In this President's message, I want to encourage women, especially young lawyers, to get involved in the women's bar associations on a local, statewide, and national level.

I share my experiences as I moved "up the ranks," through my own local, Florida state, and national levels.

When I was just starting out as a young attorney, I was encouraged by one of my female mentors to get involved with the South Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL). I did so wholeheartedly. What a pleasure it was to be surrounded by young women at a similar stage in their respective careers as we were all learning the ropes and how to juggle children and an advancing legal career. While on the board of the South County Chapter of FAWL, I was encouraged to become more involved in the state level of FAWL, and I became the membership liaison. Through continued involvement and holding many positions, I eventually became the president of South Palm Beach County Chapter of FAWL.

As I started to get more involved at the state level of FAWL, I found myself surrounded by strong, powerful, dynamic women, with whom I found much comaraderie, support,and great joy. These were women I could call if I had a question about an issue. Many became my close friends. I began serving on the State Board of Directors for FAWL. After holding many positions, I became president of State FAWL in 2014. For two years following, I continued to be involved as the committee chair for the Membership Advancement & Promotion program for FAWL, which encourages women to apply for community and political positions, bar leadership and committee positions, and positions within the judiciary.

At the state level of FAWL, I served as a liaison to the National Conference of Women Bar Associations (NCWBA). With this step, I became more involved in NCWBA. From 2011 to my present term, I worked in many positions for NCWBA and am honored to currently serve as President.

So what is my point in all of this? The answer is simple. Get involved in your women's bar association. Stay involved in your women's bar association. By doing so, opportunities for personal and professional growth present themselves. Seize those opportunities and run with them.

Along the way, remember to be civil with one another. Learn and grow with those women lawyers, both old and young, around you. Take the time to mentor young female lawyers. Involve the men in your life in your hopes and dreams for civility, equal pay for equal work, and the fight against discrimination of all kinds and hatred of all kinds. Remember, there are many GOOD Guys out there! The benefits of staying involved with a positive attitude will far outshine anything that you can envision today.

If you have been doing this a long time, remember that not that many years ago, you were that young idealistic female lawyer who thought she could change the world. The good news is that you have achieved your goal. You have changed, and continue to change, the world through your involvement in your women's bar association. If you are just starting out in the profession, look to your women's bar association as a source of fellowship and inspiration - a place to grow personally and professionally.

As sisters in arms, we will continue to change the face of the profession as we know it. We will continue to be role models for young female lawyers. We will continue to have more voices at the table.

Mark your calendar for June 7 at 4:00 pm EDT when we will have a free one-hour teleconference to present practical ideas for improving membership recruitment and retention numbers for your women's bar group. This teleconference will be limited to members of our member associations. Click here to see if your group is a member. (And if it is not, please join!) Board members, staff, and committee chairs of our member associations are particularly invited to join the teleconference, but any member of one of our member organizations who is interested in the subject is encouraged to attend. Topics will include ideas for membership drives and recruitment incentives, personalized outreach to various segments of membership, effective use of membership committees, and answers to your specific questions. The program will be moderated by Adwoa Seymour, NCWBA Vice President of Membership. Presenters include Roberta Tepper of Arizona Women Lawyers Association, Megan Garnett of Colorado Women's Bar Association, and Sara Simmons of Lawyers Club of San Diego. There is no charge, but registration is requested. Click here for the registration form.

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, followed by a reception and screening of the film Dream, Girl. 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. Our morning keynote speaker will be Dr. Arin Reeves, of Nextions, whose understanding of sometimes complex data and trends in the legal profession always leads us to new insights. 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 four phenomenal women leaders. Patricia Jarzobski will moderate a discussion with Christina Blacklaws, Paula Holderman, and Tina Tchen 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, 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.

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

Professor Emerita of Political Science  Jill Norgren is the author of a new book entitled Stories from Trailblazing Women Lawyers: Lives in the Law. With access to the oral histories of women lawyers who entered the profession in 1970 and earlier collected by the ABA Women Trailblazers Project, she traces the evolution of women's experiences in the legal profession using first-person accounts.

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.