An Ijesa man from, Ilesa, Osun State, Nigeria, Mr. Francis Adewale, who graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where he obtained his law degree and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1992 before being admitted to the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) in 2000 has assumed office as the new President of the WSBA.
He had his secondary school education at Ijesha Muslim Grammar School from 1979 to 1984 and HSC at Ilesa Grammar School from 1984 to 1986. He practiced law in Nigeria successfully for a couple of years before relocating to USA.
Francis Adewale also holds an Honors degree from Eastern Washington University and serves as adjunct faculty at Whitworth University and Gonzaga Law School. He is also a Fellow of the Washington Leadership Institute (WLI) and a two-time former WSBA treasurer.
In a chat with KAKAKIOODUA correspondent Francis Adewale's childhood friend, Mr Adebayo Fadugba remarked that "Francis is a very studious scholar, very supportive and dedicated to family and friends, a philanthropist, highly concerned with the development of Ijeshaland."
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Adewale who was elected last month and he is to lead the WSBA which regulates and serves nearly 40,000 legal professionals for the next one year. His tenure expires in September, 2026.
The WSBA operates under the delegated authority of the Washington Supreme Court and exercises a governmental function authorized by the Court to license and regulate the state’s legal professionals, including lawyers, limited practice officers, and limited license legal technicians. The WSBA both regulates legal professionals under the authority of the Court and serves its members as a professional association — all without public funding. The WSBA administers the Bar admission process, including the bar exam; provides record-keeping and licensing functions; administers the lawyer discipline system; and provides continuing legal education for legal professionals, in addition to numerous other educational and member-service activities. The Bar’s mission is to serve the public and its members, to ensure the integrity of the legal profession, and to champion justice.
A statement by Jennifer Olegario, communications manager of WSBA, said Adewale’s career has been defined by his staunch advocacy for the rights of all, particularly in Eastern Washington, where he has practiced movement lawyering and served with the City of Spokane Public Defender’s Office since 2000. He brings a brand of leadership that is focused on the needs of both the legal community and the public.
Francis Adewale is a leader who always has his eye on the interests and needs of his community. Adewale built his career through his advocacy for the rights of all—the type of person who lives and breathes grassroots advocacy whether he is in the courtroom or out in public. Now, as the newest president of the Washington State Bar Association, Adewale seeks to bring his brand of leadership and care to the wider WSBA membership and the public we serve.
“As president, I want every legal practitioner in Washington to know that I see you—the WSBA sees you—and we’ve got your back,” Adewale said. “Together we will—in the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—continue to bend the arc of justice.” Adewale said
The statement added that Adewale’s commitment is evidenced by his roles on key organizations, including the Washington State Access to Justice Board, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and the Spokane Homeless Coalition.
WSBA Executive Director, Terra Nevitt, commended Adewale’s leadership, saying, “We are so lucky to have such a committed advocate and salt-of-the-Earth human being like Francis lead our organization over the next year."
As president, Adewale recognises the many challenges facing legal professionals and has vowed to support WSBA members on issues ranging from legal technology and waning public trust in institutions to lawyer health and wellness.
Adewale’s dedication has earned him several honors, including the City of Spokane Human Rights Award and the 2018 WSBA APEX Award of Merit for his role in founding the Spokane Community Court. He is also the executive president of the AHANA Multi-Ethnic Business Association of Spokane.
Adewale’s commitment to his community is evidenced by his history of movement lawyering across Eastern Washington. Adewale is a Fellow of the Washington Leadership Institute (WLI) and ATJ Equal Justice Leadership Academy, roles that helped instruct him to build coalitions and make a difference beyond the courtroom. He has served in leadership and non-leadership roles on the Refugee Connections Spokane, Spokane Homeless Coalition, Spokane County Regional Law & Justice Council’s Racial Equity Disparity Committee, Spokane County Bar Association, the Volunteer Lawyers Program, Washington State Access to Justice Board, Washington State Supreme Court’s Interpreters Commission, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and much more.
Adewale said he is “a living example of a concerted investment in leadership programs,” which helped guide him toward a leadership role with the WSBA. As president, he recognizes the many challenges facing legal professionals and wants WSBA members to know that he will work to support them on issues ranging from legal technology to waning trust in public institutions to the health and wellness of lawyers.
“We are so lucky to have such a committed advocate and salt-of-the-Earth human being like Francis lead our organization over the next year,” said WSBA Executive Director Terra Nevitt. “In this pivotal moment for our profession, I can think of few people better suited to guide the WSBA toward being a more dedicated and responsive organization for our members and the communities in which we live.”
Adewale is a recipient of City of Spokane Human Rights Award, Washington Criminal Defense Lawyers’ President Award and Spokane County Bar Association Smithmoore P. Myers Professionalism Award. Along with his colleagues who founded the Spokane Community Court, Adewale received the 2018 WSBA APEX Award of Merit. He is also the 2021 recipient of the Washington Defenders Association’s President Award.
Adewale is an H. George Frederickson honors graduate of Eastern Washington University as well as an honors graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He was admitted to the WSBA in 2000 and began working for the City of Spokane Public Defender's Office, where he has been ever since. He is adjunct faculty at Whitworth University as well as Gonzaga Law School. Adewale is executive president of the AHANA Multi-Ethnic Business Association of Spokane, treasurer of Spokane City Credit Union, and a two-time WSBA treasurer. He and his wife own and run a small business in Spokane.
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