The newest member of the Washington State Bar

Yesterday I was sworn in as the newest member of the Washington State Bar Association! But it was an honor that was ALMOST never to be. I took the bar exam over a year ago in the summer while Richard was completing an internship here in Seattle. I passed, but because I moved so soon after, I never received any licensing information from the bar association. In Utah, you have two years from the time you take the bar exam to be formally admitted, or else you have to retake the exam. NOBODY wants to EVER take a bar exam over again-- not if they can avoid it at all costs.

Thinking that I probably also had two years here in Washington, I took my time contacting the bar association to see what I needed to do to be admitted to practice here in Washington. It was only then that I found out that you have one year from the time the results are made public to be admitted or else be forced to take the exam over again. The results I know were published October 13, 2008....and I had waited until about October 20th to inquire of the bar association. AAAHHHHHHH. NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

But, in true legal fashion, they like to interpret the rule with some degree of flexibility! Thank goodness, and I found out that they would give me until the end of the month to finish getting licensed (so it is a year to the month in which the results are published). Luckily, getting licensed was pretty simple and streamlined. I had to watch four hours of educational videos online, fill out some paperwork, pay some money, and then make an appointment with a judge to administer the Oath of Attorney to me. Yesterday I went to downtown seattle to the King County courthouse (12 floors and scores of judges) and recited the oath before the honorable Suzanne Barnett! It was pretty cool. It took awhile though, the Washington oath is the longest in the country, but it has sorts of good stuff in it, like being honest with clients, not billing too much, and my favorite, not turning away from the destitute clients and just causes of the world! I even teared up a little at the end.



I felt like a prom queen at the end. I started curtsy-ing to the audience as if I had won Miss Congeniality! and it felt good to do something legal for the first time in four months! I don't know when the next time is that I may re-enter a courtroom on a legal matter, but I am going to keep my suit out, just in case!