Page 7 - Pierce County Lawyer Novemer December 2024

PRESIDENT'S PAGE B Y C AT H E R I N E C A S E
Falling Into a Rhythm- The Year is Almost Gone
While there has been
much hard work done
so far, there is still so
much to do. I won’t be
slowing down, unless
it is to grab some hot
apple cider.
The trees are changing color as I
am writing this article, and I’m
realizing this year is almost up. In
less than four months our next President
will take over. I feel like an apple in a
cider press, waiting to be made into a
new batch of cider. The pressure is on
for me to meet some or all of my goals I
made in February.
As a recap, those goals were: increasing
membership, improving the budget,
promoting inclusivity, and working on
ways to improve our community.
So far, this year’s TPCBA Board has been
successful at promoting inclusivity by
adding Washington Women’s Lawyers,
Pierce County Minority Bar Association,
and Q-Law as voting members to the
Board. I am very proud of the work
that Liz Johnson did coming on board
in February to re-write the bylaws and
get these additions up on the Board’s
agendas.
In addition, New & Young Lawyers
have taken the reins and are reaching
out to the law schools, promoting
TPCBA’s continuing appearance to the
up-and-coming attorneys in the Pacific
Northwest. I was honored to be a part
of the Swearing-In Ceremony that
Patrick Brown and his team helped put
together. It was exciting to see these
new attorneys giving their oaths of
zealous representation, surrounded and
supported by loved ones. I gave the new
practitioners some advice: get an ethics
attorney, protect your license as if it is
your baby, and don’t forget about self-
care (those jam outs in the car on the
way to court are very helpful
to one’s mental health).
New & Young Lawyers
will be planning events through the
law schools in the near future and I
would love to encourage our members
to volunteer, to participate in these
events and/or sponsor an event. If we
don't focus on our younger generations
this TPCBA has no future. Every one
of us has an obligation to support our
legal community in order to ensure its
continued vibrancy..
September included the 2024 Bar
Convention, and I attended it with much
excitement. I loved having conversations
with all the members who attended,
and their family members. Cherished
memories included funny CLEs/
laughing with colleagues, trying to figure
out how to properly roll out pretzel
dough, tasting different beers (german
chocolate cake is my favorite), getting all
dressed up and walking the red carpet
and, of course, eating/drinking/dancing
the night away. This convention was also
a great way for me to discuss upcoming
plans for the 2025 Bar Convention and
how I can help the Committee plan
another successful Convention.
The year is almost over and I am just
now getting into a rhythm with Tacoma-
Pierce County’s Bar Association and
the numerous events and meetings that
come into play with this position. While
there has been much hard work done so
far, there is still so much to do. I won’t be
slowing down, unless it is to grab some
hot apple cider.
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