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In this issue:

• President's Message
  
• Annual Dinner Sponsors
• Upcoming Events
• Volunteer with Washington DECA
• For The Good of the Order

Engagement is the measure of a bar association. Not how many members are on the roster, but how many show up, volunteer, and make something happen. By that measure, September was a remarkable month: four programs in seven days, across two cities, built almost entirely by our members.

Our Membership Committee, Alix Morris, Alex Dietz, and Molly Terwilliger, put on our Local Rules CLEs in Seattle on September 17 and Tacoma on September 21. Judges and practitioners talked candidly about how federal practice actually works: chambers procedures, what judges notice, and what you won't find in the published rules. That knowledge usually travels one hallway conversation at a time. Alix, Alex, and Molly delivered it in bulk, in two cities.

On September 18, our ADR Committee members Marc Cote and Matt Turetsky, joined by Judge John P. Erlick (Ret.), led a mediation program at the District Courthouse. They covered what makes a mediation work, from preparation, negotiation strategy, and tactical empathy to strong submissions and brackets, and where the practice is heading, including remote mediation, mediator proposals, and class action mediations. As cases grow more complex, knowing how to work a mediation is no longer optional.

On September 23, we partnered with Seattle University School of Law and its Military and Veterans Law student group for a panel with Magistrate Judge Michelle Peterson, Chief Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Alston, Bankruptcy Judge Mary Jo Heston, and King County Superior Court Judge David Keenan. They explained what magistrate and bankruptcy judges do, how their rulings reach into state court, and how to pursue a clerkship. For the students in the room, the message was clear: public service is a real path, not a distant one.

In Seattle, fall is when the light shortens and the work deepens. The leaves let go, the rain settles in, and what remains is what was rooted all along. September showed me what's rooted here: committees that build, judges who show up, and members who fill the room, season after season. As the days grow shorter, that is the warmth I'm carrying into the months ahead. I hope you are too.  

Mo Hamoudi President

Our Annual Dinner will be held on December 9th. This year’s event will center on a theme that reflects both the moment we are in and the values we hope our organization will champion in the coming year: Honoring the Judiciary: Independence, Integrity & Impartiality Celebrating Judicial Courage and Our Shared Commitment to the Values That Sustain Justice

We are honored to welcome Judge David F. Levi as our featured speaker. Judge Levi is the former Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, former President and current Chair of the Council of the American Law Institute, founding director of Duke Law School’s Bolch Judicial Institute, and former Dean of Duke Law School. He will be joined on stage by  Judge Margaret McKeown for a fireside conversation about judicial independence, civility, public confidence in our courts, and the responsibility of lawyers to support the institutions upon which our profession and system of justice depend.

Table sponsorships are available at several levels. We have added levels this year for nonprofit organizations, legal associations, and small firms. Contact Nicole Battles at nicole@fba-wdwash.org for information.

Thank you to those who have already committed to sponsoring:

October 29th

4pm-5pm Reception
5pm-6:30pm Program

Join us for a conversation with American legal scholar, author, Supreme Court analyst, and law professor, Stephen Vladeck. The event will be moderated by U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik.

November 5th

12PM-1PM

Professors Deborah Ahrens and Andrew Siegel will present on key cases the U.S. Supreme Court decided last term and will preview what to expect in the year ahead. Attendees will learn about new precedent that may impact their practices and will be informed about cases and issues the Supreme Court is likely to grapple with in the new term.

December 9th

5PM Reception 
6PM Dinner/Program

We are honored to welcome Judge David F. Levi as our featured speaker. Judge Levi will be joined byJudge M. Margaret McKeown for a fireside conversation focused on judicial independence, integrity, civility, and public confidence in our courts.

December 9th
Winter CLE (SAVE THE DATE)

Mark your calendar for our Annual Winter CLE program which will take place from 1pm-5pm at the Westin Seattle. Program details and registration will be available soon.

We are pleased to announce our partnership with Washington DECA as a sponsor of their 2027 State Career Development Conference in Bellevue.

M3-FBA members will judge the Business Law & Ethics competition on Friday, February 26, 2027, from 7:15am - 4:00pm. 

We need 20 members to sign-up and participate in this opportunity. No experience with the program is necessary. You will receive instructions on the competition and judging process.

To sign up, email nicole@fba-wdwash.org.

Washington DECA prepares more than 17,000 students across 190+ chapters statewide for careers in business, finance, business law, ethics, and financial literacy through competitions. For many participants, these conferences are their first exposure to a professional environment, building the confidence, social capital, and sense of possibility that shape college, career, and civic leadership.

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