WSBA DEI Council previews concise 2025–2030 Equity and Justice Plan after statewide survey

The Washington State Bar Association’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council told the Board of Governors it will present a concise, three-page "Equity and Justice Plan" for approval after incorporating voluminous feedback gathered statewide.

Miriam Gordon, co-chair of the Equity and Justice Plan Committee of the DEI Council, said the draft would replace the association’s 2013 plan and that the committee is "on track to be able to present to you a really beautiful update of the equity and justice plan" that would be brought to the full board for approval at a future meeting.

The plan centers on three goals: "strengthen the legal profession by fostering belonging and building community;" "advance a fair, inclusive, effective, and accessible legal system for all;" and "deepen and broaden the bar commitment to equitable decision making," Sharon Sakamoto, co-chair of the workgroup, told governors. "Much of this is looking into how we operate as an organization," Sakamoto said, adding the committee intends the document to be short and readable.

Why it matters: The council said the proposed plan is driven by a statewide demographic study completed in 2024 and broad outreach to membership and partner organizations. Committee leaders told governors the draft aims to be accessible to members who may be wary of DEI jargon and to include a separate, longer action plan for implementation, accountability and evaluation.

Key facts and timeline - The committee said it received the demographic study in October 2024 and set an outreach feedback deadline of Oct. 29; the council reported hearing from "over 180 people" and receiving eight letters of support from organizations across the state. - The proposed plan is intentionally short (the draft totals three pages) and lists three overarching goals; implementation specifics will be captured in a separate Action Plan intended to evolve over several years. - DEI Council staff said they will bring the final proposed plan and a cover memo documenting how feedback was applied to the Board in March; the council expects first reading in March and second reading in May, with implementation thereafter as adopted.

What the council did and why Sharon Sakamoto said the council engaged the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (IILP) to advise on plan development and used a contractor to conduct the demographic study. Sakamoto described outreach to "every Washington State Bar Association entity," affinity and local bar leaders, courts, law schools, government agencies, public interest organizations and WSBA members.

"We heard from over 180 people and we received 8 letters of support," Sakamoto said, and that feedback made the group distinguish between the plan’s goals and the longer process of implementation.

Council staff said the separate Action Plan will focus on evaluation and accountability, and that changes prompted by feedback will be logged in the package to be provided to governors with the March materials. A staff speaker said, "we'll be actually bringing the final proposed plan to you for your March meeting. You'll be receiving all of those materials" and that the package will show where feedback came from and how it affected the draft.

Concerns and debate among governors Several governors raised questions about strategy and language. Governor Villeneuve asked whether recent national debates and the 2024 election would make a 2025 plan appear out of date; council members said they had anticipated shifting public attitudes and intentionally used the title "Equity and Justice Plan" rather than the older DEI label to reach a broader audience.

Governor Ahern urged messaging that emphasizes shared professional and civic values, saying, "We are all better off when everybody has the chance to become the best that they can be." Governor Bloom asked whether research showing some DEI training can have negative effects had been reviewed; council members acknowledged the literature and said that concern shaped their decision to emphasize systems and policy changes in addition to training.

Chief Disciplinary Counsel Doug Anday praised the committee’s brevity, saying that limiting strategic aims reduces "goal fatigue" and improves the chance of implementation.

What is not decided No formal vote was taken at the update. The Board will receive the final materials in March and vote on adoption at a future meeting according to the council’s stated timeline. Specific implementation resources, budgets, or deadlines beyond the general 2025–2030 horizon were not set during the update and were not specified in the discussion.

Next steps The DEI Council will finalize the draft, incorporate feedback, prepare an Action Plan with accountability measures, and provide governors with a memo documenting changes. Council leaders requested continued input but said the editing window will close as they finalize materials for the March board packet.

(Reporting note: quotations and attributions come from remarks recorded at the WSBA Board of Governors meeting; direct quotes are attributed to speakers listed below.)