October 2020 NCWBA Newsletter

The passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday, September 18, 2020, left me reeling. Despite her many health challenges in recent years, in my mind, she was an invincible force who could overcome anything. Of course, that was an unrealistic expectation. I have spent the past few days absorbing, reflecting on, and yes, mourning this devastating loss. Justice Ginsburg was a remarkable woman who was a true trailblazer throughout her life. She was and is a hero and inspiration to many women and girls of all ages who strive to follow her example. Her professional life was dedicated to protecting the Constitutional rights of all people, especially women, and I am very grateful for her diligent and tireless service to this country's system of jurisprudence and its people.

As President of the NCWBA and a woman who has served on the board of multiple women's bar and affinity bar organizations over the past 18 years, I am reminded that each time we are sworn in, our oath begins, "I do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States..." As leaders and members of women's bar organizations, it is of paramount importance that we keep this oath in mind as we strive to further our respective missions for our organizations, our members, and as individuals.

As we take time to acknowledge and mourn the loss of the remarkable (and notorious) RBG, it is also time to get back to work. I encourage all of you to examine your organization's mission and vision statements and your oaths of office and reaffirm your commitment to further those goals and help fill the void left by Justice Ginsburg's passing. The NCWBA:

"advocates for equality in the legal profession and in society by mobilizing and uniting women's bar associations to effect change in gender-based processes and laws by providing a national forum for exchanging ideas, best practices, and information vital to the organizational growth and success of women's bar organizations and the legal profession."

The NCWBA is dedicated to advancing the interests of women in the legal profession and is committed to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession and society. The issues facing women and other people of diversity are more important than ever now.

As Justice Ginsburg so aptly remarked, "Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.... It shouldn't be that women are the exception."

May her memory be for a blessing.

Nicolette S. Zachary, President

National Conference of Women's Bar Associations

NCWBA Supports Fair and Secure Elections

We all know that the upcoming election will be one of the most important - and controversial - elections in our lifetimes. Allegations of "rigging" the outcome are already media fodder.

Is your women's bar association involved in any voter registration or election protection activities? If so, NCWBA would love to hear about it (info@ncwba.org). We'll share your best ideas with our more than 50 member organizations. If not, there is still time to have an impact.

Here are some of the opportunities that the NCWBA has identified to get involved in election protection activities, which we hope you will share with your associations' members:

	Opportunities
	Serve as a Poll Worker at a Local Polling Place Working directly for your local election administrator, you would spend all day at a polling place, checking in voters, answering voters' questions, setting up and testing voting machines, issuing ballots, and completing other tasks necessary to ensure in-person voting runs smoothly. You can find information about the sign-up process here: https://www.workelections.com/.

	Volunteer as an Election Protection Poll Monitor at Polling Places Traveling between several local polling places, you would spend time on Election Day looking out for and reporting voting issues to Election Protection, a renowned national, non-partisan coalition of non-profits committed to protecting voting rights. You can find information about the sign-up process here: https://protectthevote.net/.

	Volunteer from Home on the Election Protection Hotline [eligibility limited to attorneys and paralegals] Providing comprehensive information and other crucial assistance to voters facing real-time issues, you would spend several hours answering and triaging phone calls from Election Protection's non-partisan 866-OUR-VOTE hotline. You can find information about the sign-up process here: https://electionprotection.wetheaction.org/

	Volunteer from Home with VoteRiders Providing support over a telephone or online help lines, assisting in phone-banking, text-banking, or letter-writing, or otherwise supporting VoteRiders' efforts, you would spend several hours assisting this non-partisan non-profit dedicated to assisting voters in states with stringent (and often confusing) voter identification requirements. You can find information about the sign-up process here: https://www.voteriders.org/get-involved/volunteer/ .

Free October Webinar:
STILL BROKEN: Sexual Harassment and Misconduct in the Legal Profession

Please join us ~ and invite your members ~ to our second free webinar on Tuesday, October 20. With the #MeToo Movement, the issue of sexual harassment and related misconduct in workplaces has exploded into societal consciousness. What about the legal profession, where lawyers are expected to know the law and comply with it? A new survey answers this question, and disturbingly it demonstrates that the same misconduct occurs regularly in legal settings all across the country.

The survey leaders at Women Lawyers on Guard will discuss the results of this important nationwide survey during this webinar. The findings are compelling and deeply troubling. It is clear the profession needs to find new ways to address this persistent problem. See our flyer below for speaker information, and click here to register. Still Broken, the report of the nationwide survey can be downloaded here, and click here for a link to an ABA Journal article about the survey. We also welcome your organizations' ideas for combating sexual misconduct in the profession.

SAVE THE DATE:

Free November Webinar

"Leveraging Interactive Technology

and Creating Meaningful Engagement"

November 19, 2020

10 a.m.. Pacific / 1 p.m. Eastern

In this new era of virtual events and meetings, how do we best utilize technology and innovative strategies to engage women's bar members and ensure success? Distinguished speakers will provide insights and inspiration, as well as guidance on a variety of virtual tools for programs, meetings, and events.

Look for an announcement soon at https://ncwba.org/webinars/.

You're Invited: MSJDN 8th Annual Conference

Please join the Military Spouse JD Network (MSJDN) for its 8th annual professional development conference, Making the Right Moves, coming up this October.

This conference is one of MSJDN's seminal events, and this year they are taking the conference virtual, making it easily accessible to their membership.

MSJDN is excited to host a month-long series of personal and professional development offerings centered on the theme, Power Pivot. Throughout the month of October, they'll be hosting interactive workshops and panel discussions, where your community members will learn:

How to pivot your career when change happens fast.
How to pivot your personal finances and prepare for the unpredictable.
How to build and leverage your community to advance your career.
What you need to know about salary negotiation now
Plus, you'll hear from VIP guests all about their. experience crafting careers with power and purpose.

If you would like to view a schedule of events and/or attend, you can register here.

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

Text | Link