RULE 16                                                
                      COURT PERSONNEL                                            
                                                                                 
    Court of Appeals personnel will be appointed by and serve at the             
pleasure of the division of the court to which they report.                      
    (a) Clerk's Office. Each division shall have a clerk and such other          
personnel for the operation of the office as are authorized by each              
Division. Before undertaking the duties, the clerk shall file with the           
Secretary of State an oath of office.                                            
    (b) Law Clerks and Secretaries. Each judge and Chief Judge is entitled       
to not less than two law clerks and one secretary.                               
    (c) Commissioner. To promote the effective administration of justice,        
the judges of each division of the Court of Appeals will appoint one or          
more commissioners of the court. The salary of the commissioners will be         
fixed by the court.                                                              
    (1) Deciding Motions. The commissioners will hear and decide those           
motions authorized by the Rules of Appellate Procedure and any additional        
motions that may be assigned to the commissioners by the court.                  
    (2) Screening for the Court. The commissioners may screen appeals to         
the Court of Appeals and recommend whether a case should be disposed of by       
a published or unpublished opinion.                                              
    (3) Assisting Chief Judge. The commissioners may assist the Chief            
Judges in the initial consideration of personal restraint petitions and          
such other administrative and research duties as may be assigned.                
    (4) Judicial Law Clerks. The commissioners may assist the judges of the      
Court of Appeals with the selection of judicial law clerks, as desired by        
each judge. The commissioners will present an annual orientation for the         
new law clerks. The commissioners will prepare and periodically revise a         
manual for use by the judicial law clerks.                                       
    (5) Improving Administration of Justice. The commissioners will make         
recommendations to the court regarding procedures and the more effective         
use of judicial manpower in a particular division. The commissioners will        
serve on court committees when appointed thereto by the Chief Judges.            
    (6) Assistants. The commissioners may supervise and train staff              
attorneys and other personnel to assist the commissioners in carrying out        
the duties of the commissioner's offices as directed by the judges of each       
Division.                                                                        
    (7) Duties To Benefit Full Court. All duties performed by the                
commissioners are for the benefit of the court as a whole. The court may         
alter or add to the duties of the commissioners. In the performance of           
these duties the commissioners are responsible to the Chief Judges as            
executive officers of the court.                                                 
    (8) Qualifications. The commissioners must be members in good standing       
of the Washington State Bar Association and, prior to appointment, have at       
least 5 years of experience in the practice of law or in a judicially            
related field.                                                                   
    (9) Oath of Office. Before entering upon the duties of the office, the       
commissioners will take and file an oath of office in the form prescribed        
by order of the Supreme Court. The oath will include a requirement that the      
commissioners adhere to the Code of Judicial Conduct.                            
    (10) State Bar Association Membership. The commissioners are not             
prohibited, during term of office, from maintaining active memberships in        
the Washington State Bar Association. All commissioners are prohibited from      
engaging, directly or indirectly, in the practice of law in this state.