Solo & Small Practice Section

The Solo and Small Practice Section serves as a clearinghouse for qualified law practice management and technology information for solo and small practice attorneys to support them in ethically conducting a profitable and satisfying business. The Section provides education for its members in areas of common interest and provides opportunities for members to become better acquainted with other members.

The Section provides benefits to members through frequent networking opportunities and continuing legal and other education to members engaged in solo and small firm practices, including the annual Solo and Small Firm Conference. The Section spends time reviewing pending legislation and developing proposed statutory enactments to improve and to facilitate the administration of justice. Other benefits include an active list serve and online resources.

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The Solo & Small Practice Section offers many resources and benefits for members. On this page you will find information about the section, their upcoming events and offerings, as well as information about the section's executive committee.

Congratulations, Incoming Executive Committee Members!

Below are the results of the Solo and Small Practice Section Executive Committee election. Thank you for voting!

For more information about the Section and its executive committee roles, please review the Section's bylaws. Winners are listed alphabetically by position.

At-Large Member: remainder of current term ending Sept. 30, 2024

Michele Moore

At-Large Member: two-year term beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and ending Sept. 30, 2025

D. Bruce Gardiner

Kari Petrasek

Shashi Vijay

Questions? Email sections@wsba.org.

Upcoming Programs

NEW! In-Person & Webinar - The 2023 WSBA Solo & Small Firm Conference: Connect. Reset. Be Happy!

Register for In-Person or Webcast Now!

Presented in collaboration with the WSBA Solo & Small Practice Section

Seminar Agenda

Join other solo or small firm practitioners at the 18th annual Solo and Small Firm Conference on Sept. 22-23! The theme this year is "Connect. Reset. Be Happy!" Co-sponsored with the Solo & Small Practice Section, this program has been thoughtfully designed to include presentations by industry experts on a variety of topics to help you feel more confident and up-to-date in the management of your practice! Offering 9 total CLE credits, this terrific program provides not just valuable business-related tips, but also a post-COVID opportunity to network face-to-face with attorneys from around the state! Plan to attend in person for the highest satisfaction level!

When: Sept. 22-23, 2023

Credits:
2.00 Ethics
2.50 Law & Legal Procedure
4.50 Other

Tuition:
$325 - Solo & Small Practice Section Members (discount applied at checkout)
$360 - Standard/Non-Section Members
$360 - Join the Section [add the Related Items Solo & Small Practice Section membership ($35) to your cart during checkout and register at the discounted rate ($325)]
$265 - New Members*
*New members who have been admitted to practice in Washington for fewer than five years are eligible to receive the new member tuition. Note: The store will automatically discount your registration during checkout.

To omit your name from the networking list made available to exhibitors and/or attendees, enter the code OPTOUT in Promo Code field during checkout.

A buffet lunch will be provided both days. Please contact cle@wsba.org if you have any dietary restrictions or concerns.

Planning Committee:
Michael Cherry, Lexquiro, Bellevue
Jordan Couch, Palace Law, University Place
Ann Guinn, G&P Associates, Reno, NV
Darcel Lobo, DAL Law Firm, Normandy Park
Kari Petrasek, Petrasek Law PLLC, Mukilteo

Faculty:
Jordan Couch, Palace Law Firm, University Place
Steve Crossland, Crossland & Evans PLLC, Cashmere
Dan Crystal, Washington State Bar Association, Seattle
Eric Fong, Fong Law, Port Orchard
Ann Guinn, G&P Associates, Reno, NV
Judge David Keenan,  King County Superior Court, Seattle
Melinda Lee, Speak In Flow, LLC, San Francisco, CA
Shreya Ley, Layroots, Seattle
Darcel Lobo, DAL Law FIrm, Normandy Park
Rob Mead, State Law Library, Washington Supreme Court, Olympia
Judge Karen Moore, Snohomish county Superior Court, Everett
Judge Rebecca Pennell, Washington State Court of Appeals, Division III, Spokane
Taurell Reboulet MA, LMHC, Cultivating Core Therapy, BellevueAnne I. Seidel - Anne I. Seidel, Seattle
Brett Sullivan, Lucent Law PLLC, Spokane

Seminar Agenda

Schedule:
Day 1 Friday, Sept. 223
9:30 a.m. In-Person Registration Opens
9:55 a.m. In-Person Pre-Conference Sessions Begin (see below for separate registration)
Noon-12:45 p.m. Lunch
12:30 p.m. Webcast Login Opens
12:45 p.m. Program Begins
5:15 p.m. Adjourn
5:15-6:15 p.m. Reception
6:15 p.m. Dine Around

Day 2 Saturday, Sept. 23
8 a.m. In-Person Registration Opens
8:15 a.m. Webcast Login Opens
8:30 a.m. Program Begins
12:15-1 p.m. Lunch
4 p.m. Adjourn

Register Online: In-Person, Webcast

Preconfrence Registration:

Preconference, in-person session "Bootcamp: Starting a Solo/Small Firm."

In this session you will have the opportunity to:

• Consider whether solo practice is right for you.
• Gain Clarity of your first steps to get going (including what hazards you may encounter!).
• Dive into a hands-on application to take with you.
• Meet others, so you aren't alone!

You can earn two more credits for the same price as the main conference nine credits.

Preconference, in-person session "The Solo and Small Firm Mastermind Group."

This registration includes a preconference in-person mastermind session with other like-minded attorneys. You will have the opportunity to have your obstacles heard, analyzed, and solved by fellow colleagues who have been there and have figured out solutions to the very problem you're facing. Even though we may be solo and small firm owners, we don't have to run out law firms in isolation. Come join our mastermind session with the biggest law firm marketing or law firm management obstacle you're facing. You'll leave the mastermind with a specific action plan to resolve your marketing or management obstacles. This mastermind session is limited to the first 6 law firm owners to sign up.

NEW! Webinar - Student Loan Law and Policy Updates

Register Now!

Developed in partnership with the WSBA Solo and Small Practice Section

This session will cover a number of issues concerning student loans for attorneys and their clients. It will provide an overview of the follow:

• Understanding the types of student loans
• New programs and tools for managing student loans
• Dealing with defaulted loans
• Considerations of the bankruptcy option

When: Oct. 19, 2023

Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Credits: 1.00 Other

Tuition:
$0 - Solo & Small Practice Section Members (discount applied at checkout)
$35 - Standard/Non-Section Members
$0 - Law Students (after adding seminar to cart, enter promo code LSNN and click checkout)

For webinar technical support, please email darcel@dallawfirm.com.

Faculty:
Latife Neu, Latife Neu, Attorney At Law PLLC, Seattle, WA

Schedule:
11:45 a.m. Webinar Login Opens
Noon Webinar Begins
1 p.m. Adjourn

Register Online Now!

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Executive Committee Suggestion Box

The Executive Committee (EC) of the WSBA Solo & Small Practice Section welcomes your input regarding such matters as the Section web page, members-only area, webinar topics, and Section activities. Please send suggestions to wsbasolo@gmail.com. This email address is monitored on a weekly basis; non-time-sensitive feedback will be shared with the EC at the next scheduled EC meeting.

Responding to Pandemic

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Recommended Resources Forum:

Suggestions from Members

We invite section members to share information about resources and recommendations that may be of interest to other solo and small practice attorneys. Please send your suggestions to wsbasolo@gmail.com and they will be posted to an unmonitored Forum page within the Members-Only Area of the Section website. To review such postings, please access the Members-Only area and click on the category Recommended Resources Forum – Suggestions from Members. Contributions to the Forum will be posted without author attribution.

Access Members-Only Area

To access the Members-Only Area, login with username SSP@wsba.org (not an active email address), type in the password you received with your section sign up/renewal, and then click continue.

If you encounter a screen with a message such as "Someone is already using the username and password...," just click on “Log the other user off and enter” and retry logging in. Email sections@wsba.org if the problem persists.

Resources in the members-only area include:

• CLE Chapters and Articles
• Management Tools, Tips, and Forms
• Online Resources
• The Blogroll

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Section Information

Whom We Serve

Solo and small practice firms comprise more than 60% of practicing lawyers in Washington. Small firm practitioners must handle their finances, marketing, business decisions and growth without the help of law firm administrators, comptrollers, marketing personnel and executive directors.

The Solo and Small Practice Section of the Washington State Bar Association offers the resources to help manage these firms to maximum efficiency and profitability.

Who Serves You

The Section’s Executive Committee is made up of elected solo and small practice attorneys. They understand what you’re dealing with because they’re facing many of those same issues in their own practices. See the Section background page for member bios and photos.

The Executive Committee enjoys input from advisors, including consultants to the legal industry, providing added perspective on solutions to solo and small practice challenges.

Want to join us? Find out more about serving on the executive committee.

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Member Benefits

Did you know there are several important member benefits and tools that come with WSBA membership including Practice Management Assistance, professional liability insurance, Casemaker, and Fastcase? Membership in the Section can put you in touch with resources that you can't find anywhere else. It's the next best thing to having your own law practice management consultant!

When you join the Section, you will enjoy full access to:

• List serve discussions where you can post questions for Section members and receive help with your most challenging issues. This vibrant list serve is a great tool for communicating with other Section members to pose questions, seek recommendations, and share information. 

  (Please click on "List serve discussions" to reach the List Serve Guidelines.)

• Links on our Member-Only pages to numerous helpful resources, including podcasts, past webinars, articles, CLE Chapters, videos, law practice management tips, and forms. .
• Section-sponsored webinars with CLE credit throughout the year focused on solo and small practice issues and interests.
• Discounted tuition for the annual WSBA Solo and Small Firm Conference. 
• Networking opportunities with other solo and small firm practitioners.

Starting in fall 2018, the bar began offering members a new resource when shopping for health insurance. Members can compare and purchase products from leading insurance providers through a private online exchange. For more information, please visit Health Insurance Exchange or contact HealthExchange@wsba.org.

Learn more about WSBA Member Benefits.

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Section Impact

"You all have been a great resource for me, and I'd like to say THANK YOU. I am eternally grateful for any nuggets of direction and advice... You all take the time to write out beautiful explanations that I read word for word and cherish. Your time is valuable and I appreciate it."

Venu N. Sareen, Attorney at Law
From list serve post, May 7, 2015

Executive Committee Meetings

2023 Executive Committee (EC) Meetings currently are scheduled to take place noon to 2 p.m. via Zoom unless otherwise noted below. To join the 2023 Zoom Meetings please use the following link: 

Solo & Small Practice Zoom Meeting Link

Or call-in at 253-215-8782; Meeting ID: 751 741 0489.

Currently scheduled EC Meetings include:

• June 15, 2023, Noon–2 p.m.
• Aug. 24, 2023, Noon–2 p.m.
• Oct. 5, 2023, Noon–2 p.m.
• Dec. 7, 2023, Noon–2 p.m.

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Executive Committee

Please contact committee member for details on their upcoming meeting dates and locations.

For general questions, or to switch your list serve settings to a daily digest, please email inquiries to sections@wsba.org. To get involved and learn more about the Solo and Small Practice Section, please contact the Section Chair Jordan Couch. For more information about the Executive Committee members, check out their biographies.

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