Saunders Article Featured in Washington State Bar News

Josh Saunders’s article about changes to civil protection order hearings in House Bill 1320 has been
featured in the July issue of Washington State Bar News. The article summarizes the law, which went
into effect in early July, and offers lawyers and judges advice on implementing it.

The law’s goal, according to its text, is “modernizing, harmonizing, and improving the efficacy and
accessibility” of laws governing civil protection orders. Saunders’s article reviews the six types of civil
protection orders (pertaining to domestic violence, sexual assault, extreme risk, and more) and changes
to the law regarding each. It also describes new guidance for courts on how to conduct hearings, and it
proposes best practices for attorneys.