While leaders of women’s bar associations were meeting in San Francisco this August for our annual Summit, a similar conference was being held in South Africa, focusing on the role of women lawyers and the advancement of justice.
Marriage Equality
The NCWBA celebrates marriage equality today noting the historic rulings by the United States Supreme Court in the United States v. Windsor finding the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional and in Hollingsworth v. Perry effectively permitting gay marriage in California. The NCWBA applauds the civil rights of all being respected and upheld.
White House Briefing on the Judicial Vacancy Crisis
NCWBA President-Elect Andrea Carlise and Immediate Past President Cezy Collins were among the advocates from around the country who gathered this week for a White House briefing on vacancies on the Federal bench. For information on what women’s bar associations can do to encourage diversity in the courts, click here.
Local Bar Association Develops Women-Focused Programming
A CLE program centered on issues of concern to female attorneys has been very successful for the Lafayette (LA) Bar Association, and is celebrating its fifth anniversary.
The “Running in Heels Women’s CLE” offers both practical programs of concern to women, and a networking opportunity, said Claire Oliver, LBA marketing director.
“We want to get women into a group so they can meet and compare lifestyles” and figure out how the other women deal with typical life and career situations, Oliver said.
While most speakers are women, last year’s program featured a panel of male attorneys who spoke about obstacles women might face, and suggestions on how to deal with them.
Topics for this year include:
• Put your best foot forward: Women & Negotiation Skills;
• Keeping your feet on the ground: Thoughts on Success and Work/Life Balance from Professional Women.
Jane Kelly Confirmed as Second Woman Judge on the US Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
Jane Kelly, an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of Iowa, has been nominated by President Obama to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. If she is confirmed, she would be only the second woman to serve as a judge in the Eighth Circuit.
Click here for the National Women’s Law Center post about the nomination.
For information about the efforts to increase the number of women judges in the Eighth Circuit, see The Infinity Project.
Work-Life Balance, a Fraud?
More on the topic of Work-Life Balance–click here for a podcast of a discussion with lawyers Andrea Carlise, Shayna Steinfeld and Melinda LeMoine of the difficult issues of balancing a career in the law with a personal life. .