Jun 1, 2011 - exemplary or distinguished service to the bar. ... 1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 600 / Seattle, WA 98101 ⢠8
Washington State Bar Association 1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 600 Seattle, WA 98101
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 1, 2011
Judith Berrett Director of Communications 206-727-8212;
[email protected]
Colleen Kinerk Named Recipient of Norm Maleng Leadership Award (SEATTLE) — The WSBA Board of Governors and Access to Justice Board take great pleasure in announcing that Seattle attorney Colleen Kinerk is the 2011 recipient of the Norm Maleng Leadership Award. This award is given jointly by the WSBA and the Access to Justice (ATJ) Board in honor of the legacy of Norm Maleng. Maleng, who served as King County prosecuting attorney for many years, was an innovative and optimistic leader committed to justice and access to justice in both civil and criminal settings. Within the profession, his leadership was characterized by his love of the law and commitment to diversity and mentorship; this award recognizes those who embody these qualities. The award will be presented on June 4 at the Access to Justice/Bar Leaders Conference at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.
Colleen Kinerk’s career has been characterized by a commitment to service, both to the legal profession and to her community. She has provided leadership to a number of organizations, including serving as trustee and president of the King County Bar Foundation, and chairing the Foundation’s Pro Bono Task Force. Kinerk is a recipient of the King County Bar Association’s Helen Geisness Award, which honors exemplary or distinguished service to the bar. Active in Washington Women Lawyers (WWL), she has served as that organization’s president, chair of its Judicial Evaluation Committee, and president of its Foundation. Kinerk was named WWL Member of the Year in 1993-94.
Kinerk has served on the Board of Regents for Seattle University since 1989 and was chair in 2001. Seattle University honored her with its Alumnus of the Year Award in 1994. Her board service also includes the Northwest Justice Project and the Northwest Defenders Association. For the past 15 years, she has served as chair of the Access to Justice Conference Planning Committee.
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Working Together to Champion Justice Washington State Bar Association • 1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 600 / Seattle, WA 98101 • 800-945-WSBA / fax: 206-727-8319
Colleen Kinerk Named Recipient of Norm Maleng Leadership Award, page 2 of 2
Kinerk received her B.A. degree summa cum laude from Seattle University and her J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law. She is a partner at the firm of Cable, Langenback, Kinerk & Bauer, LLP, where she focuses her practice on employment and labor issues. She is also a highly regarded mediator of employment and tort cases.
About the Access to Justice Board Recognizing that access to the civil justice system is a fundamental right, the Access to Justice (ATJ) Board works to achieve equal access for those facing economic and other significant barriers. The ATJ Board was established by the Washington State Supreme Court in 1994 at the request of the WSBA Board of Governors, in response to a growing need to coordinate the access to justice efforts in Washington state to provide continuity and focus. The Board consists of nine members nominated by the WSBA Board of Governors and appointed by the Washington State Supreme Court. King County Superior Court Judge Steven C. González is the current chair.
About the Washington State Bar Association The WSBA is part of the judicial branch, exercising a governmental function authorized by the Washington State Supreme Court to license the state’s 34,460 lawyers. The WSBA both regulates lawyers under the authority of the Court and serves its members as a professional association — all without public funding. As a regulatory agency, the WSBA administers the bar admission process, including the bar exam; provides record-keeping and licensing functions; and administers the lawyerdiscipline system. As a professional association, the WSBA provides continuing legal education for attorneys, in addition to numerous other educational and member-service activities.
The governance of the WSBA is vested in its Board of Governors. There are three governors from the seventh congressional district; one from each of the other eight districts; and three at-large, one of whom represents the Young Lawyers Division. The president is Steven G. Toole, of Bellevue. The presidentelect is Stephen R. Crossland, of Cashmere, and the immediate past-president is Salvador A. Mungia, of Tacoma. The Board meets regularly (every six weeks) at various locations around the state, and its meetings are open to the public. Much of the work of the Bar is carried out through its numerous standing committees, 27 sections, and a Young Lawyers Division with its many committees.
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Working Together to Champion Justice Washington State Bar Association • 1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 600 / Seattle, WA 98101 • 800-945-WSBA / fax: 206-727-8319
