Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rule Of Law Ambassador Program topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Washington Supreme Court, WSBA introduce Rule of Law Ambassador Program and toolkit
Summary
Chief Justice Deborah Stevens and Tara Nevitt of the Washington State Bar Association presented a Rule of Law Ambassador Program and accompanying toolkit to help volunteer lawyers engage communities, citing the preamble to the Rules of Professional Conduct and the goal of improving public trust in the legal system.
Chief Justice Deborah Stevens of the Washington State Supreme Court and Tara Nevitt, Executive Director of the Washington State Bar Association, introduced a Rule of Law Ambassador Program and toolkit in remarks aimed at encouraging volunteer lawyers to engage their local communities about the justice system.
"As lawyers, we are all ambassadors for the rule of law from the moment we take our oath to enter the profession," Chief Justice Deborah Stevens said, citing the preamble to the Rules of Professional Conduct. She said outreach outside the courtroom can be as important as courtroom work in improving access to justice.
"The Rule of Law Ambassador Program is designed to help you educate and build relationships with the people in your community," Nevitt said. She described the toolkit as a set of resources intended to equip attorneys to speak with neighbors, schools and community groups about the role of an independent legal system.
Speakers portrayed the initiative as an educational and trust-building effort rather than a change to court rules or disciplinary standards. Stevens referenced the preamble to the Rules of Professional Conduct to frame the program's purpose: that lawyers should "further the public's understanding of and confidence in the rule of law and the justice system." The presenters said the toolkit will evolve over time to respond to events that bear on the judiciary and the legal profession.
Both speakers emphasized the program's volunteer nature and its focus on community relationships. "Trust and confidence, those are hard earned sentiments in today's social and political climate," Stevens said, adding that sincere local engagement is a starting point for strengthening trust.
Nevitt and Stevens thanked participants for volunteering and framed the program as a tool to demystify the legal profession and promote public understanding. They did not announce any mandatory requirements, funding sources, or a deployment timeline for the toolkit during their remarks.
The remarks combined two themes: (1) the ethical foundation for public engagement reflected in the Rules of Professional Conduct preamble and (2) practical support for lawyers who choose to volunteer as ambassadors. Presenters said the toolkit's baseline goal is to help volunteer legal professionals educate and engage in their communities; they said it will be updated in the months and years ahead.
For all that they asked of volunteer lawyers, Stevens closed by thanking attendees for their commitment to improving the experience of justice for people across Washington.
