Local attorneys named Volunteers of the Year

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Bill Meyer of Port Townsend has won the Volunteer of the Year award from Clallam-Jefferson County Pro Bono Lawyers.

Meyer, along with Harry Gasnick, chief public defender of the Clallam Public Defenders, were bestowed with Volunteer of the Year honors during the the organization’s annual Law Day luncheon.

More than 60 local attorneys and judicial staff attended this year’s luncheon, held Friday, April 29 at Kokopeli’s Grill in Port Angeles. Presented in collaboration by the Clallam County Bar Association and Clallam-Jefferson County Pro Bono Lawyers, the annual event is held in observance of National Law Day and to honor the organization’s pro bono volunteer lawyers. 

Meyer is a recently retired wills/estate attorney who currently is doing pro bono work for CJCPBL assisting low-income clients with simple wills and advance directives. 

Gasnick volunteers for Clallam-Jefferson County Pro Bono Lawyers and provides criminal vacate and expungement services to eligible low-income clients. 

Both Meyer and Gasnick are long-time volunteers dedicated to assisting low-income, vulnerable individuals and families in need of legal assistance in the community.

This year’s keynote speaker was Judge J. Richard Creatura, who is a Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Washington in Tacoma. He is currently serving as the Chief Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Washington. 

Creatura spoke on the topic of “Justice Behind Bars,” addressing the topic of providing legal services to the incarcerated and the significant legal challenges, including conditions of incarceration, mental health issues, drug addiction, family disruption, and complicated re-entry issues.  

The Law Day luncheon is a fundraiser for Clallam-Jefferson County Pro Bono Lawyers. Lawyers rendering pro bono service do so without pay to help low and no-income people with problems related to housing, consumer issues, wills, estates, family law, unlawful foreclosures, and more. 

The event was sponsored by many local firms and individual attorneys and judges. 

This year, the nonprofit organization raised more than $7,000, given by the following donors: Kostelec Law; Judge David Neupert; Kurlin & Rimson; Greenaway, Gay, Medina & Myers; J. Richard Manning, Seattle Northwest Mediator & Arbitrator Services; Rob Tulloch; Commissioner Brandon Mack; Judge Mindy Walker; Urquia Law; Johnson, Rutz & Tassie; Wolfley & Wolfley; James A. Rodriguez; Mark Nichols; Ariel Speser and Nat Jacob; Kristin Prater Glenn; Payne Law; Stephen C. Moriarty Law Office; Judge Keith Harper; Gary Williams; and Graham Ralston.