The 2024 Idaho State Bar Annual Meeting was held in Boise at Jack’s Urban Meeting Place (“JUMP”) from July 17^th to the 20^th.

The meeting kicked off with the Distinguished Lawyer, Distinguished Jurist, and Outstanding Young Lawyer Awards Reception on Wednesday evening. The awards ceremony began with President Gary L. Cooper serving as the Master of Ceremonies with nearly 150 guests in attendance. As this was the last Annual Meeting with Diane Minnich as the Executive Director of the Idaho State Bar, a presentation was given to honor her by President Cooper and the Honorable Michael J. Oths. Diane was presented with a framed watercolor print of The Law Center that was signed by members of the Idaho State Bar Board of Commissioners, Idaho Law Foundation Board of Directors, and staff.

The recipients of the 2024 Distinguished Lawyer Awards were Sharon “Anne” Solomon of Coeur d’Alene and John A. Bailey of Pocatello. The Distinguished Jurist Award was presented to the Honorable Mitchell W. Brown of Soda Springs. The Outstanding Young Lawyer Award was presented to Hannah M. Andazola of Boise. Each award recipient was introduced with a short video of an interview by a colleague or friend and then each graciously accepted their award at the podium.

Thursday morning, July 18^th, began with a Plenary Session during which President Cooper gave an update on the state of the Bar and Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan gave an update on the state of the Idaho Courts. President Cooper then introduced the keynote speaker, Wendy J. Olsen who spoke on the challenges of handling pre-trial publicity, which was followed by a plenary panel discussion on media relations. A total of 5.5 CLE credits were offered on Thursday with two breakout sessions offered and a late afternoon CLE session on ethics presented by Joseph N. Pirtle, Idaho State Bar Counsel.

During a Noon luncheon, the Idaho State Bar and Idaho Law Foundation Service Awards were presented with over 100 people in attendance. Seven lawyers from around the Gem State who have provided volunteer time to support the work of the Bar and the Law Foundation were honored including: the Honorable Joseph W. Borton, the Honorable Robyn M. Brody, James A. Cook, Anne Henderson Haws, and Gordon Holland, all of Boise, along with Bron M. Rammell of Pocatello, Jeremy C. Rausch of Eagle, Benjamin C. Ritchie of Idaho Falls, and the Honorable Mayli A. Walsh and Tyrie J. Strong, both of Coeur d’Alene. Then, the Idaho Law Foundation held their Annual Meeting led by President Fonda L. Jovick of Sandpoint. Outgoing Board member and Past President Kari M. Campos was honored for her service along with President Jovick and the new President, Sunrise A. Ayers concluded the meeting.

The Milestone Celebration and Awards Reception: Celebrating 25, 40, 50, 60 & 65 Years of Admission was held Thursday evening, July 18th. The longest serving members of the Bar in attendance were 60-year members, Merlyn W. Clark and J. Kent Jolley. The 50-year attorneys in attendance included Dennis L. Cain, Richard F. Goodson, Dennis P. Harwick, Charles A. Homer, James F. Kile, William “Bill” McCurdy, Curtis H. Easton, Kristie K. Stafford, Ronald L. Swafford, and William “Bill” Vasconcellos. Each of these attorneys were presented with a lapel pin and a plaque, and each gave a highlight of their career. The 40 and 25-year attorneys were also honored with lapel pins for their attendance and dedication to the profession.

On Friday, July 20^th, an additional 4.5 CLE credits were offered to conference participants with two sets of CLE breakout sessions and the final plenary session. The plenary session “Lessons from the Bench” featured the entire membership of the Idaho Court of Appeals including Chief Judge David W. Gratton, Hon. Molly J. Huskey, Hon. Jessica M. Lorello, and Hon. Michael P. Tribe.

At Noon, a networking BBQ was held. The Section of the Year Award presented to the members of the Taxation, Probate & Trust Law Section with Chair Aaron D. Roepke of Moscow accepting the award. President Cooper then passed the gavel to incoming President Jillian H. Caires, who will serve as president until January 2025. Lastly, the door prizes from our exhibitors were drawn from the meeting attendees who visited the exhibition hall.

The Annual Meeting would not be possible without the support of our sponsors. This year’s sponsors included platinum sponsors, River’s Edge Mediation and the Fourth District Bar Association; gold sponsors, the University of Idaho College of Law, Arcadia Structured Settlements, Umpqua Bank, and Clio; and bronze sponsors, the Idaho Community Foundation, Rocky Mountain Legal Nurse, Thomson Reuters, and Idaho Trust Bank.

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Teresa A. Baker is a member of the Idaho State Bar. After practicing law for 20 years, she decided to serve her fellow attorneys and currently serves as the Program and Legal Education Director for the Idaho State Bar and Idaho Law Foundation.