at CCBA - Clark County Bar Association

ccbawashington.org 

OCTOBER 2011 

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE CLARK COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION 

Mark your calendars! 

The 2012 Barristers’ Ball is coming! 

February 25, 2012 • Pearson Air Museum 

We will also host a charity silent auction. If you would like to donate to our auction, 

please contact our auction chairperson, Josie Townsend at jctownsend@aol.com 

or call her at 360-694-7601. All donations are tax deductible. 

page 14

THIS MONTH’S ISSUE 

President’s Message ........................................................3 

Upcoming CLE Schedule ..................................................................3 

Nuts & Bolts: Appellate Practice: ......................................................4 

Changing of the Guard at CCBA ........................................6 

Superior Court Selects Commissioner..............................................6 

CCBA Golf Tournament Tees Off ......................................................7 

Remembering Mike Kinnie ................................................8 

CLE Attendees Meet the Gentle “Art” of Persuasion ......................10 

CCBA Annual Meeting ....................................................................12 

Young Lawyer vs. Senior Lawyer Softball Game............................13 

Old Lawyers Aren’t so Old! ............................................................13 

Bench/Bar Meeting Minutes............................................................14 

Family Law Section Meeting ..........................................................16 

HEARSAY is published 12 times per year and is design edited by: 

JEFF GOUGH, Creative Director • GOUGH CREATIVE GROUP 

360-818-4GCG • director@goughcreative.com 

An annual "green" subscription is included with annual membership dues. Members may purchase a hardcopy 

subscription for $48.00. Letters, news items, upcoming events and announcements are welcome. 

Articles by members are accepted. Submissions should be presented in Microsoft Word and may be edited 

for length, clarity and style. Submissions by members are published at the editor’s discretion and space 

available. Views expressed in articles represent the authors’ opinions, not necessarily the CCBA’s. 

The publication does not purport to offer legal advice. 

CCBA OFFICE HOURS: Monday through Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

CCBA Monthly Board of Directors’ Meeting....................................16 

Nuts & Bolts CLE Schedule ............................................................17 

Double Hearsay ..............................................................18 

Getting to Know: Lisa Darco............................................19 

Controversial Issues in Mediation....................................20 

Clark County Volunteer Lawyers’ Program ......................22 

News You Can Use..........................................................24 

Attorney Bookkeeping Tips..............................................25 

Law Library News ..........................................................25 

Legally Drawn ................................................................25 

SW Washington Lawyer Referral Service ........................26 

Events Calendar..............................................................26 

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No charge for travel time or travel expense in Oregon and Washington

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 

JOHN FAIRGRIEVE 

CCBA President 

Dear Fellow Members of the Bar: 

Let me begin for thanking you for the opportunity to serve as 

president of the Clark County Bar Association for the upcoming 

year. I have enjoyed serving as a trustee and later as vice president 

of the association and look forward to the challenges that 

the coming year will surely bring. Fortunately our association 

has a strong and capable board and support staff which I will 

work with closely to accomplish our association's goals. 

The last year was a challenging one for the bar association and 

our board. However, as a result of a series of difficult but necessary 

decisions we have stopped being an intermediary for health 

insurance programs and have put the association on a much more 

stable financial footing. Both the health care issue and the bar's 

financial problems consumed a substantial portion of the board's 

time and energy in the past year. It is my hope that in the coming 

year we can put that time and energy towards more productive 

activities that will benefit our association and our community. 

I have two general goals as I begin my term as president. The first 

is to strengthen our profession locally by instituting a mentorship 

program for new attorneys. The second is to strengthen the 

position of our profession in our community by having the bar 

become more involved in public legal education / civics education 

in our local community. Both the American Bar Association 

and the Washington State Bar Association have public legal 

education and civics materials and programs that we could use 

as models for a local program. I plan on discussing each of my 

goals and plans for achieving them with the bar association 

board in the near future. 

One issue I would like to address with all of you is involvement 

in bar association activities and programs. Outside the work 

done by the board of trustees the main work of our association 

occurs in our committees. In particular, our CLE, Hearsay and 

Barrister's Ball committees perform critical work for our association 

and need additional volunteers to help them continue to 

provide the high quality of products and services that they have 

in the past. Please consider volunteering time to work on one of 

these committees or on another committee or in a capacity that 

reflects your interests. 

Finally, there has been discussion at our last two general meetings 

about what our bar association's priorities are and what it 

should be doing to assist its members. I urge you to contact me 

or one of the other officers or trustees to express your opinions 

or to discuss any other matter concerning the bar. You can reach 

me at (503) 957-6107 or at jpfairgrieve@msn.com. 

Upcoming CLE Schedule 

Date 

October 25, 2011 

Area of 

Law 

Mediation 

Topic 

Controversial 

Issues in 

Mediation 

Speakers 

Richard Spier 

Steve Andersen 

Jane Clark 

Committee 

Chair 


November 

Federal 

Federal Court 

Civil Procedure 

Kurt Rylander 

Steve Joncus 

Rick McLeod 

Rick McLeod 

December 

Ethics 

HEARSAY - OCTOBER 2011 3

The Clark County Bar Association is pleased to announce its 

Thirteenth Nuts and Bolts Lecture: 

APPELLATE PRACTICE 

by Judge C.C. Bridgewater and Attorney Suzan Clark 

Wednesday, October 12, 3:00 – 5:00 PM, at the Red Lion at the Quay 

The cost is $50 for CCBA members, $70 for non-member attorneys, and $25 for non-attorneys. This will get 

you 2 CLE credits and the speakers’ prepared materials to download. There is an extra fee if you want to pick 

up the materials at the door. 

We Continue to Provide the Best Snacks and Beverages of any CLE 

To register: Call the CCBA, (360) 695-5975, OR email: CLE@ccbawashington.org, OR 

FAX this flyer back to the CCBA at (360) 737-6891 with your 

NAME ________________________________________________________________________________, 

PHONE #________________________________________, BAR NUMBER _______________________, 

and EMAIL ADDRESS __________________________________________________________________. 

C.C. Bridgewater received his B.A. degree in philosophy from Stanford University in 1966 

and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1969. Judge Bridgewater began 

his legal career doing consumer protection work with the Federal Trade Commission. After 

three years, he moved to Cowlitz County, Washington and worked there as a deputy 

prosecuting attorney for two years before entering private practice, focusing on criminal 

defense, domestic relations and health care law. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney of 

Cowlitz County in 1986, where he worked until his appointment to the Washington Court of 

Appeals, Div. II, in 1994. He has been the presiding judge of Division II and of the Court of 

Appeals. After retiring from the Court in 2010, Judge Bridgewater joined United States 

Mediation and Arbitration of Oregon, where he is available as a mediator or arbitrator, and 

provides consultation on and evaluation of appellate cases. 

Suzan Clark obtained both her bachelor's degree and law degree from the University of 

Oregon, making her a proud "Double Duck." She began her legal career as a deputy district 

attorney in LaGrande, Oregon and later worked as a deputy prosecuting attorney in both 

Cowlitz and Clark Counties. In 1994 she entered into private practice emphasizing criminal 

defense, appellate work and family law. She has tried over 150 felony jury trials in Oregon 

and Washington as a defense attorney and she tried over 50 felony cases to a jury as a 

prosecutor in both Oregon and Washington. She has briefed and argued over 150 appeals to 

the Washington Court of Appeals, Divisions II and III, the Washington Supreme Court and 

the Oregon Court of Appeals. She served as a bar examiner for the Washington State Bar for 7 

years. She has served on numerous bar committees and as president of the Clark County 

Criminal Defense Bar. She volunteers regularly with the YWCA Legal Clinic. She has traveled to 84 countries and is 

an avid basketball fan. 

An outline appears on the next page. 

4 CLARK COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION

APPELLATE PRACTICE TIPS 

by C.C. Bridgewater 

GOAL 

Communicate with Judges to put client’s case in best 

light 

PROCESS 

Designed to uphold the finality of the trial court. The 

appellate court decides using three basic tools: 

I. Sufficiency of evidence; 

II. Abuse of discretion; 

III. De novo review when interpreting the law. 

I. BRIEFS 

PET PEEVES 

PRESENTATION 

A. Follow the rules 

B. Remember your audience (it’s law clerks) 

C. Be Brief. 

D. Cite frequently and specifically 

II. ORAL ARGUMENT 

A. Procedure 

B. Suggestions 

1. Briefs 

2. Presentation. 

C. Technologies 

HOW NOT TO FEAR AN APPEAL 

OF YOUR WORK IN THE TRIAL COURT 

By Suzan Clark 

I. Pre trial motions 

A. CrR 3.5 

B. CrR 3.6 

C. Knapstad motions 

D. RCW 9.44.120 

E. Motions in Limine 

1. Prior Convictions under ER 609 

2. ER 404(b) 

3. Rape shield statute 

4. 911 calls 

F. Motion for continuance 

G. Severance 

H. Drafting Findings of Fact & Conclusions of 

Law 

II. Trial 

A. Know and understand the Boneclub ruling 

B. Remember on review, you are “on the 

radio” 

C. Renew objections as necessary 

D. Exhibits 

1. Make clear reference 

2. Place marks on the exhibit as needed 

in advance if possible 

3. Preserve objections via offer of proof 

E. Objections 

F. Jury Instructions 

G. Jury questions 

III. POST TRIAL 

A. Arrest of judgment 

B. Motion for a new trial 

C. Findings of Fact & Conclusions of Law on 

bench trial 

Conference Room available to rent 

The CCBA’s office conference room is available for meetings 

and depositions at reasonable rates. 

Call Lisa Darco at 695-5975 


Changing of the Guard at CCBA 

DAVID GREGERSON 

Hearsay Special Correspondent 

At its quarterly meeting on September 14 at the Inn at the Quay, 

the CCBA ushered in its new fiscal year and elected its officers 

for the coming year. The slate of new officers, as nominated by 

the board and elected at the meeting, will be: John Fairgrieve 

(President); Suzan Clark; (Vice President) David Gregerson 

(Secretary); J.D. Nellor (Treasurer); Arin Dunn (Trustee); and 

Jill Sasser (Trustee). Outgoing President Kurt Rylander will 

remain on as Immediate Past President. 

Rylander presided for the last time and reported on what a long, 

strange trip it’s been. He and other board members provided 

organizational and program year-end reports. Most significantly, 

the board took some drastic steps to save the CCBA from 

a potential financial catastrophe caused by the combination of 

finalizing some administrative and tax reporting requirements 

for the defunct member health insurance program, and declining 

revenues—particularly from loss of local CLE revenue with the 

presence of seminars in Puget Sound and those available over 

the internet. While the CCBA was in danger of going under in 

the spring, the unaudited year end profit and loss statement 

shows net income in excess of $16,000—a dramatic turnaround 

by any measure. 

The fiscal survival strategy was not without a cost—specifically the 

loss of longtime Executive Director and friend to many lawyers, 

Diane Wheeler, whose position was eliminated. As a result, the 

CCBA office now has two new offices and a leaner, scaled-back 

office staff presence. Other savings come from scaling back the 

production cost of HEARSAY magazine, as well as substantial savings 

from negotiating a new lease for the office space. 

Through it all, the CCBA maintained and even invigorated its 

local CLE program and calendar—arguably through the herculean 

efforts of Jane Clark and implementation of the popular 

“Nuts and Bolts” series. Other program highlights of the year 

include 12 months of HEARSAY magazine, Barrister’s Ball, the 

Lawyer Referral Service, the annual BBQ and golf tournament, 

and judicial bar polling for judicial vacancies. 

Incoming President John Fairgrieve rounded out the meeting by 

giving his inaugural address. He noted the voluminous and substantial 

“turbulence” of the previous year, but assured that the 

seatbelt sign has been turned off and that CCBA members 

should feel free to move about the cabin. He hopes to help 

strengthen the existing programs and stabilize the financial and 

staffing issues. He mentioned his specific agenda to call upon 

the membership to participate in increased community outreach 

to educate and inform the community about the work of the bar 

in the coming year. 

Any attorneys interested in participating in any of the CCBA 

committees or activities are encouraged to contact Lisa Darco or 

any of the board members. 

Superior Court Selects Commissioner 

The Clark County Superior Court has selected long time Vancouver 

attorney Dayann Liebman to replace newly-appointed 

Superior Court Judge Daniel Stahnke as Family Law Commissioner 

effective October 27th. The Court selected Liebman from 

among a group of highly qualified applicants. 

Liebman is a graduate of Washington State University and the 

Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College. An 

experienced Family Law attorney, Liebman is expected to hear 

divorce, paternity, juvenile and dependency cases. She will be 

housed in the Juvenile Court building and will hear cases in the 

Family Law Annex and Courthouse as well as the Juvenile 

Courthouse. 

Presiding Judge Barbara Johnson, speaking on behalf of the 

Court indicated that “Dayann brings a wealth of experience to 

the position and all of the Court’s Judges and Commissioners 

look forward to working with her in this important area of service 

to the community. 


CCBA Golf Tournament Tees Off 

KURT RYLANDER 

Hearsay Editor-In-Chief 

On Friday, September 23, 2011, the Clark County Bar Association 

held its annual (usually) Golf Tournament. This year the 

event was hosted by the Cedars on Salmon Creek. The event 

was well attended, and the shotgun start caused an eruption of 

golf carts driven in race car fashion. The sun was hot and the 

course was smoking. The heat of the day and the pressure of the 

competition kept the cart lady busy with plenty of thirsty customers. 

Immediately, it became clear that the team to beat was 

Chuck Buckley, Kurt Rylander, Nathan Petersen and Mike Higgins. 

However, at the end of the day only one team was left 

standing, with a score of 59, the team of Barry Brandenburg, Jim 

Mayhew, Jim Senescu, and The Honorable John Nichols took 

honors and immediately donned the multicolored champion 

jackets. Finishing a distinct second, the team of Dave Christel, 

Matthew Philbrook, Beau Harlan and Steve Leatham scored 61. 

Next year the new leadership for the Golf Tournament will be 

Jim Senescu, Matthew Philbrook, and Beau Harlan. 

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Remembering Mike Kinnie 

SUZAN CLARK 


Recently retired Senior Deputy Prosecuting Mike Kinnie passed 

away August 25, 2011 at the age of 60. 

Mike Kinnie obtained his bachelor’s degree from Stanford University 

and graduated from Gonzaga University Law School. 

Kinnie’s father served as a deputy prosecuting attorney with 

Spokane County. He followed in his father’s footsteps serving as 

a deputy clerk in Spokane County while attending law school 

and later joining the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office after 

passing the bar. In the early 1980’s Kinnie spent several years in 

private practice emphasizing civil litigation. During his time in 

the Tri-Cities he met and married his wife Kathy. In the mid- 

1980’s Kinnie accepted a position as a deputy prosecuting 

attorney in Clark County. 

After taking on a number of the toughest cases, Kinnie quickly 

garnered a reputation as a top trial attorney. He tried countless 

homicides and high profile cases over the years. Colleagues 

fondly remember Kinnie’s technique of speaking softly in closing 

argument and elevating his voice to thundering levels to 

deliver a point. Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney 

Scott Jackson remembers hearing about Kinnie’s “whisper to a 

roar” technique from now retired Judge Jim Ladley before he 

had a chance to observe Kinnie in trial. “Mike had this reputation 

as a tough and feared opponent. He was really the kindest 

sweetest guy in the office, “ Jackson recalls. 

Deputy Prosecutor Mike Dodds said of Kinnie, “ He had a real 

knack with jurors. No case was too complex for him to make 

understandable to a jury.” Retired Senior Deputy Prosecutor 

Kim Farr agreed, “Mike was a great trial attorney, but he also had 

commonsense. He looked at the people involved in the cases; 

his decisions weren’t just driven by the stats [conviction rate].” 

Retired Senior Deputy Prosecutor Phil Meyers initially met 

Kinnie while working in Franklin County. Kinnie encouraged 

Meyers to apply for a position in Clark County. The two worked 

together for more than 25 years. Meyers recalls that after the 

Prosecutor’s Office was remodeled in 1987 Kinnie ended up 

with one of the smallest offices. “Mike had a good sense of 

humor about the fact that one of the biggest guys in the office 

somehow ended up with a postage stamp sized office.” 

Mike Kinnie served as a mentor to many young attorneys. District 

Court Judge Kelli Osler recalls a homicide trial she and 

Kinnie tried together when she was a deputy prosecutor wherein 

Kinnie cross-examined the defense expert so effectively that the 

defense attorney patted Kinnie on the back as he walked by 

counsel table. The expert later suggested to another deputy prosecuting 

attorney that she contact Kinnie for advice on how to 

cross-examine him. Osler’s dad and Kinnie’s dad worked 

together as prosecutors in Spokane County. Osler once needed 

to take some time off to deal with a serious medical situation 

with her parents. The chief criminal deputy at the time warned 

her that she might lose her position in the Major Crimes Unit as 

a result of the family leave time. Osler says, “I knew Mike had my 

back. He covered my cases and smoothed the way for me.” 

He prosecuted Treva Throneberry, a woman who masqueraded 

as a high school student to obtain public assistance and education 

benefits. Mid-trial Kinnie suffered a kidney stone that 

rendered him unable to continue with the trial. Osler stepped in 

and took directions from Kinnie as he was being hauled from the 

courtroom by medical personnel. Osler says “I only half listened, 

because I thought he was delirious.” Things took a very serious 

turn when Osler had to take over questioning witnesses and 


managed to get the case continued a day so that Kinnie could 

return and do closing argument. After being released from the 

hospital, Kinnie returned the following day to give closing argument 

and he saw the case through to a guilty verdict. 

Kinnie never minced words and was known to state a very 

pointed opinion of what he thought of the jail house snitches he 

sometimes utilized in criminal cases. Defense attorneys often 

speak of having been “Kinnied,” meaning that Kinnie used an 

innocuous question the defense asked a witness to turn the case 

in the prosecutions’ favor. 

He formally mentored a group of new attorneys by utilizing a 

video of one of his homicide trials to teach about trial techniques. 

The positive comments from attorneys he mentored 

would go on for pages of this article. 

With his wife Kathy, Kinnie enjoyed traveling around the world 

and they traveled extensively in Africa and Central and South 

America. “Mike was incredibly proud of Kathy’s accomplishments 

as a nature photographer,” recalls Mike Dodds. He hung 

her photographs in his office and exhibited them with great pride. 

This author had the pleasure and privilege of working with Kinnie 

as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney. I deeply 

appreciated that he was absolutely gender blind in supporting, 

defending and mentoring newer attorneys. He took the time to 

listen, to teach and to console when things went badly. I tried 

several homicide cases against him and always learned from the 

experience. He was always willing to listen to the defense and to 

negotiate appropriately. 

Retired Judge Jim Ladley said it best, “Mike was a brilliant 

lawyer and a nice guy. I always knew he was going to shake the 

building with a roar to emphasize a point in every trial.” 

He will be greatly missed. 

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CLE Attendees Meet 

the Gentle “Art” of Persuasion 

JEAN McCOY 


At the conclusion of the CCBA Annual Membership Meeting on 

September 12, 2011, participants had the option of attending a 

one-hour CLE taught by Professor Arthur Kohn titled “Psychology 

and the Law: The gentle art of persuasion.” Dr. Kohn 

earned his Ph.D. in cognitive science at Duke University. He is a 

professor at Portland State University where he teaches a course 

in Psychology and Law. Most importantly, and to add to his credentials, 

he is Jane Clark’s fiancé! 

Having opened a pandora’s box of interesting information 

regarding the influence we have on others, Dr. Kohn left us wondering 

if we can say we always use it for the good. If you are 

interested in more topics like this for CLE presentations, give 

Jane Clark an e-mail at jane@janeclarklegal.com. 

Dr. Kohn talked about principles of influence that cause humans 

to act in predictable ways. One instance begins with the delivery 

of a gift with no stated expectation of return. This principle is 

utilized by the Hare Krishna in airports where the recipient 

receives a rose and a blessing; some feel inclined to donate 

money and when the rose is disposed of, it is recycled to create a 

“gift” for the next recipient. Easter Seals sends out free address 

stickers with a donation card on the same principle. This may be 

one type of tactic that many of us recognize as manipulation and 

refuse, but the tug is there in our consciousness not to accept 

something without giving something in return. Understanding 

our natural human responses allows us to see the cause and 

effect of certain actions, and being a student of human nature 

could further assist us in resolving our pending cases. 

Another principle of influence is utilized by showing the contrast 

between two items. A realtor showing property can show a high 

priced dump to a client, then swing by a favorable property in 

the client’s price range. Of course, the second property, in contrast 

to the first, looks better to the prospective purchaser and 

the comparison can have a bearing on the decision on whether 

to make an offer. Talking with a client regarding a settlement 

offer and describing where they can be if they accept the offer, 

and where they can be if the case goes further to trial can provide 

a contrast that will influence a client to pick one or the other 

option more readily than if the discussion hadn’t occurred. 

We talked about how much control an attorney does have in 

these circumstances, and how sometimes a conflict arises 

between the clients’ best interest and the attorneys’ best interest 

when settlement negotiations come up. A comment was made 

that some counsel want to keep an individual in a case for financial 

incentive, where the individual may be better off settling 

early. There is a moral and ethical element of influence that 

arises when we review how these discussions with our clients 

take place, and how much our personal feelings could leak out 

into the advice given. 

Jane Clark and Dr. Art Kohn pose for the camera. 

Kurt Rylander holds the Hare Krishna rose for Dr. Kohn. 


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CCBA Annual Meeting 

AKA - Survivor Clark County 

JEAN McCOY 


The CCBA Annual Membership Meeting was held on September 

12, 2011 at the Red Lion at the Quay with about 50 

members in attendance. CCBA President Kurt Rylander 

presided over the meeting, and at its conclusion was exuberant 

about his ability to “pass the gavel” to incoming President John 

Fairgrieve. The best news of the day was that the CCBA survives 

to live another year, having fought through its budget shortfall. 

around on scanning filings into the Liberty system, and that 

Clark County is poising itself for an on-line filing system at some 

point in the future. 

Suzan Clark, CCBA Treasurer, announced that due to some 

strategic budget cuts and cost savings, the Association will still 

retain a good amount of its past earnings and ended the year in 

the black. Thanks were given to the CCBA Board, and especially 

the CLE Committee led by Jane Clark, for their leadership and 

commitment to keep the ship afloat. Immediate Past President 

Kurt Rylander will take over responsibility for Hearsay publication 

from David Gregerson and contributors are always 

welcome. Chris Boyd was introduced as the new Family Law 

Section President, and Chris introduced their blogspot as a way 

to keep up with their busy Section: http://ccbafamilylawsection.blogspot.com. 

New Trustees, Jill Sasser and Arin Dunn, were voted into office, 

and a big thank-you was given to Andrew Wheeler, who went off 

the Board this year after many years of wise counsel, and clear, 

concise meeting minutes. 

Kurt Rylander receives recognition from incoming President John Fairgrieve 

Judge Barbara Johnson, Presiding Judge for Superior Court, 

spoke regarding current events at the Courthouse and continued 

budget woes. With the re-assignment in Superior Court, some 

dockets were being shifted as of the date of the meeting. Judge 

Rulli can now be found in the Family Law Annex. Judge Nichols 

will remain in his current office, but will have a family law caseload, 

as well as a felony criminal docket. Judge Collier will be on 

the fourth floor where Judge Bennett vacated, and the new Judge 

for Department One – Judge Dan Stahnke – will be located on 

the third floor. Superior Court seems to be blessed to be able to 

do more with less, and it is certainly due to its dedicated staff and 

good leadership. 

Judge Kelli Osler then spoke on behalf of the District Court 

bench, echoing Judge Johnson’s tales of budgets and doing more 

with less. Clark County Clerk, Scott Webber, was introduced 

and welcomed suggestions for his office. Scott said that the 

Clerk’s Office is achieving most of the time a 24-hour turn 

John Fairgrieve officially took the helm of the CCBA and 

announced a new mentoring program we will be seeing more 

information on in the coming months. John introduced our new 

part-time staff for CCBA, Lisa Darco as office manager, and 

Kaitlin Lisandrelli as member services coordinator. New office 

hours are Monday through Friday 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Introduce 

yourself the next time you see them. 

John introduces Lisa Darco and Kaitlin Lisandrelli 


Young Lawyer vs. Senior Lawyer Softball Game 

CHRIS BOYD 


The rainy morning was a foreshadowing the young lawyers 

should have paid closer attention to. The 5th Annual Young 

Lawyer v. Senior Lawyer softball game was held at Prairie Field 

on September 17th. It was not even close. The Senior Lawyers 

jumped all over a clearly overmatched Young Lawyer team ending 

in a 5th inning "mercy rule" victory. Yes, that means the 

Young Lawyers were being beaten by over ten runs. 

The game was called early due to the uneven skill, talent, athleticism, 

and many would even say good looks, possessed by the Senior 

team. Highlights were numerous and came in bunches. Scott 

Horenstein dominated with his pitching, even while wearing dress 

shoes on the dirt infield. Judge Bennett (wait, didn't he just retire?!) 

showed superior speed running the bases and beating throws by the 

Young Lawyers. Greg Gonzales, Steve Turner, Shawn MacPherson 

and Bob Vukanovich were an unstoppable infield. And the hitting? 

Everyone was crushing the ball for extra bases. Judge Stahnke 

clearly put together a superior team this year and the Young 

Lawyers could only shake hands and wait for next year. 

However, valuable lessons were learned. It turns out that the 

Senior Lawyers are quite generous in victory and purchased several 

pitchers of beer for the Young Team at the Prairie Tavern 

after the game. So who really won? 

Old Lawyers Aren’t so Old! 

JAMES SENESCU 


On Saturday, September 17, 2011, time appeared to roll back by a 

decade or so, as the Young Lawyers (under 36) took the field 

against the Old Lawyers (36 and over) in a heated softball game. It 

appeared that the Young Lawyers were bringing their “A” game 

with the likes of Boyd, Sleight, Montgomery, Gasperino and 

Schultz, to name a few of the “Young Guns.” They even brought in 

a certified ASA umpire who (tried to) keep things honest between 

the two powerhouses. However, it appeared that the sands of time 

stood still for a few hours as the game was actually called after 4 ½ 

short innings with the “Mercy Rule” being put into play when the 

Oldies (but Goodies) stretched their lead to ten runs, with a final 

score of 20 to 10. Most importantly, NO injuries were reported! 

The Old Lawyers, led by skilled hitters/infielders Judge Stahnke, 

Judge Gonzales, Shawn MacPherson and Steve Turner. This is 

not to discount the amazing first base play of Bob Vukanovich, 

who dug out some very difficult throws to first base, securing 

some key outs against the Young Guns. Even the youngest “old 

guy,” yours truly, managed to lace a pair of triples to add to the 

mayhem. Dave West, Grant Broer, Bruce Colven and the feisty 

Judge Roger Bennett (Ret.) also added to the proverbial beat 

down. Unofficial MVP, Scott “the Ace” Horenstein, also led the 

Oldies to a victory with his very tight pitching and excellent fielding 

skills. All in all, suffice it say a good time was had by all and 

we look forward to the defense of our championship next year. 

It should be mentioned that the Young Lawyers were absolute 

gentlemen throughout the game, and even at the after party at 

the Brush Prairie Tavern buying a pitcher for the Old Guys who 

were already seizing up from the physical stress of the event. 


CLARK COUNTY DISTRICT COURT BENCH/BAR 

MEETING MINUTES 

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011 

JOHN FAIRGRIEVE 

CCBA President 

The meeting began shortly after noon. Persons present were Ann 

Christian, Suzan Clark, Heather Beasley, Emily Sheldrick, Clay 

Spencer and John Fairgrieve. 

OLD BUSINESS: 

1. Competency evaluations being conducted on out-of-custody 

criminal defendants by Western State Hospital (WSH): 

Ann Christian told the committee that currently the wait to have 

an out of custody criminal defendant evaluated for competency 

is about six to eight months. In the future WSH is planning on 

sending three psychologists to Vancouver every other month 

to evaluate defendants. The psychologists should be able to 

evaluate a maximum of ten defendants on each of these trips 

to Vancouver. 

Clay Spencer asked if the court could appoint local psychologists 

to conduct the evaluations to cut down on the backlog. 

John Fairgrieve expressed concern that by doing so it would shift 

the cost of paying for such evaluations from the state to Clark 

County. Clay also mentioned that defense counsel were not 

being given any notice of when WSH psychologists were coming 

to Vancouver to evaluate their clients, creating problems for 

defense counsel who wish to be present during the evaluation. 

Ann Christian indicated that she would look at working with the 

prosecuting attorney’s (PA’s) office on possibly modifying the 

standard evaluation order form to require that WSH give 

defense counsel notice of when their clients would be evaluated. 

Clay Spencer also asked whether, in criminal cases involving 

defendants who are military veterans, Veterans Administration 

records concerning prior mental health evaluations and treatment 

could be made available to evaluators to assist them and 

perhaps streamline their evaluations. He also asked if the PA’s 

office could be more flexible in fashioning resolutions in criminal 

cases involving veterans. 

2. Felony Indigent Defense Appointments: Ann Christian 

reported that the gross number of cases is not higher than it was 

last year at this time, but that the number of serious cases is on 

the rise. 

3. Jail Contact Rooms: Ann Christian told the committee that 

adjustments had been made that decreased the problems that 

were reported to the committee in July. However, Suzan Clark 

and Clay Spencer reported that they are often forced to use noncontact 

rooms when meeting with their clients in the jail due to 

the lack of contact rooms. Additionally, Suzan reported that 

there is often a wait of 30-45 minutes for a contact room. 

NEW BUSINESS 

1. Discrepancy in the West publication of the Clark County 

Local Rules: Emily Sheldrick reported that the current West version 

of the Clark County Local Rules states that local rules 56 

and 59 are no longer in effect. This is incorrect; local rules 56 

and 59 are still in effect. The matter was tabled until the committee’s 

next meeting because no representative of the bench was 

present to discuss the issue. 

2. Next Bench Bar committee meeting: The committee will meet 

next on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at noon in Judge Nichols’ 

jury room. 

Respectfully submitted, 

John Fairgrieve 

District Court Reminder: 

Attorneys are expected to be in court at or before their scheduled hearing times. To improve the timeliness and coverage/flow 

of the dockets, if attorneys have multiple appearances in different courtrooms set at the same time, the attorney is required to 

check in with the Judicial Assistant at or before the time set for hearing to inform the court of the other appearance(s) and when 

the attorney will return. 


Washington Women Lawyers presents: 

The Leader Within 

WWL is proud to present "The Leader Within" as a seminar on 

October 14th, in conjunction with our Annual Event. This seminar 

is open to anyone and everyone who is interested. 

Across the nation, lawyers and judges are exploring how mindfulness 

practices can increase professionalism and the quality of 

legal services, while also supporting lawyer well being. To learn 

more, please join WWL for an introduction to mindfulness for 

lawyers and judges. 

Sevilla Rhoads, who is both an employment lawyer with Garvey 

Schubert Barer and an Associate Mental Health Counselor with 

Present Health and Wellness, will start our program by reviewing 

some of the neuroscientific theory behind mindfulness as it 

relates to the practice of law. Sevilla will also offer experiential 

demonstrations of several basic, practical mindfulness exercises 

designed for use by legal professionals. 

Next, our panel will discuss how they use mindfulness daily in 

their legal practices. Our panelists include: Anthony Gipe - civil 

litigator and WSBA Governor at Large, Adriene Keith - Collaborative 

Family Law and Mediator, and Sherry Williams - Pierce 

Co. Public Defender. 

We will close with a Question & Answer period for all of our presenters. 

We will also provide information to continue learning 

about Mindfulness either in person here in Washington, or 

through various written materials. 

Please join Washington Women Lawyers on October 14, 2011, 

at the Convention Center from 2 pm to 4 pm. This seminar will 

cost $40. For reservations, please contact Pauline Woodman at 

paulinewoodman@mac.com, or find more information at 

http://www.wwl.org. We look forward to seeing you on 

October 14 in Seattle! 

YOUNG LAWYERS CLE: 

Speaker: Honorable Judge John Wulle 

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 

11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 

El Presidente, Evergreen and C Street 

$20 for CCBA Members 

$25 for non-members 

$10 for law students 

Please RSVP to ccbayounglawyers@yahoo.com 

An attorney is considered a "Young Lawyer" until the 31st day of December of the year 

upon which he or she turns thirty-six (36) or until the 31st day of December of the year in 

which five (5) years have expired from the date they were first licensed to practice law in 

any state of the United States, whichever is later. 


Family Law Section Meeting 

CHRIS BOYD 

Family Law Section President 

We had our first meeting of the new year on Thursday, September 

8, 2011. Jolene Sell gave an excellent presentation on the 

changes to the parentage act. Thank you again, Jolene! Make 

sure you all check your forms as updated pleadings are now on 

the Washington Courts website. 

The Family Law Section also presented Judge Collier and Judge 

Stahnke with plaques and “small” gifts to show our appreciation 

for their years as family law judicial officers. We are sad to see 

them go, but welcome Judge Nichols to family law. 

We discussed moving our meetings to Wednesdays to accommodate 

Judge Nichols’ drug court commitments. Look for my email 

with the next meeting date, which will likely be a Wednesday. 

As always, our meetings are in the reserved lounge section of 

Tommy O’s, 801 Washington Street, Vancouver. The cost of 

the meeting will be $13.00 for lunch plus $5.00 for one CLE 

credit for CCBA FLS members. If you are not a member of the 

CCBA and FLS the cost is $13.00 for lunch and $10.00 for the 

CLE credit. Please RSVP by the Friday just prior to our 

Wednesday meeting by sending your payment to our section’s 

Treasurer, Meredith McKell Graff, 3214 NE 42nd Street, Suite 

B, Vancouver, WA 98663. 

Our officers are: President, Chris Boyd; Treasurer, Meredith 

McKell Graff; Secretary, Stephanie Ellis. 

If you would like to attend a CCBA FLS meeting and do not currently 

receive the email updates, please email me at 

cboyd@vancouverlaw.net. 

Remember to visit the blog for updates and announcements: 

http://ccbafamilylawsection.blogspot.com/ 

Very Truly Yours, 

Chris Boyd 

CCBA Monthly Board of Directors’ Meeting 

DAVID GREGERSON 


Present: Kurt Rylander, John Fairgrieve, Jane Clark, 

Suzan Clark, David Gregerson, J.D. Nellor 

President Rylander called the meeting to order, noting this 

would be his last board meeting as President. 

CCBA General Meeting is set for September 14, 2011. The 

board will offer the slate of nominees for the officer positions, to 

wit: Vice President: Suzan Clark; Secretary: David Gregerson; 

Treasurer: J.D. Nellor; Trustee: Arin Dunn; Trustee: Jill Sasser. 

John Fairgrieve will automatically become President by operation 

of the Bylaws. 

The income and expense report was reviewed, showing unaudited 

net income for the fiscal year in excess of $16,000. 

Renewal forms and membership dues are presently in process. 

Barristers Ball venue has been chosen at the Pearson Airfield 

Museum. Date remains to be selected by the committee, after 

checking the judges’ schedules. 

It was noted that the Family Law section conducted its own bar 

poll sua sponte for the open court commissioner position. The 

CCBA initially intended to conduct its poll membership-wide. 

Given that the FLS already conducted its poll and reported the 

results to the court, the general consensus was to not duplicate 

by conducting a second poll. 

There being no further business, the meeting was, upon motion 

duly made and seconded, ADJOURNED. 


CLARK COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION CLE SERIES 

Nuts & Bolts: What Every Practioner Needs to Know 

The Clark County Bar Association is delighted to announce that it will host a CLE series geared to the 

new members of the legal community titled Nuts & Bolts: What Every Practioner Needs to Know. The 

series will vary from one to three hours every second Wednesday of the month. Each session will feature 

knowledgeable attorneys in a particular area of practice, and focus on the basic issues and procedures 

confronting an area of law. The current list of dates and topics are as follows: 

Date Topic Speaker 

October 12, 2011 Appellate Practice Ret. Judge CC 

Bridgewater 

Committee 

Member 

Suzan Clark 

November 9, 2011 Bankruptcy Scott Matthews 

December 14, 2011 

Collecting on 

Judgments 

Mark Beatty 

January Trial Skills Jane Clark 

February Trial Skills Jane Clark 

March Trial Skills Jane Clark 

April Trial Skills Jane Clark 

Each one of the series is on $50 or you can purchase a discount card and attend 6 of the 12 events for 

$250. We’ll meet at the Quay at 3:00 and be done in time for happy hour. Materials will be provided free 

for download for those who register three days before the seminar, or for a modest fee at the door. 

Call 695-5975 to register 

For firms with new associates, this series is a great way to support your local bar association 

and provide new associates with an introduction to the community and a broad set of useful 

legal skills and information. 


DOUBLE HEARSAY 

What CCBA 

Members Are 

Doing About Town 

RAISA JUDICATA 

Guest Gossip Columnist 

Judge Harris looks pretty spry, all things 

considering. 

Judge Bennett looks on benevolently as he 

is honored. 

If you knew what was good for 

you, we saw you at the “retirement” 

party for Judge Roger 

Bennett at the Jury Room in the 

Courthouse. Even retired Judge 

Robert Harris attended in the second 

of his two braces for a broken 

neck since retirement in December 

2009. As everyone probably 

already knows, retirement from 

the County does not necessarily 

mean retirement from the public 

eye. Judge Bennett has joined the 

firm including Jessica Dimitrov, 

Jim Senescu and Chris Babich so 

he can fight crime and vulnerable 

adult exploitation, or 

mediate/arbitrate your messy dispute. 

So what do we call him? 

Judge….Mr. Bennett (the other 

one)….Rog? 

When one leaves, another fills his place. Judge Dan Stahnke was 

sworn in as Clark County Superior Court Judge in Department 1 

on September 1, 2011 before a standing-room only courtroom. 

Judge Stahnke began his career as a jail custody officer for Clark 

County, then went to law 

school at Lewis & Clark 

in 1989 and after graduation 

was off to private 

practice with Jeff Barrar 

and Don English. In 

2007 Judge Stahnke was 

appointed to Superior 

Court Commissioner, 

Judge Stahnke is sworn in. Photo by:Troy Wayrynen, 

the Columbian 

where he served until his 

appointment to Department 

1. Judge Stahnke will have a year on the bench before reelection 

of his position by voters in November 2012. Leaving a 

gap as Court Commissioner, candidates have put their name in 

the ring for appointment by Superior Court, including: 

Josephine Townsend, Terry Vetter, Clayton Spencer, Dayann 

Liebman, Lisa Toth and Jennifer Snider. A family law preference 

poll was conducted among the Family Law Section and there are 

no plans to do a member-wide poll. According to the powers that 

be, by the time you read this, we may have a new Commissioner! 

We’ve come a long way, baby! Clark County and the Washington 

Women Lawyers have some Warriors on their hands. Rachel 

Brooks, Emily Sheldrick and Marisha Childs conquered the Warrior 

Dash on September 11, 2011 held in North Plains, Oregon. The 

Warrior Dash is 3.18 miles of mud crawling, fire leaping, extreme 

running from hell, with participants encountering obstacles (real 

fire!) to push their outer limits. These classy ladies crossed the finish 

line together, and then went home to wash the mud out of their hair. 

Marla Heikkala is finally in a walking cast. Since Marla spends 

the first part of each year with her husband in La Quinta, California 

(near Palm Desert) frolicking in the sun, you may never have 

seen her full leg cast and swollen toes. Marla had an unfortunate 

golf cart accident in January resulting in a very messy broken leg 

(not her fault, she is a fabulous driver, just ask her). After what 

will probably end up being a full year of treatment, she does not 

know at this point whether she will be able to golf again. 

Instead, she is keeping busy with her beautiful granddaughter. 

As long as her leg will move enough to give chase, she will be 

very blessed. 

Your esteemed colleague Raisa Judicata can’t be everywhere. If you 

have a tidbit of news you would like the world to know, send a note 

to raisajudicata@gmail.com. Raisa usually checks in the first Monday 

of every month. Remember, it is your ethical duty to support 

your member organization with juicy gossip and goings on. 


GETTING TO KNOW: 

LISA DARCO 

“Getting to Know” is a monthly feature designed to better acquaint 

the membership with our local attorneys, judges and other people of 

interest to the Clark County bench and bar. This month’s subject is 

CCBA Office Manager, Lisa Darco. 

Where did you grow up and how did you end 

up in Vancouver? 

I grew up in Camas and am a proud Papermaker! My parents, 

sister and brother and their families live in the 

Camas/Washougal area and I still attend every home football 

game and proudly wear the black and red! I moved to Vancouver 

in 2002 after I got married. 

How did find your way to the CCBA office? 

I ended up in the CCBA office with a little bit of luck and a 

whole lot of prayer! I spent the past 20 years as a professional 

nanny. I’m very proud of my nanny career and loved all the 

opportunities it provided me as I traveled and explored my 

way trough my twenties! After I married into a ready made 

family I was able to spend lots of time with my kids, now nearly 

20 and 17. Feeling the empty nest creep up on us, I decided to 

stretch my wings and try something new. I’ve always been an 

organizer and a planner and I really wanted to find something 

“administrative” for my second career. I found out about the 

opening in the CCBA office from a dear friend who is a local 

attorney and due to my stellar resume (and more than a little 

desperation on their end), here I am! 

What are the best and worst things about interacting 

with local attorneys and prosecutors? 

I’ve had nothing but great interactions so far (knock wood)! 

Everyone has been very friendly and welcoming. 

What has been the biggest lesson of your 

career in the CCBA office? 

In my 6 week tenure, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that 

managing the office is not that much different than nanny-ing 

in many respects! Lots of multi-tasking, quick thinking and 

more than a few reminders rule the days! 

What activities do you enjoy in your spare time? 

In my spare time I love to read, cook, spend time with my 

family and I occasionally make some crazy good cupcakes. 

Favorite vacation destination (or dream vacation)? 

I love camping with my family. We love the beach and hope to 

retire somewhere along the Oregon Coast when we’re old 

and wrinkly. 

What would you attempt to do if you 

knew that you could not fail? 

If I knew I couldn’t fail, I would absolutely open a bakery. 

I’d hire my mom who’s a phenomenal cook, my sister who 

could make a cardboard box feel like the loveliest and most 

welcoming home, my brother who is an amazing cook and 

the hardest worker I’ve ever known and we would bake 

mountains of treats and probably have to go nationwide 

because of our awesomeness. 

Describe a few pet peeves of yours. 

I’m really annoyed by lateness and bad manners. 

What do you know now that you wish someone 

had told you 10 years ago? 

I’m not so sure it’s what I didn’t know as much as what I didn’t 

believe. Who knew that having kids was really as hard as I was 

told? Who knew it really was a good idea to savor those carefree 

days of youth and not long for being a “grown-up”? Who 

knew that although wonderful and rewarding, owning a home 

involved so much stress? Who knew? 

What childhood event shaped or scarred you the most? 

I moved to Boston when I was 18 years old to take my first 

nanny job. Leaving behind my small town and super close 

knit family for the bright lights and big city changed me. 

I like to think it was for the better! Moving away gave me a 

real appreciation for my home and family and gave me a new 

perspective on the number of opportunities available. I hope 

my kids take advantage of all their potential and have big 

adventures like that!! 


The Clark County Bar Association Presents a CLE: 

~ Controversial Issues in Mediation ~ 

by Richard G. Spier, Jane E. Clark, and Steven C. Andersen 

Tuesday, October 25th, 9:00 – 11:30 am (Sign In at 8:45) 

Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St, 6 th Floor Training Room 

Beverages and Cookies Provided! 

2.0 CLE Credits and 0.5 ethics credits are offered at $35.00 per credit for a total 

of $87.50. (For non CCBA members, the price is $45.00 per credit, for a total of 

$112.50). Oregon credits pending. 

There is an Early-bird discount of $5 per credit for those registering on or 

before Tuesday, October 18 th . 

To register: call the CCBA at (360) 695-5975, OR email: cle@ccbawashington.org, OR 

FAX this flyer to (360) 737-6891 with your BAR NUMBER ________________________, 

NAME _____________________________________________ PHONE #__________________________, 

and EMAIL (if you want to download the materials) __________________________________________. 

Rich Spier received his JD from Cornell Law School in 1976. Following practice as a litigator 

in prominent Portland firms, he opened his full-time practice as an arbitrator and mediator in 

Portland, Oregon, in 1992; he has handled several thousand engagements as an arbitrator or 

mediator. He now limits his practice to mediation in Oregon and Washington, and maintains 

active memberships in both states’ bars. He limits his mediation practice to cases in which all 

parties are represented by legal counsel. 

Rich has served as Chair of the Oregon State Bar Section on Alternative Dispute Resolution, 

Chair of the Oregon State Bar Committee on Federal Practice and Procedure, as a member of the Oregon Board 

of Bar Examiners, and as a member of the Oregon State Bar Disciplinary Board Trial Panel. 

Steve Andersen received his JD in 1995 from the Santa Clara University School of Law. 

He represents litigants in Construction, Commercial, and Real Estate disputes, and 

Professional Liability suits. He has been admitted to the bars of Washington, Oregon, and 

California, and to the US district courts of Oregon, the western district of Washington, and 

the northern district of California. 

Jane Clark has 20 years of experience handling personal injury and Medical Malpractice 

actions. She is licensed in Washington, Oregon, England and Wales. She is an adjunct 

professor at Portland State University where she teaches a class on Psychology and the Law. 

She is on the board of trustees for the Clark County Bar Association and chair of the CCBA 

Continuing Legal Education Committee. 

The focus of Jane’s practice is representing plaintiffs in medical malpractice cases and 

personal injury cases. Jane is also a mediator in the area of Personal Injury and Medical 

Malpractice, and is a member of the USA&M mediation panel. 


Controversial Issues in Mediation 

by Richard G. Spier, Jane E. Clark, and Steven C. Andersen 

As mediation becomes “mainstream,” counsel regularly confront difficult issues of tactics, ethics, and 

overall approach in handling a mediated case. This intermediate-to-advanced level program is focused on some 

of these controversial questions, and is intended for lawyers who already have experience representing clients as 

counsel in mediations. 

I. When not to mediate 

Is mediation overused? 

The disappearing jury trial 

Credibility as litigator 

II. 

Approaching mediation 

Timing/stage of the case 

Who should be present? 

Should plaintiffs’ counsel insist on the presence of the adjuster? 

Should defense counsel have the insured client present, even if no coverage or limits issue? 

Should counsel insist on an offer or response to offer before the mediation? 

Negotiating the selection of the mediator (mediator styles and personalities) 

III. 

IV. 

Ethics in mediation 

Are there ethical obligations of lawyer mediators of which counsel should be aware? 

Puffing versus fraud 

Opinion versus fact 

Candor with the mediator 

Commenting on authority 

Preparation and negotiation 

Timing of Negotiation 

Negotiation tips and tactics 

Preparing clients for negotiation and mediation 

V. Dealing with the mediator 

Is the mediator your friend? 

Should counsel reveal the client’s bottom line? 

Should counsel allow the mediator to suggest a settlement (the “mediator’s offer”) 

When is a deal binding? 

900 Washington St., Suite 850 


www.canarealty.com 

Office: (360) 696-9551 

Stephanie@canarealty.com 

Executive Suites (208-224 sq. ft.) 

Office Space (1,460-2,298 sq. ft.) 

Contact Stephanie Boyce for Information, Floor Plans, and Tours. 

Comfort, security and luxury are just a few words that describe the 

Riverview Tower. We look forward to hearing from you! 

Available 

for Consults 

Washington 

& Oregon 

Licensed 

Linda E. Frischmeyer 

ATTORNEY 

Over 25 Years Assisting to Achieve Employment Goals 

Respectful. Clear. Helpful. 

• Wage payment 

• Independent contractors 

• Confidentiality 

• Nonprofits 

• Non-compete 

• Performance 

• Challenging behaviors 

• Leave laws 

• Disability accommodation 

• Drug testing 

360.816.2475 

linda.frischmeyer@landerholm.com 

805 Broadway, Ste. 1000 • Vancouver, WA 98660 


Susan Arney, Executive Director 

Ashley Belisle, Program Coordinator 

Administrative: 360-823-0423 • E-mail: susana@ccvlp.com 

Statistics for August include 63 clients seen in advice clinics, 

32 in Family Law, 213 in Family Law paperwork review clinic, 

5 in the General Law clinic, 3 in the Bankruptcy Clinic and 10 in 

Housing Justice Project clinic. We placed 3 case with an attorney 

for direct representation. There were 92 hours of volunteer 

attorney time donated. 

A letter to our Volunteer of the Year last year from a client: 

Representing clients in 

Oregon and Washington 

S.W. Washington office 

805 Broadway Street, Vancouver 

(360) 823-0410 

GevurtzMenashe.com 

Thanks, Susan 

MANY THANKS TO ALL THE ATTORNEYS AND 

PARALEGALS WHO STAFFED THE ADVICE CLINICS, 

HOMELESS CLINICS, PROVIDED REPRESENTATION, 

AND VOLUNTEERED IN THE HOMELESS COURT IN 

THE MONTH OF AUGUST. 

Douglas Bratt, Bill Brendgard, Chuck Buckley, Tresa Cavanaugh, 

Elizabeth Christy, Winnie Cloements, Jeff Courser, 

Ivan Culbertson, Erin Culver, Ed Dawson, Darren DeFrance, 

Jessica Dimitrov, Daniel Divittorio, Gavin Flynn, Michael Green, 

Dee Grubbs, Susan Phillips Hammann, Lincoln Harvey, 

Scott Horenstein, Peter James, Vickie Kesala, Dustin Klinger, 

Kathy McCann, Katie McGinley, Bill Montecucco, 

Nathan Petersen, Hugh Potter, Rob Russell, Mark Sampath, 

Jill Sasser, Diane Sweet, Bob Vukanovich, Ben Wolff, Phil Wuest 

TOO BUSY TO GET THAT 

BIG CASE MOVING? 

The daily rigors in a solo or small practice can make it difficult to stay on 

top of a wrongful death or serious personal injury case. We have the experience 

and financial backing to help you do what it takes to litigate claims properly. 

The three senior partners in our firm each have over 30 years of experience. 

Ask about our reputation, or give us a call to discuss your client’s case. 

SCHAUERMANN, THAYER 

JACOBS & STAPLES, P.S. 

ATTORNEYS AT LAW 

AV Martindale-Hubbell Rating 

1700 E. Fourth Plain Blvd. • Vancouver, WA 

(360) 695-4244 

www.stjps.com 


Benefits of CCBA Membership 

HEARSAY Monthly Newsletter 

(and discounted advertising rates) 

Free copy of the Membership 

and Resource Directory 

High-quality CLEs at discounted member 

rates; saving you travel time and money 

on your annual educational requirements 

Access to the Southwest Washington 

Lawyer Referral Service 

Social and networking opportunities 

throughout the year: quarterly membership 

meetings, annual Golf Tournament, 

Winter Social, and the Summer Barbeque 

The opportunity to participate in 

committees and sections pertinent 

to your interests and practice 

Call 695-5975 to become a member! 

Entertainment Books 

are still available! 

Now Only $10! 

Call Lisa at 695-5975 


NEWS YOU CAN USE 

Judge Roger A. Bennett (Ret.) is now with the law firm of 

Dimitrov, Senescu & Bennett, PLLC 

1409 Franklin Street - Suite #207 


360.696.7494 tel 

360.696.7499 fax 

rbenn21874@aol.com 

James D. Senescu and Jessica W. Dimitrov have changed their 

law firm name to Dimitrov, Senescu & Bennett, PLLC. 

Paul Henderson and Connie 

Taylor Henderson were married 

on June 28 at Machu Picchu in 

Peru. They came back to Vancouver 

to form the Henderson Law 

Firm, PLLC. Their practice 

emphasizes medical negligence 

claims. 

360-737-1478 

Jane Clark, formerly of Baumgartner, Nelson & Price, PLLC 

has opened her own practice: 

Jane Clark Legal 

1014 Franklin St., Ste 108 


(360) 859-3823 

(503) 974-4161 

(360) 597-3766 (fax) 

Jane @janeclarklegal.com 

www.janeclarklegal.com 

New Address: 

Bjorn Hess 

The Hess Law Firm, PLLC 

2001 Main St. 


(360) 553-9009 

(360) 546-5017 (fax) 

Oregon Mediation Association 25th Annual 

Fall Conference 

November 4 & 5, 2011 

Ambridge Event Center – Portland, OR 

www.omediate.org 

FYI: The CCBA is no longer processing applications for the 

Modest Means program. Please refer your clients to CLEAR at 

888-201-1014. 

Attorney Conference Room Phone Hangs Up 

The CCBA has voted to cease paying for a landline phone in the 

Courthouse attorney conference room. The board noted that 

the cost is $390 per year, that there are other public phones in 

the Courthouse, and that virtually everybody has a cell phone. 

Barristers’ Ball chooses Caterer and Charity 

Board has chosen Roots Restaurant & Bar for the caterer for 

the upcoming, much anticipated February 2012 Barrister’s Ball 

at Pearson Air Park. The Board has also chosen the YWCA 

SafeChoice Program as the designated charity recipient for all 

auction funds received. 

We are all part 

of the same bar 

Some attorneys have been paying family law section 

dues only, and not their CCBA membership dues. 

The CCBA has formally decided this issue in the past. 

An attorney is NOT allowed to be just a member 

of the family law section, and not a member of the 

CCBA. Attorneys must be a member of the CCBA 

to be a member of the family law section, and must 

pay dues for both. 


LAW LIBRARY NEWS 

ATTORNEY BOOKKEEPING TIPS 

MARIA SOSNOWSKI 

Law Librarian 

EMANUELA SANDRI 

Attorney Bookkeeping Services, Inc. 

By the time you read this Hearsay, the law library should have its 

new copiers in place. As we have been warning, the new copier 

equipment is not compatible with the old card reader system, so 

copycards are no longer accepted. We are sorry that we cannot 

provide refunds on copycards. However, the new system should 

be able to accept bills up to $20 and return change in bills rather 

than just coins, which will make using cash a lot easier than in the 

past. The new equipment will also be quieter, faster, and use less 

energy and need fewer repairs than our current equipment. 

And now, take a look at the many items we have available for bid 

during October: 

The law library is taking blind bids on the following items: 

1. Construction Litigation Handbook, 2010. 

2. New Appleman Insurance Law Practice Guide 2011. 

3. Collection Actions with 2010 supplement. 

4. Fair Debt Collection with 2010 supplement. 

5. Determination of Income for Child Support CD Rom, 

2010. 

6. Trial Evidence Foundations CD Rom, 2010. 

7. Determining Economic Damages CD Rom, 2010. 

Give your bid to the law librarian through the end of October. Bids 

must indicate your name, phone number, amount, and item(s) on 

which you are bidding. Winners will be notified in early November. 

We reserve the right to withdraw an item from bidding. 

Maria Sosnowski, 

Clark County Law Librarian 

TRUST ACCOUNTING 

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS TO CLIENTS 

The Washington State Bar Association trust account reporting 

requirements to clients are: 

• whenever money is received or disbursed on client’s behalf – 

the most common method is to show the activity on the client’s 

monthly billing statement. 

• for client money held for a long period of time with no transactions 

occurring, send at least an annual accounting that shows 

how much money is being held; if there is no specific reason to 

hold these funds in the trust account, return funds to the client. 

GOOGLE MAPS 

Checked your office location on Google maps? 

www.maps.google.com It’s FREE! Add or correct information, 

such as services, parking, office hours and more. 

Do two searches: 

1. Search company address 

2. Search company name 

Emanuela 

ATTORNEY BOOKKEEPING SERVICES, INC. 

LEGALLY DRAWN 

Advertise with us!!! 

Reach 500 Attorneys 

and Legal Professionals 

throughout Clark County! 

Call Lisa Darco for 

pricing & space availability: 

360-695-5975 

Reproduced with permission. For more cartoons and information, go to http://www.legallydrawn.com. 


UPCOMING EVENTS 

MEETING 


CCBA Board Meeting 

CCBA Office – Noon 

MEETING 


CCBA Hearsay Meeting 

CCBA Office- 11:30am 

MEETING 


Superior Court Bench/Bar Meeting 

Courthouse – Noon 

CLE 

CLE 


Nuts & Bolts CLE: Appellate Practice 

Red Lion at the Quay 3:00pm to 5:00pm 

SW WASHINGTON LAWYER 

REFERRAL SERVICE 

The CCBA’s Lawyer Referral Service is a program designed to 

help the general public find attorneys appropriate for their 

needs, while at the same time providing a source of new client 

business exclusively to our members. 

To participate, members pay a small one-time annual fee. 

(The service is free to the public.) For more information, 

call the CCBA at 360-695-5975. 

THE SWLRS REFERRED 347 CLIENTS 

IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST 

MEETING 

Administrative Law ......................................................20 

Bankruptcy ....................................................................3 

Business & Corp ............................................................3 

Consumer ....................................................................16 

Criminal ...................................................................... 24 

Debt/Creditor ..................................................................4 

Family Law ..................................................................90 

General Litigation ........................................................92 

Labor & Employment....................................................22 

Real Property................................................................49 

Wills & Trusts ..............................................................13 

Worker’s Comp ..............................................................7 


Young Lawyers Section – Happy Hour 

Top Shelf at 6th and Main from 5:00pm 

to 6:30pm 

MEETING 


Family Law Section Meeting – “Town 

Hall”. Family Law Annex Noon – 1:00pm 

MEETING 


CLE Committee Meeting 

CCBA Office 12:00pm 

MEETING 


CCBA Web Site Committee meeting 

JD Nellor’s Office 

CLE 


CLE: Mediation 

Public Service Center 9:00am 

CLE 


Young Lawyers Section CLE 

El Presidente at Evergreen and C Street 

Special Guest Speaker: Judge John Wulle 

11:45apm to 1:00pm 

CLE 

November 9, 2011 

Nuts & Bolts CLE: Bankruptcy 

Red Lion at the Quay 3:00pm to 5:00pm 

Representing Injured 

Workers on Their 

Washington Claims 

Busick Hamrick, PLLC 

Steven L. Busick Frances R. Hamrick Douglas M. Palmer 

(360) 696-0228 

1915 Washington Street Vancouver, WA 98660 


2011/2012 CCBA OFFICERS & TRUSTEES 

PRESIDENT 

John Fairgrieve 

(360) 397-2261 

john.fairgrieve@clark.wa.gov 

VICE-PRESIDENT 

Suzan Clark 

(360) 735-9434 

sclark4224@aol.com 

TREASURER 

J.D. Nellor 

(360) 695-8181 

jd@nellorlaw.com 

SECRETARY 

David Gregerson 

(360) 906-1164 

david@gregersonlangsdorf.com 

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT 

Kurt Rylander 

(360) 750-9931 

rylander@rylanderlaw.com 

TRUSTEE 


(360) 694-4344 

jclark@bnplaw.com 

TRUSTEE 

Arin Dunn 

(360) 737-6793 

arin@dunnsheldrick.com 

TRUSTEE 

Jill Sasser 

(360) 816-2534 

jill.sasser@landerholm.com 

VLP REPRESENTATIVE 

David Gregerson 

(360) 906-1164 

david@gregersonlangsdorf.com 

OFFICE MANAGER 

Lisa Darco 

(360) 695-5975 

ccbamanager@ccbawashington.org 

MEMBER SERVICES 

Kaitlin Lisandrelli 

(360) 695-5975 

kaitlin@ccbawashington.org 

HEARSAY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

Kurt Rylander 

(360) 750-9931 

rylander@rylanderlaw.com 

Calling All 

Social Volunteers 

The Barrister’s Ball committee is desperately 

in need of volunteers to help with the planning, 

setup, and running of the Barrister’s Ball. 

We also need people to help canvas businesses 

for charity donations to be auctioned. 

The charity this year to receive the funds 

will be the YWCA SafeChoice Program. 

Call Lisa Darco at 695-5975

CLARK COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION 

500 W. 8th Street, Suite 65 


PRSRT STD 

U.S. POSTAGE 

PAID 

VANCOUVER, WA 

PERMIT NO. 620 

Advertise in HEARSAY 

Does your business cater to the legal industry? 

Get targeted exposure to CCBA members and associates! 

Reserve your ad space today! Call Lisa @ 695-5975

at CCBA - Clark County Bar Association

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