Voices of the Heroes of Justice
A podcast series with WSBA President Francis Adewale
In this new podcast series, Voices of the Heroes of Justice, President Francis Adewale explores leadership, service, and community impact through candid conversations with heroes of justice from all over Washington.
Discover from podcast guests what influenced their views on the rule of law and legal practice and how they are helping to shape our profession, lifting others up and continuing to move us toward a more just and inclusive legal system.
Episode 1: Terra Nevitt, WSBA Executive Director
In his first episode, WSBA President Francis Adewale sits down with Executive Director Terra Nevitt to discuss her leadership style, life, career, and what to expect from this new podcast series.
Episode 2: Nam Nguyen, WSBA Governor District 10 and Treasure
In episode two, WSBA President Francis Adewale sits down with WSBA District 10 Governor & Treasurer, Nam Nguyen. Governor Nguyen discusses his life, career, how he became WSBA Treasurer, and much more!
Episode 3: Melissa Haney, Director of the Stevens County Office of Public Defense
In episode three, WSBA President Francis Adewale sits down with the Director of the Stevens County Office of Public Defense, Melissa Haney. Melissa discusses her life, legal career, her time in a leadership role for the past five years, and more.
Episode 4: Sunitha Anjilvel, 2024-2025 WSBA President (Immediate Past President)
For episode four, WSBA President Francis Adewale connects with WSBA Immediate Past President, Sunitha Anjilvel, who served as Bar President 2024-2025, and before that served as our District 1 Governor. Sunitha discusses her time on the Board, her career, volunteer work with the WSBA, and more.
Episode 5: Erin Lennon, Attorney & Consultant 
In episode five, WSBA President Francis Adewale interviews attorney Erin Lennon. Erin has a distinguished career previously working at the Washington Supreme Court and as an adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law. Erin discusses her time working at the Washington Supreme Court for 13 years, the path that led her to law school, importance of community, what inspires her, and more.
Erin is also the 2025 APEX Award recipient for the Norm Maleng Leadership Award, one of the WSBA’s highest honors!
Episode 6: Alex Reaganson, Chair of the WNMC
For episode six, WSBA President Francis Adewale interviews the Chair of the Washington New Members Committee (WNMC) Alexander. R. Reaganson.
Since graduating law school in 2021 from Gonzaga University School of Law, Alex has an incredibly impactful career working at the Northwest Justice Project as a Staff Attorney for the past five years, with his first three spent in Spokane, and now Vancouver, WA.
In this episode Alex discusses his passion for his work assisting the communities of Southwest Washington, his involvement as Chair of the WNMC, his background that led him into the practice of law, and more!
Episode 7: Spokane County District Court Judge Jeffrey R. Smith
For episode seven, WSBA President Francis Adewale interviews Spokane County District Court Judge Jeffrey R. Smith.
Judge Smith had an unconventional path to the bench, with a 16-year career in medicine, as a physician associate. In 2001, he made the decision to pivot to law and graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law in 2004.
Judge Smith was elected to the Spokane County District Court bench in 2016 and elected to full terms in 2018 and 2022. The court is comprised of eight judges and roughly 80 employees, handling between 40,000 and 50,000 cases annually. Judge Smith currently serves as presiding judge and also oversees the Mental Health Court and DUI Therapeutic Court dockets.
In this episode Judge Smith discusses his career, how working in medicine and the law can be surprisingly similar, the importance of listening with empathy, and some personal anecdotes, including advice for new lawyers, and more.
Episode 8: Judge Anthony Gipe Kent Municipal Court
Episode eight of the Voices of the Heroes of Justice is available now! In the next installment, WSBA President Francis Adewale interviews Kent Municipal Court Judge Anthony Gipe.
Judge Gipe’s path to the bench first began with a career as an intelligence analyst and interpreter with the U.S. Navy. He then moved to Seattle where he pursued a master’s degree in painting, and worked in activism towards LGBTQ+ equality, and then got his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law.
Judge Gipe has a tenured legal career of service, including serving as WSBA President in 2014-2015. During his time, Judge Gipe did something special for his Bar News columns. He only wrote his first and last column and used his other columns to invite affinity bar organizations to share their perspectives and use this platform to discuss the future of the legal profession. His Board service has been impactful in shaping the WSBA and the future of the legal profession here in Washington state.
In this episode Judge Gipe discusses his career, what led him to where he is today, the importance of the rule of law, personal anecdotes, and more!
