Rule of Law Ambassador Program

Video introduction with Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Stephens and WSBA Executive Director Terra Nevitt.

Lawyers have a unique and solemn obligation, as stated in the preamble to their Rules of Professional Conduct: “A lawyer should further the public’s understanding of and confidence in the rule of law and the justice system because legal institutions in a constitutional democracy depend on popular participation and support to maintain their authority.” The Washington Supreme Court calls on the WSBA, in its founding rules, to support this imperative obligation by “maintain[ing] and foster[ing] programs of public information and education about the law and the legal system.” In answer, the WSBA Board of Governors in May 2024 added public ambassadorship to their official roles and responsibilities and they called on the WSBA to create a Rule of Law Ambassador Program for lawyers and legal professionals.

We are experiencing steep decline in public trust and confidence in the legal system. New comprehensive studies show that we are becoming profoundly polarized across the nation—in fact, the only thing it seems like we can universally agree on is a deep and growing distrust of government institutions and our fellow citizens. This alarming trend strikes at the heart of our democracy: When we stop valuing and heeding our system of government, built on the constitutional pillar of a free and independent judiciary, we risk it going away.

In times like these, the imperative question becomes: “If lawyers and judges are not willing or able to defend liberty and freedom for all people under the law and Constitution, who will?”

The Rule of Law Ambassador Program supports and equips lawyers to fulfill their responsibility to educate and engage with their local communities. We created a tool kit that includes best-practice tips, templates, and resources to help ambassadors combat misinformation about the legal system, proactively speak about the importance of the rule of law in a constitutional democracy, and, as a long-term goal, build relationships to get at the root of mistrust in the legal system.

Legal professionals around the state — in rural and urban communities, in courthouses and law schools — retook the Oath of Attorney to signal their commitment to upholding the Rule of Law in our Constitutional Democracy. Above, King County Superior Court Judge Patrick Oishi hosts the ceremony at Seattle University School of Law on Law Day, May 1, 2025.