Washington Chapter Newsletter
July 2026

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
DAVE COREY
 

Last week, a delegation representing our chapter traveled to Detroit to attend ABOTA’s national board meeting and annual awards dinner. We did not win Large Chapter of the Year, but being named one of three finalists is a pretty big deal for a chapter barely large enough to be called “Large” at all. The other two finalists—Bay Area and Orange County—are both huge and politically well connected. Many people contributed to this year-long effort, but I want to specially recognize Tom Vertetis, Alice Brown, and Nicole Battles, without whom we would not have been a viable candidate. Next year!

Lastly, a rule-of-law note on current events. Former Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was sentenced on July 8, 2026, to a $5,000 fine and no prison time for felony obstruction. She was convicted by a federal jury for ushering a Mexican defendant out of her courtroom in 2025 to evade U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Our chapter applauds Judge Dugan for standing on principle and treating her courthouse like a sanctuary.

UPCOMING EVENTS


October 7th
Women of ABOTA Trivia Night
Rainier Club - details available shortly

October 29th
Fireside Chat with Steve Vladeck
Join us for a discussion with Stephen Vladeck, a prominent American legal scholar, author, Supreme Court analyst, and law professor. The program will be moderated by Senior District Judge Robert Lasnik, US District Court - Western District of Washington. 

November 5th
Masters In Trial: Lessons from the Most-Watched Courtrooms in America
In this full-day clinic, trial lawyers will study the most-watched courtrooms in recent American legal history — from Depp v. Heard and the Alex Jones/Sandy Hook trial to the 2026 Afroman "Lemon Pound Cake" defamation verdict — to identify what separates masterful advocacy from costly mistakes. Drawing on two strong examples and two cautionary examples for each of seven trial phases (voir dire, opening statement, direct examination, cross examination of lay witnesses, cross examination of experts, closing argument, and depositions), participants will watch real courtroom footage and hear commentary from experienced trial lawyers on what worked, what failed, and why. Attorneys at every experience level will leave with concrete, immediately applicable techniques for building authentic jury connections, structuring compelling narratives, controlling witnesses under cross, and delivering closing arguments that move juries to act.

November 5th
Annual Awards Dinner
Join us for our annual Awards Dinner where we honor the 2026 Trial Judge of the Year, Trial Lawyer of the Year, and introduce our new members.

2026 SPONSORS

Please join us in thanking the following firms for their support of the Washington Chapter. Their contributions allow us to continue our high level programming and outreach throughout the state.


NOMINATE A NEW MEMBER

Nominees must have a minimum of 7 civil jury trials to verdict or hung jury as lead counsel, and 100 trial points. 

If you know someone who has the required trial experience and has a strong reputation for professionalism and civility, please fill out the Nomination Form and the membership committee will begin the vetting process.

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