JULY 10, 2023 – Caesar Kalinowski IV, an attorney in the media and First Amendment practice at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, has been awarded the highest honor bestowed by the Washington State Bar Association—the Chief Justice Mary E. Fairhurst Award of Merit.
Kalinowski, 37, was recognized for excellence in his practice as well as his extensive record of public service.
"A Marine veteran, Kalinowski has quickly become a skilled and respected First Amendment litigator at Davis Wright Tremaine, building a remarkable career in only a few years of practicing law," said the bar association in announcing the award. "Among his many achievements, he helped successfully lobby for the creation of the Washington Attorney General's Office of Military and Veteran Legal Assistance. Once created, he worked with Attorney General Ferguson to help launch and manage the office, and continues to serve on the Attorney General's Veteran's Advisory Board."
Kalinowski "has taken on complex and demanding pro bono cases" as well, the bar stated, "with a focus on upholding the rights of incarcerated people and other marginalized groups. He has also been quite active in his community, including chairing the Washington State Veterans Bar Association and helping to launch DWT's pre-law diversity fellowship program, which offers workshops, training, and LSAT prep to undergraduates from communities underrepresented in the practice of law."
"Caesar's impact has been remarkable," said Pete Johnson, Davis Wright's Seattle partner-in-charge. "His clients, his community, and his colleagues have all felt the effect of Caesar's extraordinary commitment to service. We challenge our attorneys to not only participate in civic activities, but to lead them and to pursue new and creative ideas. Caesar has done that throughout his career and we could not be more proud of him."
"Caesar is a tremendous force for good in the access -to-justice world," said Joanna Plichta Boisen, chief pro bono and social impact officer at Davis Wright. "He draws on his impressive legal skills and experience to consistently and selflessly give back to diverse and low-income communities like the one he came from. I am constantly impressed with his determination and resolve to be not only a high-impact leader in our community, but also a powerful pro bono advocate. This award is beyond well-deserved."
The Mary E. Fairhurst Award of Merit is named for the late, former chief justice of the Washington State Supreme Court, who was widely celebrated for her dedication to public service, civics education, advancement of the legal profession, and access to justice.
Kalinowski received his B.A. from American Military University and his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law, where he earned the Dean's Medal. After law school, he served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Richard C. Tallman on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review. Last year, the 9th Circuit's chief judge appointed Kalinowski to be an appellate lawyer representative to the court's judicial conference.
In 2019, Davis Wright awarded Kalinowski the Julie Orr Heart of Justice Award, which recognizes an associate who demonstrates a remarkable commitment to pro bono.
Said Kalinowski: "I'm honored to serve Washington state and to help champion the constitutional rights of our communities in need. I'm also enormously thankful to the Washington State Bar Association, Davis Wright Tremaine, and our amazing clients who support that work and believe in the importance of dedicating our time and legal skills to service."
About Davis Wright Tremaine
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is an AmLaw 100 law firm with more than 600 lawyers representing clients based throughout the United States and around the world. Learn more at www.dwt.com.