October 2019 NCWBA Newsletter

It is an honor to be stepping into the role of Executive Director of the NCWBA. Not only do I have the awesome responsibility of replacing my long-standing predecessor, Diane Rynerson, but I am able to work with some of the strongest and most impressive women lawyers in the country.

I have been an attorney in Jacksonville, Florida for over 10 years, a former commercial litigator who transitioned into association management five years ago and found my calling running legal organizations. As a 5-year board member of the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association and representative to NCWBA member the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, I am proud to be a leader in organizations speaking out for gender equality in the legal profession.

Through my new role with the NCWBA, I hope to continue to work with other lawyers and legal supporters to bring change to the legal profession as it views gender equity and the role of women lawyers.

Thank you NCWBA for this amazing opportunity!

Kelly A. Karstaedt

NCWBA Executive Director

NCWBA Summit 2019 in San Francisco

Thank you to Attendees and Speakers

NCWBA hosted its Annual Summit in San Francisco this year with over 70 individuals in attendance and numerous speakers and supporters who made this event one of the best event's yet.

Our first event, a GOOD Guys panel sponsored and hosted by Morrison & Foerster, featured Professor Joan C. Williams speaking on bias interrupters followed by a panel of esteemed "GOOD Guys" sharing their views of how we can achieve gender equality in the profession.

The Summit, filled with brilliant speakers from across the nation, was a day filled with collaborative brainstorming, idea-sharing, educational talks, networking sessions and entertaining stories. For a recap and photos, please visit our website and Facebook pages.

At our Awards Luncheon, we presented two Outstanding Member Program Awards to the Colorado Women's Bar Association and the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York, with two Honorable Mentions going to Ms. JD and the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan. You can review their award-winning programs on the Awards Page of our website.

GOOD Guys Land in San Diego

Lawyers Club of San Diego recently presented the San Diego version of GOOD Guys. One of the GOOD Guys on the panel was Robert Bodian, managing partner of the law firm of Mintz Levin, who traveled from New York for the event. The panel was a huge success, and Lawyers Club of San Diego is planning more GOOD Guys programs.

Click here to read more about the San Diego GOOD Guys panel.

Law Day 2020:

"Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100"

The American Bar Association has announced the theme for Law Day 2020: "Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100." Legal organizations across the country will be hosting events on Friday, May 1, 2020 in celebration of the centennial of the Constitutional Amendment giving women the right to vote. The ABA Standing Committee on the Law Library of Congress has created a Traveling Exhibit that will be touring the nation from August 2019 through 2020. You can find out more information about this exhibit, including toolkits your organization can use to educate the public about the 19th Amendment, by clicking here.

The National Conference of Bar Presidents is hosting a webinar on Tuesday, November 19th entitled "19th Amendment at 100: How Your Bar Can Take Part In This Civics Engagement Opportunity" at 3:00pm EST. The webinar is free, but you must register online to participate.

NCWBA Membership Now FREE for

Women's Law School Student Organizations

Making history just days ago at NCWBA's annual retreat in Seattle, Washington, NCWBA's board voted unanimously to offer FREE membership to women's student organizations at law schools! According to Teresa Beck, co-chair of NCWBA's membership committee, who also co-chairs California Litigation and chairs Arizona Litigation for the national law firm of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, "This is a huge milestone for NCWBA and we are so excited, not only to offer free membership to women's law school organizations but also to offer our new student members leadership training and leadership opportunities which will set these members on a path to the top of the profession." And according to Sheila Willis, an associate with Fisher & Phillips's Columbia, South Carolina office, who co-chairs NCWBA's membership committee, "Women's law school student organizations have always been eligible for membership in NCWBA, but we know budgets are tight for student organizations, and we don't want dues to be an impediment to women law students to get involved with women across the country who can change the trajectory for the profession. "

NCWBA's President, Jeanne Marie Clavere, is excited that this important change will include women law students in NCWBA's efforts to lead the legal profession towards diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ms. Clavere states, "Law students are our legal leaders for tomorrow. We are looking forward to tapping into this dynamic, diverse, and innovative group of legal professionals!" NCWBA will soon be posting application forms for women's law school organizations. Check our membership page for more information in coming weeks.

NCWBA Awards Submission Period Opening Soon

Watch your emails in October for the 2020 NCWBA awards submission details and deadlines. The awards are your organization's opportunity to showcase its signature member and community service programs at the 2020 Summit in Chicago, Illinois. Visit the NCWBA's Awards page for more information, including past award recipients. Questions? Please contact Diana Theos (Diana@DianaTheos.com) or Gina Glockner (gglockner@gmail.com).

NCWBA Board Retreat in Seattle a Big Success

We recently held our Annual Board Retreat in the great city of Seattle, home of our newly installed President Jeanne Marie Clavere. Months of careful planning went into this weekend and it was all worth it.

We started the long weekend with the Washington Women Lawyers (WWL) at a joint social honoring their Past Presidents and sponsored by our location host K&L Gates. It was such a pleasure to meet and mingle with so many wonderful Washington women lawyers, many of whom have held the top leadership position in WWL. Our board not only had the chance to enjoy their company, and the stunning views, but we learned a little history of the founding of the organization as well.

Day 1 of board meetings was hosted and sponsored by the Washington State Bar Association followed by a delicious lunch at The Pink Door, a popular restaurant in Pike's Market mere steps from the waters of Elliot Bay. Then it was on to the big event, panel presentation An Open Conversation with Women Legal Leaders Advising Businesses in the #MeToo Era, featuring NCWBA Executive Committee members Shiloh Theberge and Sheila Willis as well as Joanna Silverstein of Zillow Group and Carolyn Ladd from Boeing and moderated by K&L Gates attorney Pam Kohli Jacobson. This incredibly informative event was hosted by the Zillow Group at their downtown office and also sponsored by K&L Gates.

Day 2 of board meetings, hosted at the Insignia Building by Kevin Bank and Melissa Scanlon, really wrapped up the three days of events. Plus check out those views!

A few lucky board members even had the chance to tour the Amazon Spheres, a beautiful collection of flora right in the heart of downtown Seattle. It was a whirlwind few days but we can't wait for our next meet up in Austin, Texas at our Mid-Year Meeting!

NCWBA Member Organization Happenings

The Colorado Supreme Court adopted a change to the Rules of Professional Conduct that explicitly prohibits sexual harassment in connection with a lawyer's professional activities. NCWBA member the Colorado Women's Bar Association conducted critical research and provided compelling testimony in support of the change. It also surveyed its members anonymously about their personal experiences with sexual harassment within their professional career to use as data. The text of the rule change can be viewed online here.

The Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles recently celebrated its 100th Anniversary. Here are some photos from that momentous event.

NCWBA Has a New Instagram Account

We are now on Instagram! Go to our page, hit follow, and start tagging us in your photos so we can continue to connect on social media.

Raising the Bar: America Celebrates 150 Years of Women Lawyers 1869-2019

Our publication, Raising the Bar: America Celebrates 150 Years of Women Lawyers, is now available for viewing online. If you have not already read it, you do not want to miss out on the amazing stories and photos from years of women lawyers in America.

CLICK HERE to access the publication online.

National Conference of Women's Bar Associations | info@ncwba.org | http://www.ncwba.org

PO Box 551362

Jacksonville, FL 32255

Text | Link