Washington State Association for Justice

Legal trade association in the State of Washington

The Washington State Association for Justice is a trade association of over 2,200 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

[edit]

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 2,400 attorneys and staff.[1]

## Membership and governance

[edit]

The 2024-25 WSAJ President is Elizabeth Hanley, and the President-Elect is Hardeep S. Rekhi. [2] Sara Crumb is WSAJ's Executive Director, serving as chief executive of the organization since 2020.[3] Larry Shannon is the Government Affairs Director, serving in that role since 1994.[4]

The organization is governed by an approximately 35-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.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "About WSAJ". Washington State Association for Justice.
2. ^ "Board of Governors". Washington State Association for Justice. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
3. ^ "Sara Crumb Biography". Washington State Association for Justice. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
4. ^ "Larry Shannon Biography". Washington State Association for Justice. Retrieved 11 March 2023.