2024 May Hearsay

HearSay

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE CLARK COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION May 2024

JESSE

Clark County, WA Bar Association

OTLA Guardian

WSAJ Eagle DON JACOBS

Trial Lawyer of the Year, Clark County (2015)

The Clark County Bar Association is a professional organization that serves to support our local attorney community through providing education and networking opportunities designed to enhance and foster better relationships within the local legal community.

May Hearsay Contributors

The Honorable Suzan Clark

Clark County Superior Court

Judge Clark graduated from the University of Oregon College of Law in 1986. She practiced law in Washington and Oregon prior to being appointed to the bench in May 2013.

Courtney Mendoza

Petersen Rothermel Law Firm

Courtney Mendoza represents clients in matters involving family law and criminal defense. Prior to working for Petersen Rothermel Law Firm, Courtney worked as a Clark County Criminal Prosecutor.

Matthew Swisher

Vancouver Defenders

Mattew is an Associate at Vancouver Defenders where he primarily practices indigent defense.

Take your child to work day page 22

• Prior to the deposition, we will test the connection for all participants

• We set up the entire deposition the day of the assignment

• We monitor and troubleshoot your deposition from start to finish

• Our Remote Certified Technicians have decades of experience and a total of 3 Emmy® nominations

As a CDLP, Theresa Springer offers a balanced, thorough nancial evaluation of the current and future mortgage nancing requirements and as well as realistic solutions to obstacles in negotiations.

4 Phases of Divorce Mortgage Planning

Vetting the House Qualifying Income Consumer Debt Analysis Home Equity Solutions

Theresa Springer brings a lifetime of experience in the mortgage profession, so you can be condent that whatever Home Equity solutions your client needs, she’ll help your team navigate them and provide guidance for making the right decisions.

Left to right: Steven Hogue, Amy Price, Erik Selden (Team Leader), Bryan Dent, Phil Czajka

t h a t w e w e r e a w a r d e d L e g a l F o u n d a t i o n o f W a s h i n g t o n ’ s G o l d m a r k I n t e r n s h i p a n d

a r e S O e x c i t e d t o h o s t T o m m y X u f r o m G o n z a g a a s o u r s u m m e r i n t e r n !

W h a t i s t h e m o s t r e w a r d i n g a s p e c t o f t h i s w o r k ?

W o r k i n g f o r t h e C C V L P i s e x t r e m e l y r e w a r d i n g . I l o v e t h a t I g e t t o w o r k f o r a n

o r g a n i z a t i o n t h a t v a l u e s i t s e m p l o y e e s a s w e l l a s i t s c l i e n t s . I l o v e o u r m o d e l o f

c o l l a b o r a t i o n a n d s u p p o r t . F u r t h e r , I h a v e t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o w o r k c l o s e l y w i t h

c l i e n t s a n d d e v e l o p r e l a t i o n s h i p s . A l t h o u g h I f o c u s o n l e g a l i s s u e s i n m y c l i e n t ' s

c a s e s , I a p p r e c i a t e t h a t I h a v e s o m e f l e x i b i l i t y t o o f f e r s u p p o r t a n d g u i d a n c e i n a l l

a r e a s o f t h e i r l i v e s . B u t m o s t i m p o r t a n t l y , I a p p r e c i a t e a n d r e j o i c e s e e i n g a s u r v i v o r

m o v e f r o m a p l a c e o f c r i s i s a n d f e a r t o o n e o f o f s a f e t y a n d c o n f i d e n c e .

W h a t d o e s a “ s u c c e s s ” l o o k l i k e f o r y o u ?

S o m e b a s i c e x a m p l e s o f “ w i n s ” w o u l d b e g e t t i n g a p r o t e c t i o n o r d e r p u t i n p l a c e ,

g e t t i n g c h i l d s u p p o r t f o r a c l i e n t , f i n a l i z i n g a d i v o r c e , o r g e t t i n g a f a v o r a b l e

p a r e n t i n g p l a n o r d e r e d . M o r e c o m p l i c a t e d e x a m p l e s w o u l d b e h e l p i n g a c l i e n t

n a v i g a t e s h a r e d p a r e n t i n g w i t h t h e i r a b u s e r , o r p r o v i d i n g s a f e t y p l a n n i n g w h e n a

p r o t e c t i o n o r d e r i s n o t o r d e r e d . T h e s e a r e t h i n g s w h i c h i n i t i a l l y c a n s e e m l i k e

l o s s e s , b u t g i v e n t h e f i n a n c i a l / s o c i a l / e m o t i o n a l p o s i t i o n o f t h e c l i e n t , a r e n e c e s s a r y

f o r t h e m t o m o v e f o r w a r d . T h i s w o r k i s s o i n d i v i d u a l i z e d a n d w e s e e a w i d e r a n g e o f

o u t c o m e s f o r o u r c l i e n t s . M u c h o f t h i s w o r k c a n a l s o b e c o n s i d e r e d a s h a r m

r e d u c t i o n g i v e n t h a t t h e l e g a l s y s t e m c a n b e u s e d t o h a r m a n d r e - a b u s e s u r v i v o r s

o f D V , s t e p p i n g i n a n d m i t i g a t i n g s o m e o f t h a t h a r m c a n a l s o b e a s u c c e s s , d e s p i t e n o t b e i n g a s e a s y t o r e a d a b o u t .

W h a t d o y o u a n d t h e t e a m d o f o r s e l f c a r e ?

O u r t e a m e n j o y s s p e n d i n g t i m e t o g e t h e r , l a u g h i n g a n d c e l e b r a t i n g w h e n w e c a n . W e

a l s o h a v e m y d o g G e o r g e f o r c o m i c r e l i e f a n d s n u g g l e s . F o r m e , g e t t i n g t i m e t o w o r k o u t a n d w a l k o u t s i d e w i t h G e o r g e d o e s w o n d e r s f o r m y s t a t e o f m i n d .

W h a t a r e y o u r w i l d e s t d r e a m s f o r t h e p r o g r a m ?

M o r e c a p a c i t y , a l w a y s ! A l s o i n - h o u s e s e r v i c e s f o r q u i c k e r d i r e c t r e f e r r a l s a s o c i a l

w o r k e r , m e n t a l h e a l t h w o r k e r , d i r e c t f u n d i n g f o r o u r c l i e n t s , m o r e h o u s i n g a n d

c h i l d c a r e r e s o u r c e s r e a d i l y a v a i l a b l e t o c l i e n t s .

We invite you to join us for our 2nd annual Garden Party. This year’s theme is “Farm Faire” and features the return of our Silent Art Auction.

Tickets: Age 3 and under (free)|Age 4-14 ($20)|

Age 15+ ($50)|Ticket price scholarships may be available Sponsor the Event: Levels starting at $200

Think gingham, sunhats and baskets overflowing with wildflowers.

Build your own picnic basket with simple, delicious comfort food.

Craft your own mimosa, paint your own flower pot, and spend a day playing games on the lawn.

There will be fun activities for all ages, so bring the whole family!

Love our office plants? Take home one of our office-grown plant starts.

Nurture our work with a paddle-raise request. And of course, bid on art from local artists.

Learn

https://ccvlp.org/garden-party

Named Fellows of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML)

McKinley Irvin is proud to announce that our partners, Mark Arend and Brent Bohan, have been named AAML Fellows.

This is a well-earned honor, as Mark and Brent continuously demonstrate their commitment to the AAML’s purpose to “provide leadership that promotes the highest degree of professionalism and excellence in the practice of family law.”

Clark County Bar Association

CLARK COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION GENERAL MEMBERSHIP BOARD MEETING

March 18, 2023

Minutes for the CCBA Board of Trustees Meeting April 9, 2024

Called to order 12:02 p.m. Hawke, Wechselblatt, Melnick, Larson, Petersen, Busby, Phelan, and Executive Director Darco

March 5, 2024 board meeting minutes: Motion to Approve (Phelan/Melnick) Approved March 18, 2024 General Meeting minutes: Motion to Approve (Wechselblatt/Hawke) Approved

Treasurer’s Report (Melnick): Financials are in the folder for board to review. Earnings are up in all categories. Barrister’s Ball was revenue positive. Thank you to all of our wonderful sponsors! Thanks to you we were able to price our tickets just right and not go into the red this year. CLE attendance is doing well.

Ongoing Action Items

Committee Reports:

Hearsay Committee (Hawke): As usual, lots of great content is in the works. This month’s issue is ahead of schedule.

Social Committee (Phelan, Darco): Bowling with the Judges and the Summer Soiree planning has begun. Currently seeking a venue for the Summer Soiree. The golf committee will meet soon.

CLE Committee (Busby): Great CLEs are in the works. Attendance at CLEs has been good.

DEI Committee (Wechselblatt): Street Law has been delayed as the Vancouver School District navigates budget cuts; waiting to see if it can be done this school year. The committee is working on CLE speakers. The judicial evaluation committee (JEC) met.

Membership Committee (Petersen): They are devising a strategy for August.

Current Action Items:

Goal Setting and tracking: roundtable discussion of goals

Membership Update (Darco): 2023/2024: 427 members, Non Renewed: 38, New Members: 39, 2022/2023: 410 members, March 1, 2023: 401 members.

Upcoming Events:

Formal Swearing In: April 25

Bowling with the Judges: June 13

Summer Soiree: August 3

Adjourned 12:35

Clark County Superior Court

BENCH/BAR COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES

April 9, 2024

Persons in attendance:) Jessi Anderson (jessi@ccvlp.org), Curt Welch (cwelch@sussmanshank.com) Rachel Brooks (rachel@guardianship-law.com), Megan Harney (megan.harney@nwjustice.org)

If you have matters that you would like to bring to the attention of the Bench/Bar, you are welcome to contact the above-mentioned members of the committee.

I. OLD BUSINESS: None.

II. NEW BUSINESS:

Minutes approval from March: Not enough members in attendance to approve March minutes, will seek to approve March minutes at May meeting.

Curt Welch: Mock trial update: The Washington State high school mock trial competition was held last month at the Pierce County Courthouse in Tacoma. Three teams from our district competed (White Salmon, Columbia River, Cascadia Tech). Seems likely that future state competitions will also be held at the Pierce County Courthouse.

Megan Harney: Northwest Justice Project is currently seeking to hire. Open and posted positions include a VOCA Staff Attorney position and a General Field Office Temporary (1 year) position. Please visit Northwest Justice Project’s website for more information on job openings.

Northwest Justice Project has an ongoing Name and Gender Marker Clinic which takes place every third Wednesday. On those days, from 3:00-5:00 PM, walk-ins can be accommodated (either remote or in person), and from 5:00-7:00 PM assistance will be provided by appointment only.

Rachel Brooks: Regarding Guardianship/Conservatorship issues: Beginning in May, Cowlitz County will have their dockets Wednesdays at 1:00 PM (instead of 1:45 PM).

King County is conducting a Title 11 / Adult Guardian ad Litem Certification and Recertification Training on April 18th. Anyone interested in becoming a court visitor can find more information at this link: https://www.kcba.org/?pg=events&eid=277651&evAction=regV2

Jessi Anderson: CCVLP has added an additional staff attorney to its Survivor Support Program, Laura Gardner, please join us in welcoming her to the Clark County family law legal community.

Latinx day is coming up on April 27th from 9-12. CCVLP is always looking for volunteer attorneys to participate in this legal services day. Please contact Mia Demay (mia@ccvlp.org) if you’d like to volunteer.

CCVLP’s 2nd Annual Garden Party and Silent Art Auction Fundraiser: CCVLP has two yearly fundraisers. At these two events, CCVLP has the opportunity to raise unrestricted and all-tooimportant operational funds. This year’s event will take place on June 15th at Pomeroy Farms. The event will include a silent art auction. Presently, CCVLP is calling for art submissions to be included in the event (artists receive 50% of the profit from the sale of their artwork). Information is available on the CCVLP website (https://ccvlp.org/garden-party/). At that link

you can purchase tickets to the event, submit a piece of artwork (submission deadline 5/15/24), or sign up to be a sponsor of the event. We love this fundraiser as it’s both an opportunity to raise money for local legal services and because it supports very talented local artists. Please spread the word to the artists in your life!

MEETING ADORNED 12:17 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jessi Anderson