Marshall & Saunders is proud to announce that, on June 12, 2026, David S. Marshall received the 2026 William O. Douglas Award from the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. The award is WACDL’s highest annual honor and recognizes extraordinary achievement, courage, and dedication in criminal defense.
The award reflects David’s decades of work defending people accused of serious crimes, including allegations involving sex offenses, child abuse, and domestic violence. During the presentation, speakers recognized his more than 40 years of practice, his work in Washington Supreme Court cases, his Guantanamo Bay litigation, his wrongful conviction work connected to the Wenatchee child sex abuse prosecutions, and his long service to the criminal defense community.
The presentation also emphasized David’s role as a mentor and teacher to other lawyers. He was recognized for helping build WACDL in its early years, teaching continuing legal education programs, supporting younger lawyers, and sharing his experience with the defense bar in Washington and beyond.
In his remarks, David spoke about the role of hope in criminal defense work. He noted that before talking about fighting for a client, he wants to give that person hope for a future better than the one they may imagine when they first walk into his office. He also spoke about the importance of listening to clients with compassion and building a relationship of openness and trust.
David also recognized WACDL’s role as a source of professional support for criminal defense lawyers. He noted that defending the accused can be “rugged work,” and that lawyers in this field need support from one another when cases are difficult, disappointing, or personally demanding.
On behalf of his co-workers and colleagues, we congratulate David on this well-deserved award and recognition of his decades of service to the people of Washington State.