February 2021 NCWBA Newsletter

Our membership year runs with the calendar year, so now is just the right time to renew your group's membership for 2021. Dues for 2021 have not increased, and are based on your organization's membership numbers. We rely on your membership dues and active participation in order to strengthen women's bar groups throughout North America. As always, women's law student associations are invited to join for free.

For more information on renewals or how to join, click here.

To access the Membership Application directly, please click the link below:

NCWBA Membership Application

Seeking Nominations for Board Membership

Especially at a time when entirely unforeseen challenges face the legal profession, the National Conference of Women's Bar Associations (NCWBA) is seeking new ideas and energy to come up with practical ideas and solutions for our member organizations. The NCWBA currently has a small number of openings available on its Board of Directors. Member organizations of the NCWBA are invited to submit a nomination for someone to join our NCWBA Board for a two-year term beginning with the annual meeting on August 6, 2021. Nominees should be passionate about the value of women's bar associations, sections and interest groups and want to work collaboratively to strengthen them. Typically, Board members attend three meetings each year, which may be in-person meetings or meetings held by Zoom. The NCWBA is an affiliate of the American Bar Association, so two of the meetings are held in conjunction with the ABA midyear and annual meetings. A fall Board retreat is generally held in the home town of the president (in 2021, Portland, Maine). In addition, Board members participate in at least two committees, which usually meet by phone or Zoom. For more information about board service, click here , or contact us.

Nominations should be submitted no later than Friday, April 16.

Call For Awards Nominations

Due: March 1, 2021 at 5:00pm PST

Now is the time to submit awards nominations for the NCWBA annual awards. Each year at the Women's Bar Leadership Summit, the National Conference of Women's Bar Associations recognizes the work of its member organizations with its annual awards -- the Public Service Award, Outstanding Member Program Award, and Women's Law Student Association Award. Nominations are now being accepted for all three awards, to be presented at the virtual Women's Bar Leadership Summit on Friday, August 6, 2021.

Nominations must be submitted via the below Nomination Form or by emailing your submission to info@ncwba.org no later than Monday, March 31, 2021 at 5:00 pm PST. Please submit your nomination form below. If you would like to email your submission, you can access the Nomination Form questions here. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our Executive Director, Christina Simpson, at info@ncwba.org.

NCWBA Awards Nomination Form

The Public Service Award is designed to recognize public service programs, projects or initiatives that NCWBA members have created to serve others. There is a wide range of programs, projects and initiatives that may qualify under the umbrella of a public service program. Members are encouraged to broaden their perspective on what public service means and deepen our commitment as lawyers to our public service obligations.For examples of previous award-winning projects, click here.

The Outstanding Member Program Award is given to member associations to highlight and recognize innovative and effective programs and projects for their own members. Prior awards recipients and descriptions of the programs previously recognized can be found here.

The Women's Law Student Association Award was presented for the first time in 2020. Member women's law school groups may nominate anything from a unique presentation, service project, panel discussion or other initiative. Be creative: the sky's the limit! We invite you to share this and information about NCWBA's new membership option for law student groups with a women's law school organization in your network.

A central goal of the NCWBA is to share best practices and program ideas with one another, and our annual awards are one way to do this. We hope you will send us a nomination.

NCWBA Quarterly Networking Meetings

It's time for the NCWBA's Quarterly Member Meetings! These networking sessions with our members are opportunities to learn more about what the NCWBA can offer you as a member organization, and for NCWBA to hear about your accomplishments and areas where you might need support.

We will also ensure we have some time just to mix, mingle and get to know each other.

For your convenience, and in recognition of the numerous time zones, we have set up four sessions on March 16 and March 17, so you should be able to find a time that works for you:

Tuesday, March 16, 2021; 2:00 - 3:00pm

Tuesday, March 16, 2021; 3:30 - 4:30pm

Wednesday, March 17, 2021; 2:30 - 3:30pm

Wednesday, March 17, 2021; 4:00 - 5:00pm

The leaders in your organization can attend the same session, or if you prefer you can attend different sessions - your choice. We also welcome organizations' new Officers and your Executive Directors - whomever you want to represent your group and/or would benefit from speaking with leaders of other like-minded organizations. Click below to register.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please reach out to Elizabeth A. Bryson, NCWBA's Vice President for Membership (email ebryson.ncwba@gmail.com or call 212-580-9644 or 917-578-3178).

Register now!

SAVE THE DATE:
The Pandemic's Impact on Women in The Workforce

Please look out for an invitation to our next free webinar, The Pandemic's Impact on Women in the Workforce, on March 22, 2021 from 2:00pm to 3:00pm EST. This webinar will feature distinguished panelists:

Emily N. Litzinger, Partner, Fisher Phillips

Cyra Akila Choudhury, Professor of Law, Florida International University College of Law

Memorial for Monica Parham

Join the WBADC for a virtual memorial service and celebration
of the life of Monica Parham.

The WBADC has a brief program planned, including some time for personal stories and tributes. If you would like to share, please email carol@wbadc.org with your request.

Click here to register


	This program is being organized by the Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia (WBA) and WBA Foundation (WBAF); Monica served as president of both. If you wish to make a memorial contribution, each organization is set up to accept donations in her honor.

NCWBA Past Membership Events Recap

Eyes Wide Open: Interrupting Biases and Setting New Norms for Allyship within Organizations [February 18, 2021: This program featured a dynamic panel who spoke on the various tools and methods that organizational leadership can use to improve diversity, equity and inclusion within their organization. The panel included:

Patty Jarzobski, Attorney at Jarzobski Law
Rashida MacMurray-Abdullah, Chief Diversity Officer, Wiley Rein LLP
Hon. Benes Aldana (retired), President and CEO at National Judicial College
Paula Edgar, Attorney and CEO of PGE Consulting Group LLC

This year's midyear program was also dedicated to an NCWBA former board member, Monica Parham, who unfortunately passed away last year but spent her life advocating for DEI.

GOOD Guys: Judicial Edition [February 19, 2021]: On February 19, NCWBA GOOD Guys Committee in conjunction with the ABA's Men In the Mix presented GOOD Guys: Judicial Edition, a program that featured a panel of male judges who discussed engaging male leaders as DEI champions. The panel consisted of:

Justice Goodwin Liu, California Supreme Court
Captain Jon Stephens, Chief Judge of the Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary
Chief Judge Timothy Kenny, Wayne Country Circuit Court, Detroit Michigan
Moderator: Judge Peter Reyes, Minnesota Court of Appeals

We also heard from Sheryl Axelrod, Owner of the Axelrod Firm on Braving & Deconstructing Bias: The Rewards of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Women Bar Leaders Listserv

You may have recently gotten an email notifying you that you have been added to the NCWBA Women Bar Leaders listserv. This is because we have changed our listserv platform and will now be using Google Groups. Please do not worry, the listserv will operate in the exact way that it previously did -- just email womenbarleaders@ncwba.org to post. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach our Executive Director, Christina Simpson, at info@ncwba.org.

Black Lives Matter: Anti-Racism Resources

During such a time of uncertainty, where racial tensions continue to rise and it is a constant battle for the Black community against the still existent racism in America, it is important to acknowledge that many of us are being affected in unimaginable ways. The National Conference of Women's Bar Associations has issued a statement of solidarity with the Black community. Click here for the NCWBA's statement.

Additionally, the NCWBA has compiled a list of Anti-Racism Resources, as well as links to statements from our member organizations. Click here for that list.

Coronavirus Resources

Coronavirus has thrown us all into a whirlwind of uncertainty, whether it comes to your job, personal lives and/or even mental state. During this time, one thing's for sure: everyone is trying to figure out what works and what does not from a virtual and remote perspective. It's particularly hard as bar associations try to maintain their connections with their members as they try to figure out which communication tools and methods are most effective.

We've decided to put together some resources that you can use in your transition to new ways of providing services and value to members. Click here for resources for your members and ideas from other groups. And please do share your ideas, either by emailing us or by posting to the womenbarleaders@ncwba.org listserve. (If you are not already a member of this list, please email us to request to be added.)

Women Lawyer News

Remember to check Women Lawyers News for articles and unique tools to make practicing law just that much easier.

National Conference of Women's Bar Associations

info@ncwba.org | http://www.ncwba.org | PO Box 260721 Boston, MA 02126

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