About

Membership Benefits

The Washington Defender Association provides the following services for its members:

  • Training: CLE programs with no tuition charge. These include our live in-person programs (held 6-8 times a year) and our bi-monthly webinars. A/V recordings of many of our past programs are also available on this site for your viewing.
  • Publications: WDA publishes a weekly email digest, a weekly emailed CLE Update, a monthly emailed Newsletter, and co-publishes (with WACDL) a quarterly magazine, Criminal Defense, aimed to keep you updated on the latest news, training opportunities, and changing legislation.
  • Members-Only Section of Website: This includes an expert bank, a brief bank, many of our published resources, and access to over 100 hours of streaming video CLEs that can be watched on your computer for A/V credit.
  • Members Only Listservs: Our felony, misdemeanor, and immigration lists are open to attorneys, social workers or investigators working in public defense. Our other lists are available to our members only.
  • Legislative Advocacy: WDA maintains a presence in Olympia to encourage the passage of legislation that will support its members and their clients.
  • Not a Member? Join Us
    • Anyone interested in the practice of public defense in Washington state is welcome to join WDA. Note: Individuals currently performing prosecutorial or judicial work are not eligible for WDA membership.
    • Annual membership is only $200 for an individual per calendar year and entitles you to receive all the services listed above. If you join after July 1, you have the option of paying $300 for the remainder of the calendar year and the entirety of next year. There are also discounts for offices of five or more to join as a whole. Please email us at wda@defensenet.org if you wish to join as an office.  Click here to join now!