Statement from the KCBA Board of Trustees on the Rule of Law

ACRS, ABAW, and KCBA relaunch Rainier Valley Legal Clinic.

This brief, filed by KCBA and many other bar associations and supporting injunctive relief for the law firm Susman Godfrey, was filed on 4/25/25. KCBA thanks and acknowledges the work of Protect Democracy Project and students at the Harvard School of Law, which made this briefing possible. 

Last week, the KCBA learned that metropolitan bar associations across the country were considering joining an amicus brief in support of Perkins Coie’s request for permanent injunctive relief in Federal District Court, in the District of Columbia. In considering the request to join, the KCBA considered whether the brief is consistent with the statement of support earlier approved by the KCBA Board of Trustees. The amicus brief in support of Perkins Coie, available here, includes more than a dozen bar associations who agree that the Executive Order directed at Perkins Coie represents an attack on the independence of the legal profession, constitutional democracy and the rule of law. The brief was filed on April 7, 2025.

The King County Bar Association stands with Perkins Coie as it defends itself following the publication of Executive Order 14230, which threatens the rule of law and the constitutional rights of the entire legal community.

King County Bar Association Board of Trustees has announced that Kathleen Jensen has accepted the position of Executive Director at the King County Bar, a position that has been empty since Christina Entrekin Coad stepped down in mid-September.

On July 22nd 2024, the King County Bar Association announced a new transition relating to our work in the Housing Justice and eviction defense arena. Read more for the full details!

In a recent April 8, 2024 statement, American Bar Association (ABA) President, Mary Smith, reminded us of the 2018 ABA Standing Committee on the American Judicial System’s call to action urging lawyers to stand up and correct the public record when courts are unfairly attacked. “Rapid Response to Fake News, Misleading Statements and Unjust Criticism of the Judiciary.” President Smith reiterated the report’s statement that:

“Bar associations have a special responsibility to ensure that the public holds the judiciary in the highest esteem. Judges are, and should be, highly respected leaders of our legal system…. Inaccurate, unjustified, and simply false criticisms of judges should be answered promptly and fully. The bar associations must take a leading role in responding to such criticisms.”

KCBA Makes History by Moving ABA to Adopt SCOTUS Code of Ethics