In last month's president's message, I emphasized the value of involvement in women's voluntary bar associations. Now I want to encourage you to get involved in your state bar. Not only do most state bars oversee the professionalism of lawyers, they also provide an invaluable tool for allowing women to have a voice for issues that we feel are important in our states.

 

I was an ex-officio member of the Florida Bar Board of Governors three years ago when I was president of the state Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL). During that year as an ex-officio member, I formed lasting relationships with leaders of The Florida Bar, which have helped to pave the way for a strong bond between The Florida Bar and FAWL. That bond with FAWL has been cemented even more strongly by my current service as an elected member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors, along with the continued efforts of the subsequent FAWL presidents. I encourage you to build similar relationships with your state bar leaders.

As women, we need to not only build those relationships, but nurture them, in order to have a seat at the table with men and voice our perspective on issues that are important to us. Some of those issues include work-life balance; equal pay for equal work; diversity in the profession; protection of women and children from abuse, harassment, and bullying; and eradication of human trafficking. I want to encourage women not to just talk about issues in an echo chamber, but to get out and bring our message directly to the leadership of state and local bars.

Along these lines, the NCWBA created a program called "GOOD Guys" (Guys Overcoming Obstacles to Diversity), designed to help break down barriers to women's advancement by engaging the people who have been missing from the conversation for too long - the guys. It is a model program designed for replication by other organizations. Acting in unison, we can make a bigger impact. GOOD Guys has grown from the initial event held at the ABA Midyear Meeting in San Diego in February, 2016-led by Teresa Beck and Misty Blair with committee members Celia Collins, Pat Sturdevant, Amanda Green Alexander, and Katherine Brown-to a separate NCWBA committee dedicated to rolling out the program at events across the country. Click here for a report on a recent GOOD Guys program by the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles. 

Putting on a GOOD Guys event, women and diverse professionals invite male lawyers who are interested in women's issues to get involved in women's legal organizations and help promote issues of interest to us. Event components are based on studies showing the best ways to engage men, including the following suggestions:
* Give guys an award: Each male invitee is given a ribbon identifying him as a GOOD Guy, and all GOOD Guys present are honored.
* Highlight men whom other men want to know and emulate: A GOOD Guys event includes a panel presentation with local, prominent GOOD Guys (and a good gal or two) who discuss their efforts to advance women and diversity.
* Show men that attention to diversity and inclusion is where the money is: Our GOOD Guys presentations include information about the amazing monetary value of diversifying firms and companies at the highest levels of management and ownership.
* Provide implicit bias training in a straightforward and non-judgmental environment: Include a presentation about bias disrupters, with practical information about what can be done right now to disrupt bias.
* Tell GOOD Guys what they can do to contribute: Our Monday Morning To Do List walks GOOD Guys through a candid assessment of where they stand in terms of true diversity, and provides a list of specific things they can do instantly.

These are the basics of the GOOD Guys program. Included on the NCWBA website, under the Programs tab, is additional information on this program, including videos, presentations, and even a GOOD Guys toolkit. Inclusion of men brings strength to our message and we can get more accomplished.

I encourage each of you to bring this type of program to your state and local bar associations so that both men and woman can get involved in moving women forward in the profession.

Plan to be in Chicago for the annual Women's Bar Leadership Summit! This year's theme is Sparking a "Change" Reaction. On Thursday afternoon, August 2, we will gather at Chicago-Kent College of Law for a GOOD Guys presentation moderated by former ABA president Laurel Bellows from 3:30 to 5:00 pm. Steven Velkei, Senior Partner and Chair of Dentons' US Diversity & Inclusion Committee, will speak about the financial rewards of diversity and inclusion. Panel members will include Michael Sachs, partner, Major, Lindsey & Africa; Thomas J. Sabatino, Jr., Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Law and Regulatory Affairs, Aetna; and John MacCarthy, Executive Vice President, Secretary, and General Counsel, Nuveen Investments. The GOOD Guys program will be immediately followed by a reception and screening of the film Dream, Girl. A brief discussion of the film, moderated by Professor Felice Batlan, will follow. To register for the GOOD Guys program, click here. You are invited to attend any or all of the events at Chicago-Kent College of Law on Thursday, August 2.

On Friday, August 3, we will have a full day of programs and opportunities to connect with other women's bar leaders at the beautiful offices of Jenner & Block. Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis will preside over the swearing-in of our 2018-2019 officers and board. Dr. Arin Reeves, who was to have presented in the morning, unfortunately developed a scheduling conflict. In her place, Tina Tchen, who heads up Buckley Sanders LLP's Chicago office and who served as Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to Michelle Obama from 2011 to 2017, will share ideas on what we can do to advance the interests of women and girls.  Catherine Sanders Reach of the Chicago Bar Association will give us free or low-cost tech suggestions to make our professional lives run more smoothly.

Our Awards Luncheon this year will be at the legendary Chicago restaurant, Harry Caray's. In addition to honoring the inspirational work of our award-winning member organizations, we will hear from Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO of the National Women's Law Center.  The recipient of our 2018 Public Service Award is Florida Association for Women Lawyers for their program Nursing Rooms in Courthouses.  Receiving an honorable mention in the same category is New Hampshire Women's Bar Association for their Women to Women Project.   The recipient of the 2018 Outstanding Member Program Award is Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women for their Empowerment Conference. Bexar County Women's Bar Association and Foundation is the recipient of an honorable mention in the same category for their LEAD Academy.

After lunch, attendees will have the opportunity to present their own associations' ideas in our Best Practices session, and we will honor two women's bar groups which galvanized their members and the public at large by developing novel, significant summits to address some of the most troubling and pressing issues of 2017. The Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts and the Lawyers Club of San Diego will receive recognition from the NCWBA with a special Advocacy Award.

We will close out the Summit with a very special "Oprah-style" conversation with three phenomenal women leaders. Patricia Jarzobski will moderate a discussion with Christina Blacklaws,and Paula Holderman about the gender equity imbalance at the top of almost every sector of the legal profession and how to address it. Attendees will participate directly in the conversation when we move into breakout sessions for brainstorming that will yield practical ideas for promoting women in the most impactful ways. You do not want to miss the opportunity to interact with and learn from these powerful and delightful women leaders.

Registration is now open. Cost for the Summit, including a continental breakfast, luncheon, and all materials, including a copy of the book Her Story: Lessons in Success from Lawyers Who Live It, is $250.

A small block of rooms has been reserved for us at the Westin Chicago River North at the conference rate of $239 per night, plus tax. Use this link to book, with availability on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline for our special room rate is Thursday, July 19.

If you or your firm would like to sponsor the Summit, click here for more information. Sponsorship includes one or more registrations. 

In the wake of #MeToo and the enormous focus on workplace behaviors that profoundly impact careers, the Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts, in partnership with the Rikleen Institute for Strategic Leadership, announces the results of its groundbreaking survey: Survey of Workplace Conduct and Behaviors in Law Firms.
The survey was created to provide a better understanding of behaviors taking place in the law firm work environment; identify steps that have been taken to address behaviors of concern; and offer recommendations that leaders can implement to ensure they are providing a workplace that feels safe, respectful, and inclusive. The lessons learned from this survey have broad-based applicability across all sectors. In addition to a detailed analysis of the survey results, the report provides 17 constructive recommendations to help law firms - and other organizations - develop and implement positive changes that promote a diverse, respectful, and inclusive workplace culture. You can download the full survey results here:  Survey of Workplace Conduct and Behaviors in Law Firms.

.In 1869, Arabella Babb Mansfield was admitted to the Iowa Bar after passing the bar exam with high marks and successfully challenging Iowa's restriction that only males over the age of 21 were eligible for bar admission, making her the first woman to be admitted to a state bar. This means that in 2019, we will celebrate 150 years of women lawyers in the United States! To commemorate this landmark, the NCWBA is joining with Faircount Media Group to create a publication that our member organizations will be able to share with their own membership in hard copy or by electronic link. We hope to have articles recounting the history and significant milestones of your women's bar group, information about important women lawyer "firsts" from your region, and other articles which capture and preserve the significant history of women lawyers in the United States and Canada. The publication will be introduced at our 2019 Women's Bar Leadership Summit in San Francisco, with a submission deadline in Spring 2019. Articles may be up to about 3000 words in length. High-quality photos are also welcome. Many groups have history committees or have already written their histories, so they have a good starting point for creating articles that explain their histories to a national audience. If you don't already have these resources, now would be a great time to start gathering materials! Let us know what questions you have. We look forward to learning more about the history of women lawyers, both individually and collectively. For research materials, see our history pages.

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

Our membership year runs with the calendar year, but it is not too late to show your support of women's bar associations by joining your voice with ours. Dues for 2018 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.  Click here to download a membership form  to send in with your dues check. If you prefer to pay by debit or credit card,  click here . Questions? Ask us.