2003 Goldmark Award Acceptance Speech
CHELAN-DOUGLAS COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
2003 GOLDMARK AWARD RECIPIENTS
FEBRUARY 28, 2003
Accepted by Tony Di Tommaso
Above, 2003 Goldmark Award Luncheon, Chelan-Douglas County Bar Association Recipients. Below, Goldmark Luncheon Chair Ragan Powers, Davis Wright Tremaine, guest speaker Seth P. Waxman, Wilmer Cutler & Pickering, co-honoree Russ Speidel, Chief Justice Gerry Alexander, and WSBA BOG President, Dick Manning.
Our President Phil Safar is unable to attend today due to family matters. As President-Elect of the Chelan-Douglas County Bar Association, I was chosen to take his place. I know that Phil would rather be here to give a speech, particularly since he prepared one for me to read and he had to okay all of the changes that I made to his speech.
Although our bar association is joint recipient of this award along with Russ Speidel, Russ Speidel was the moving party behind the formation of our bar association’s Volunteer Attorney Services Corporation. Russ has always acknowledged that his vision to provide free legal services to individuals unable to afford attorneys in their own right would not have been able to come to fruition without active participation by the majority of members in the Chelan-Douglas County Bar Association. Our bar association shares Russ’ belief that lawyers have a moral and professional obligation to serve those who are in need but cannot afford access to justice.
I accept this award on behalf of all members of the Chelan-Douglas County Bar Association who have, not only in the past, but are presently attempting to fulfill their obligation to the poor in providing free services allowing them access to legal representation, to the courts, and to justice.
We are honored to receive this award.
Thank you.