WELCOME, and thank you for visiting our website. QLaw: The GLBT Bar Association of Washington is an association of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender legal professionals and their friends. Learn more about who we are and what we do in the About Us section.
TOP NEWS
Renew your QLaw Membership today!
The renewal period for 2009 QLaw membership runs from January 1 to January 31, 2009. To renew, log in to the member-only section of the website and select "view profile."
Interested in Joining the QLaw Board of Directors?
The nomination period to run for a seat on the QLaw Board of Directors is January 12th through 23rd. For more information, please click here or email Cynthia Buhr at president-elect@q-law.org
QLaw Summer Grant Application Now Available. The QLaw Foundation Public Interest Summer Grant funds innovative public interest projects that benefit the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender ("LGBT") community and/or people living with HIV/AIDS. Applications are available here. The grant committee is also seeking new volunteers. The next grant committee meeting will be Monday, December 8, 2008, at noon via conference call. Contact cbuhr@q-law.org for details. For more information about applying for a QLaw grant or volunteering on the grant committee, visit the Summer Grant Program page under the QLaw Foundation tab on the left.
LGBTQ Youth Leaving Foster Care Need Your Help
The QLaw At Risk Youth Project is seeking volunteers to participate in a new pro bono program providing legal assistance to youth who are leaving foster care. A disproportionate number of these youth are LGBTQ. Training materials and mentoring/assistance are available to lawyers interested in pro bono representation of youth through this program.
The Center for Children & Youth Justice, the ABA Bar-Youth Empowerment Program and Perkins Coie LLP launched the Lawyers Fostering Independence Program with a CLE on November 20th. If you missed the opening CLE, you are still welcome to participate in the program. Please email Michael Heath at AtRiskYouth@q-law.org for details.
WSBA Board of Governors Unanimously Supports Non-Discriminatory Civil Marriage Laws
On September 19, 2008, the WSBA Board of Governors unanimously passed a resolution supporting equal access for same-sex couples to civil marriage and its attendant legal rights and obligations. You can read the text of the resolution, along with the personal thoughts of WSBA President Mark Johnson and President-Elect Salvador Mungia in the November Bar News.
Mr. Johnson and Mr. Mungia, and well as Immediate-Past Presidents Stan Bastian and Ellen Conedera Dial, and each member of the Board of Governors deserve congratulations and thanks for the leadership this resolution demonstrates. Although the QLaw Board has officially expressed appreciation as an organization, we know that the BOG would be grateful to hear feedback from individual QLaw members on what this resolution means to them personally and/or to their law practice.
It is our understanding that opponents of equal marriage have been writing the BOG criticizing them for this resolution. Please take a moment to make sure your voice in support of thie resolution is heard! Contact information for each member of the BOG is available here.
FallTacular is a Hit! The QLaw Foundation's third annual FallTacular, held Thursday, October 16, 2008, was a great success! The event raised over $7,500 to support the law student Public Interest Summer Grant program and other QLaw Foundation activities. The event would not have been possible without the support of our generous sponsors and dedicated volunteers. Thank you all for a wonderful event! Read a full recap of the event here.
Congratulations to the 2008 QLaw AIDS Walk Team!
Our team of six (Team Captain Dainen Penta, Michael Heath, Andrew Kamins, James McGuire, Thuy Nguyen Leeper, and Roger Sauer) raised $2,144 in support of Lifelong AIDS Alliance.
Photo left to right: Team Captain Dainen Penta, Michael Heath, Thomas Pitchford, Andrew Kamins, James McGuire