Skip to content

About the SCBA

The Spokane County Bar Association has been in existence since the early 1900s. In 1978, the Board of Trustees and the membership made the decision to establish a Bar Association office. At that time, there was one full time director and one part time law student. The Spokane County Bar Association at that time was approximately 350 members strong. Currently, there are approximately 1,000 members including Associate and Honorary Members. The Board of Trustees, elected annually by the membership, generally meets the second Tuesday of each month. Board of Trustee meetings are open to all members.

One of the busiest and hardest working groups of the SCBA is the New Attorneys Division. Membership to the NAD is free and open to all SCBA members under the age of 36, or those who have been admitted to practice for five (5) years or less. For several years now, the Spokane County New Attorneys have sponsored a New Attorney Orientation Program to attorneys newly admitted to the Washington State Bar Association. This program has been lauded statewide and praised by those who have participated. Other active SCBA Sections include the Intellectual Property Section, Diversity Section, Solo Small Firm Section, Indian Law Section, Elder, Disability and Estate Planning Section, and the Family Law Section.

The Spokane County Bar Association maintains many active committees which include: Calendar Call & Website Editorial Board, CLE Programs, Golf Tournament, Holiday Party, Information Services, Judicial Evaluation, Law Day, Membership, Professionalism Dinner, Paralegal Registration, and Liaison Committees to the Courts. Committee assignments are made annually with a Board of Trustees member acting as Liaison to each committee. If you would like to volunteer to assist on one of these Committees, please let President Lisa Dickinson know. (spokanebarpresident@gmail.com).

As part of our services to lawyers, we also provide courthouse access badge services, and provide access to pleadings and service of bench copies. If you would like to advertise your services or events in our Calendar Call, please contact the SCBA office for more information on these services. service@spokanebar.org.

Our Bar Association is always looking to collaborate with others in the Community. We have a “Preferred Partners” program for businesses in the community to be highlighted and attend/sponsor and be featured at our events. Please contact Mark at the SCBA Office at 509-477-6032 if you know of a business who would like more information on our Preferred Partner program.
Pursuant to the Board of Trustees’ resolution dated April 19, 1989 and the unanimous decision of the membership at the annual meeting held on June 2, 1989, the following Code of Professional Courtesy was adopted:

Spokane County Bar Association Code of Professional Courtesy

As a lawyer, I recognize my first duty is to ardently and conscientiously represent my client. Yet, each lawyer also has the responsibility for making our system of justice work honorably, fairly and efficiently. To accomplish this end, I will comply with my profession’s disciplinary standards, and be guided by the following creed when dealing with clients, opposing counsel, the courts and general public.

A. My Client:

  1. I will be loyal and sensitive to my client’s needs, but I will not permit that commitment to block my ability to provide objective and candid advice.

  2. I will try to achieve my clients lawful objectives as quickly and economically as possible.

  3. I will advise my client that civility and courtesy are not to be equated with weakness.

  4. I will abide by my clients ethical decisions regarding the client’s goals, but nevertheless will advise that a willingness to engage in settlement negotiations is consistent with ardent, conscientious and effective representation.

B. Opposing Parties and their Counsel:

  1. I will try to act with dignity, integrity, and courtesy in oral and written communications.
  2. My word is my bond, not only with opposing counsel, but in all my dealings.
  3. In litigation, I will agree with responsible requests for extensions of time, stipulate to undisputed facts to avoid needless costs or inconvenience, and waive procedural formalities when the interest of my client will not adversely be affected.
  4. I will facilitate the processing of all reasonable discovery requests.
  5. I will not ask colleagues for rescheduling of court settings or discovery proceedings unless a legitimate need exists; nor will I unreasonably withhold consent for scheduling accommodations. I will try to consult with opposing counsel before scheduling depositions, hearings, and other proceedings or meetings.
  6. I will promptly respond to oral and written communications.
  7. I will avoid condemning my adversary or the opposing party.

C. The Courts and Other Tribunals:

  1. I will be candid with and courteous to the Court and its staff.
  2. I will be punctual in attending court hearings, conferences and depositions; I recognize that tardiness is demeaning to me and to the profession.
  3. I will stand to address the Court, and dress appropriately to show my respect for the Court and the law.
  4. I will refrain from condemnation of the Court.

D. The Public and our System of Justice:

  1. I will remember that my responsibilities as a lawyer include a devotion to the public good and the improvement of the administration of justice, including the contribution of uncompensated time for those persons who cannot afford adequate legal assistance.

  2. I will remember the need to promote the image of the profession in the eyes of the Public and be guided accordingly when considering advertising methods and content.

*The Board of Trustees of the Spokane County Bar Associations continues to endorse this resolution and provides a copy to all attorneys when they are sworn in to the practice of law in Spokane County.

Revised Code of Professional Courtesy adopted by SCBA Board of Trustees at its regular meeting on April 20, 2016, in accordance with ABA Preamble revisions adopted by Washington State and effective on April 27, 2007.

Spokane County Bar Association Code of Professional Courtesy

Spokane County Bar Association Presidents

 

FRANK T. POST                            1908 - 1910

W. C. J. WAKEFIELD                     1911 - 1912

LESTER P. EDGE                          1912 - 1913

HERBERT L. KIMBALL                  1913 - 1914

J. T. BURCHAM                             1914 - 1915

CHARLES P. LUND                       1915 - 1916

W. W. ZENT                                    1916 - 1917

H. L. McWILLIAMS                         1918 - 1919

JOSEPH McCARTHY                    1919 - 1920

C. D. RANDALL                              1920 - 1921

E. B. POWELL                                1921 - 1922

WARREN W. CLARKE                  1922 - 1923

JOHN V. PEARSON                      1923 - 1924

B. H. KIZER                                     1924 - 1925

D. R. GLASGOW                            1925 - 1926

RICHARD S. MUNTER                  1926 - 1927

JAMES A. BROWN                        1927 - 1928

ROY E. LOWE                                1928 - 1929

ORVILLE W. DUELL                      1929 - 1930

W. B. CHANDLER                          1930 - 1932

ALAN G. PAINE                              1932 - 1933

ROBERT PENCE                           1933 - 1934

PHILIP S. BROOKE                       1934 - 1935

HAROLD V. DAVIS                        1935 - 1936

GLENN E. CUNNINGHAM            1936 - 1937

E. A. CORNELIUS                          1937 - 1938

PAUL F. SCHIFFNER                    1938 - 1939

HAROLD E. FRASER                    1939 - 1940

WILLIAM V. KELLEY                      1940 - 1941

WARREN W. RUSSELL                1941 - 1942

DEL CARY SMITH, JR.                 1942 - 1943

T. T. GRANT                                   1943 - 1944

JOSEPH E. HURLEY                     1944 - 1945

HERBERT M. HAMBLEN              1945 - 1946

FRANK P. WEAVER                      1946 - 1947

RALPH P. EDGERTON                 1947 - 1948

JUSTIN C. MALONEY                   1948 - 1949

WILLIAM G. ENNIS                        1949 - 1950

ARTHUR A. LUNDIN                     1950 - 1951

JOHN HUNEKE                              1951 - 1952

KENNETH E. GEMMILL                1952 - 1953

GEORGE W. YOUNG                   1953 - 1954

HAROLD W. COFFIN                    1954 - 1955

HUGH H. EVANS                           1955 - 1956

CHARLES F. SCANLAN                1956 - 1957

ROBERT E. BROOKE                   1957 - 1958

WILLARD J. ROE                           1958 - 1959

THOMAS M. MALOTT                   1959 - 1960

HARRY E. HENNESSEY               1960 - 1961

C.A. ORNDORFF                           1961 - 1962

JOHN J. RIPPLE                            1962 - 1963

HARVEY ERICKSON                     1963 - 1964

SMITHMOORE P. MYERS           1964 - 1965

GRANT L. KIMER                          1965 - 1966

WILLIAM B. BANTZ                       1966 - 1967

WILLARD J. SHARPE                   1967 - 1968

JOHN E. SNODDY                         1968 - 1969

JOSEPH NAPPI, SR.                     1969 - 1970

JOHN E. HEATH, JR.                    1970 - 1971

DEL CARY SMITH, JR.                 1971 - 1972

FRANK H. JOHNSON                   1972 - 1973

ROBERT M. BROWN                    1973 - 1974

ROBERT D. DELLWO                   1974 - 1975

FRED W. GILBERT                        1975 - 1976

DONALD A. ERICSON                  1976 - 1977

RICHARD D. MCWILLIAMS          1977 - 1978

LEO J. DRISCOLL                          1978 - 1979

KERMIT M. RUDOLF                     1979 - 1980

EUGENE I. ANNIS                         1980 - 1981

JOHN M. KLOBUCHER                 1981 - 1981

WM. FREMMING NIELSEN          1981 - 1982

J. DONALD CURRAN                    1982 - 1983

C. EUGENE HUPPIN                     1983 - 1984

PAUL A. BASTINE                         1984 - 1985

PATRICIA C. WILLIAMS                1985 - 1986

THOMAS D. COCHRAN                1986 - 1987

JOSEPH GAGLIARDI                    1987 - 1988

RICHARD J. SCHROEDER          1988 - 1989

MICHAEL J. PONTAROLO           1989 - 1990

GARY J. GAINER                           1990 - 1991

MICHAEL C. ORMSBY                  1991 - 1992

JOHN POWERS, JR.                     1992 - 1993

WILLIAM F. ETTER                        1993 - 1994

PATRICK F. CONNELLY               1994 - 1995

GREG A. SMITH                            1995 - 1996

PAMELA J. DE RUSHA                 1996 - 1997

RICHARD B. KAYNE                     1997 - 1998

C. MARK CASEY                           1998 - 1999

WILLIAM D. HYSLOP                    1999 - 2000

CARL E. HUEBER                         2000 - 2001

NANCY L. ISSERLIS                      2001 - 2002

LAURIE F. CONNELLY                 2002 - 2003

MICHAEL P. PRICE                       2003 - 2003

WILLIAM C. MAXEY                      2003 - 2004

SUSAN W. TROPPMANN             2004 - 2005

PAUL B. MACK                              2005 - 2006

ARTHUR K. HAYASHI                   2006 - 2007

S. EDWARD CARROLL                 2007 - 2008

JOHN R. CLARK                            2008 - 2009

MARY M. DORAN                          2009 - 2010

JAMES MCPHEE                           2010 - 2011

SCOTT M. MORRIS                      2011 - 2012

C. MATTHEW ANDERSEN           2012 - 2013

RYAN M. BEAUDOIN                    2013 - 2014

ANTHONY HAZEL                         2014 - 2015

RYAN D. YAHNE                            2015 - 2016

JENNIFER V. HANSON                2016 - 2017

MARLA CAREY HOSKINS            2017 - 2018

WILLIAM M. SYMMES                  2018 - 2019

DAVID P. GARDNER                     2019 - 2020

JENAE M. BALL                             2020 - 2021

APRIL L. ANDERSON                   2021 - 2022

KENNETH R. ZIGLER                   2022 - 2023

EMILY K. ARNESON                     2023 - 2024

DARREN M. DIGIACINTO             2024 - 2025

NICHOLAS J. PONTAROLO         2025 - 2026

LISA J. DICKINSON                       2026 - 2027

DEANNA WILLMAN                       2027 - 2028

Spokane County Bar Association Code of Professional Courtesy