News

Take Action in Solidarity with the Duwamish Tribe 

The Duwamish Tribe has recently put out a call to action with three important things everyone can do to support federal acknowledgement of the Duwamish Tribe in 2022. Please take a moment today to do one or more!

1. Share the petition calling for the US government to finally acknowledge the Duwamish Tribe and fulfill their treaty rights. Sign and share today to help meet the goal of 100,000 signatures this month!
2. Call an elected official and ask them to speak publicly in support of the Duwamish Tribe. Here is a summary of key resources and phone numbers, and you can find more info at www.standwiththeduwamish.org and this detailed Duwamish Tribe fact sheet.
3. Write a letter to one of your local, state, or federal representatives to urge them to take action in support of federal acknowledgement of the Duwamish Tribe. Again, here is a summary of key resources and contact information.

The Annual QLaw Banquet is a celebration of our diverse and vibrant community. We take our community’s health and wellbeing seriously, and given Governor Inslee’s recent orders, we have moved ahead with rescheduling our original date of Friday, March 27.

The 15th Annual QLaw Banquet will now be held on Friday, June 19, just in time to kick off Pride celebrations throughout the Seattle area. We look forward to celebrating with you, our President’s Award Recipient, Aleksa Manila, and Keynote Speaker Justice Montoya-Lewis!

If you purchased an individual ticket for our Friday, March 27 event, it will transfer to our new date of Friday, June 19, no action required. If you are no longer able to attend, please consider turning your ticket into a tax-free donation to the QLaw Foundation.

While we wait for this interruption to pass, please don’t forget that the hard work of the QLaw Foundation doesn’t stop in a pandemic! They have been gearing up for a busy year, making community access to the LGBTQ+ Legal Clinic easier than ever, responding to important LGBTQ+ legal developments (including anticipated decisions from both our state and federal Supreme Courts) with community education, and even in the last week gearing up efforts to provide services to Seattle-area low-wage LGBTQ+ workers impacted by COVID-19. The generosity that you all show at our banquet every year comprises a significant portion of the Foundation’s annual budget, and our communities need you now more than ever! Please consider donating today, and sustaining the Foundation’s important service to those in our LGBTQ+ communities who are most impacted by this crisis.

We appreciate your understanding as we keep the safety of our community at the forefront of our minds. We can’t wait to celebrate together on Friday, June 19. Thank you for your continued support and thank you for being a friend!

A message from the President of QLaw

Recent events highlight the need for us all to reiterate our support for the trans community. We’ve seen an embattled and imperiled administration lashing out at what it views as easy targets to promote a politics of fear and hatred. QLaw joins the many voices standing up against that.

Let me say what can never be said enough: To our trans friends, colleagues, and neighbors, you belong. You belong in QLaw. You belong in the legal profession. You belong in our communities and nation.

What we need to see from our leaders is not division but empathy, especially for those challenged in ways most could not even imagine. My trans friends are among the bravest people I know. Those who’ve transitioned or are on that journey, while casting off the yoke of burying their true selves, often are taking on a life filled with ridicule, harassment, prejudice, and the threat of violence. Daily life is an act of courage and defiance.

This is a time for us all to stand up and be counted. We cannot sit idly by while a cowardly administration threatens the rights of trans people as a wedge issue. Take action, whether that’s supporting organizations fighting for trans equality and empowerment, volunteering for political campaigns, attending demonstrations, teaching your kids about the issues, or more.

And vote. Our rights depend on it.

Dan Shih
President, QLaw Association of Washington

Read the joint statement here.

8/5/16 - We are proud to announce that four QLaw members were honored by the National LGBT Bar Association at the 2016 Lavender Law Conference & Career Fair on August 5, 2016 in Washington, DC. Alex Oh, Caleb Oken-Berg and J. Denise Diskin were each recognized as among the 40 Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40 for 2016, while Josh Treybig received the organization’s 2016 Student Leadership Award.

Alex and Caleb are current members of QLaw’s Board of Directors, Josh is a former board member, and J. Denise Diskin is the former Chair of the QLaw Foundation's LGBT Legal Clinic Committee.

Each year, the LGBT Bar recognizes LGBT legal professionals (practicing lawyers, law professors, corporate counsel, members of the judiciary, politicians, etc.) under the age of 40 who have distinguished themselves in their field and have demonstrated a profound commitment to LGBT equality.

You may view the complete list of National LGBT Bar Association recognized attorneys here.