My friend, attorney Murry Kleist gave me this photo of the Board for the Washington State Trial Lawyer’s Association. I don’t know the date, but I suspect it was in the late 1960’s. I think I’ve identified everyone correctly.

Starting in the back row from the left are:

Edward Dawson, Spokane; Duane Lund, deceased;J. Peter Tonkoff, Yakima, deceased; Nelvin Bettis, deceased. Herb Freise, deceased; Aaron May, Tacoma, deceased.

In the front row from the left are:

Paul Luvera, Gig Harbor; Dean Bender, deceased; Murray Kleist, Ted Peterson, Richland, deceased; and K.R. St.Clair, deceased.

Pete Tonkoff was a friend of Melvin Belli the famous plaintiff’s lawyer from San Francisco who was so well known for his use of exhibits during trial and his defense of Jack Ruby in the shooting of Oswald. Pete was experienced in libel suits and was involved by Mel in one in Arizona. Afterwords, there was dispute over the fee division. (Belli v Shaw 98 Wn 2nd 569, 657 P. 2d 315) Pete was as flamboyant as Mel Belli and a great fearless lawyer who died flying his airplane at Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans when he flew the plane into the lake while landing.

Ted Peterson, father of Seattle plaintiff’s lawyer Jan Peterson, was one of the state’s great trial lawyers and a friend of Pete Tonkoff. Together they were the two lawyers in Eastern Washington who were standouts in every way as trial lawyers.

Ken St.Clair was a former golden gloves boxer who practiced in Mount Vernon when my office was located there. Seeing these faces again brought back many memories of my early days in the practice of law.