Voices of the Heroes of Justice

For episode seven, WSBA President Francis Adewale interviews Spokane County District Court Judge Jeffrey R. Smith. Judge Smith had an unconventional path to the bench, with a 16-year career in medicine, as a physician associate. In 2001, he made the decision to pivot to law and graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law in 2004. Judge Smith was elected to the Spokane County District Court bench in 2016 and elected to full terms in 2018 and 2022. The court is comprised of eight judges and roughly 80 employees, handling between 40,000 and 50,000 cases annually. Judge Smith currently serves as presiding judge and also oversees the Mental Health Court and DUI Therapeutic Court dockets.In this episode Judge Smith discusses his career, how working in medicine and the law can be surprisingly similar, the importance of listening with empathy, and some personal anecdotes, including advice for new lawyers, and more. 

For episode six, WSBA President Francis Adewale interviews the Chair of the Washington New Members Committee (WNMC) Alexander. R. Reaganson.Since graduating law school in 2021 from Gonzaga University School of Law, Alex has an incredibly impactful career working at the Northwest Justice Project as a Staff Attorney for the past five years, with his first three spent in Spokane, and now Vancouver, WA.In this episode Alex discusses his passion for his work assisting the communities of Southwest Washington, his involvement as Chair of the WNMC, his background that led him into the practice of law, and more!Alex’s grandfather instilled a passion for giving back to his community and would say to him: “If you have skills that can benefit the community, and you can find work and have a passion for it, then you have a duty to use those skills to do the work, and help out the community.”

In episode five, WSBA President Francis Adewale interviews attorney Erin Lennon.Erin has a distinguished career previously working at the Washington Supreme Court and as an adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law. Erin discusses her time working at the Washington Supreme Court for 13 years, the path that led her to law school, importance of community, what inspires her, and more. Erin is also the 2025 APEX Award recipient for the Norm Maleng Leadership Award, one of the WSBA’s highest honors!