Washington State Association for Justice
The Washington State Association for Justice is a trade association of over 2,600 plaintiff's attorneys and staff, with offices in Seattle, Olympia and Spokane.
WSAJ provides members with professional networking, online listserves, a data bank of relevant court documents and legal experts, and a member directory. The organization also provides an extensive continuing legal education (CLE) program in locations throughout Washington. Additionally, WSAJ's Olympia-based government affairs staff lobbies legislators and state agencies to advance a pro-civil justice legislative agenda, intended to preserve and enhance the rights of injured people.
History
The Washington State Association for Justice was originally formed in 1953 as the National Association of Claimants Compensation Attorneys - NACCA; it became the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association (WSTLA) in 1967 and the Washington State Association for Justice (WSAJ) in 2008. WSAJ current statewide membership comprises over 2,500 attorneys and staff.
The Association aims to protect and promote a fair justice system and the right to trial by jury, and to ensure that any person who is harmed by the misconduct or negligence of others can obtain justice in America's courtrooms, even in actions against the most powerful interests.
Membership and governance
The 2015-2016 WSAJ President is Victoria Vreeland. The President-Elect is Dominic Bacetich. Gerhard Letzing is WSAJ's Executive Director, presiding over the association since 1986. Larry Shannon is the Government Affairs Director, serving in that role since 1994.
The organization is governed by a 50-member Board of Governors, elected by voting members. Voting members must be lawyers who have represented the plaintiff in at least 50 percent of their cases. WSAJ's attorney members practice a broad range of legal practice areas, including personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, worker's compensation, insurance litigation, consumer protection, employment litigation, nursing home abuse, and product liability.