Tarra Simmons, an attorney who in 2017 faced bar admissions challenges due to a felony record, was elected on Tuesday to the Washington state legislature.

Nov 5, 2020 10:40 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Mueller prosecutor has regrets in tell-all book; federal courthouse is a hurricane casualty

Book by Mueller prosecutor says more could have been done A book by Andrew Weissmann, a former prosecutor for special counsel Robert Mueller said the office failed to fully investigate President Donald Trump’s financial ties amid fears that Trump would shut down the investigation. “We could have done more,” Weissmann…

Sep 22, 2020 4:45 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Judge blocks postal changes; bedroom backdrop for SCOTUS justice’s Constitution Day remarks

Federal judge blocks US Postal Service changes Ruling from the bench Thursday, U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian of Yakima, Washington, blocked U.S. Postal Service changes that slowed mail delivery. Ruling in a suit by 14 states, Bastian said the plaintiffs have shown a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of…

Sep 17, 2020 4:34 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Godmother feels betrayed after law firm money theft; state AG staffer probed over BLM buttons fuss

Bookkeeper accused of embezzling $740K from godmother’s law firm A former bookkeeper and office manager accused of embezzling $740,000 from a Rhode Island law firm has agreed to plead guilty in the theft, according to federal prosecutors. The defendant, 39-year-old Sarah Gaulin, was accused of taking the money from Hamel,…

Sep 14, 2020 4:45 PM CDT

Former inmate’s suit says appointed lawyer was ineffective and unlicensed in this state

A former Washington inmate claims in a lawsuit that he pleaded guilty to two felony charges after getting bad advice from an appointed lawyer who wasn’t licensed in the state.

Aug 31, 2020 12:42 PM CDT

Lawyer can’t sue over poor Avvo rating and allegedly incorrect bar status, federal judge rules

Updated: A federal judge in Seattle has tossed a lawyer’s $1.5 million defamation lawsuit against Avvo for allegedly posting false information that made him look “terrible.”

Aug 28, 2020 2:17 PM CDT