Register Now for Annual Women in Law Event

Annual Women in Law Event--Speaker and Speed Networking

 

Jane Mitchell, CEO and Co-founder of The Reset Foundation

 

The Women in Law Committee will hold their annual event on Wednesday, September 28, 2016.  This year's keynote speaker will be Jane Mitchell, Co-founder and CEO of The Reset Foundation.  Ms. Mitchell has been awarded the Westly Prize for young innovators in California, and with her Reset partner, Jen Anderson, has been named on Forbes' list of 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs and as an Open Society Black Male Achievement Fellow.  The Reset Foundation has received numerous awards and grants, including a $500,000 grant from the Google Impact Challenge in 2015.  Ms. Mitchell's remarks, entitled "Unlocking Potential: How a Law Degree Amplifies Your Ability to Bless the World," will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Room 303 of the BYU Law School. We invite all attorneys, current law students, and prelaw students, male and female, to attend the keynote speaker session.  Subsequent to Ms. Mitchell's remarks, prelaw and current law students and female attorneys are invited to participate in a speed networking session.  An RSVP is requested for all who wish to participate in the speed networking.  Attorneys may register here, and students may register here.  Anyone interested in taking a tour of the BYU Law School can meet in front of Room 303 at 5:45 p.m., before the speaker session.

Save the Date! Women in Law Prelaw Event with Speed Networking

The Eighth Annual JRCLS Women in Law Prelaw Event will take place at the BYU Law School on Wednesday, September 28, 2016 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.  Jane Mitchell, Co-Founder and CEO of the award winning Reset Foundation, will be the keynote speaker.  This year's event will also include a video presentation and networking event for prelaw students.  The Women in Law Committee is looking for volunteers to help with the event.  If you are a female attorney interested in either submitting clips for the video presentation or attending the speed networking event please contact either Ann Metler (ametler@willamette.edu) or Megan Needham (megan.m.needham@gmail.com).

William & Mary JRCLS WIL Section Debut

(Written by Courtney Hagge, the WIL student rep at William & Mary.)

Courtney Hagge

On February 25^th 2014, the newly organized WIL Section hosted its first event: an      excellent panel discussion entitled, “Balancing Career & Family.” Close to 50 students enjoyed a delicious lunch – courtesy of the W&M JRCLS Chapter and the Christian Legal Society (CLS) – while engaging in a wonderful Q&A with four successful female attorneys. Two of these panelists are currently partners in prestigious law firms; the other two are professors at William & Mary. All four women have families of their own, which they have raised while excelling at their respective careers.

Students learned about what kinds of obstacles these women have faced in the workforce, and how the challenges of balancing career obligations with family commitments can be overcome. There were several important ideas the women emphasized throughout the discussion.

One such theme was avoiding judgment. It is important to remember that each family situation is different; professionals mustn’t judge one another for different choices concerning career and family. A woman who decides to work and put her children in childcare should be just as respected as another woman who temporarily leaves her career to raise a family. This support system is important to facilitate continued acceptance of females in the professional world.

Another important theme was better incorporating men into this career/family balance. The sooner the world realizes that raising a family is not just the woman’s job, the better. While times are getting progressively better for women to break into traditionally male dominated occupations, employers are still wary of hiring women for fear of those women leaving to have children. Modern day society needs to realize that men can also take maternity leave, for raising kids requires both parents' effort. Therefore, it is important for both men and women to surround themselves with professionals that share these convictions.

Overall, students were very pleased with this event and the JRCLS/CLS co sponsorship plans to host similar panels each year. It was wonderful to participate in a discussion centered on a topic that we as budding professionals are so concerned with. We look forward to more W&M WIL Section events in the near future!

Phoenix WIL Section Mix-and-Mentor Soiree

 (Written by Tisha Huish, the Phoenix Chapter Women in Law Section Chair.)

The first WIL JRCLS Mix and Mentor Soiree was a complete success! Attorneys from all practice areas, backgrounds and faiths came together to meet with students in hopes to help build a network of friendship and open communication. Students were able to liaise with attorneys in various practice areas as well as build relationships with students from other law schools.

Upon arriving at the Marshall Gallery of Fine Art, guests were treated to an incredible spread of gourmet food and treats. Guests then migrated to designated areas of the Gallery that represented different areas of law. This way attorneys who practice those specific areas and students who were interested in those areas could easily find each other.  

We then kicked the night off with an acapella parody on law school performed by attorneys and law students. The performance made everyone laugh and left us in awe of their sheer talent! To top it all off, the performance was followed by an amazing piano duel!

The most moving part of the evening was when we awarded the first ever, WIL Scholarship, to recipients from both ASU and ASLS. The WIL scholarship committee read nearly 50 applications in hopes to find recipients who embodied the essence of determination to overcome any obstacle to realize their dream of attending law school. 

So many women were deserving, having overcome or currently fighting cancer, poverty, and domestic abuse. The committee could only choose one recipient from each law school to receive the $500 award. Ultimately, Adna Zelijkovic from ASLS and Amanda Green from ASU were unanimously chosen as the 2014 WIL Scholarship recipients!

All who attended left uplifted, energized and happy to have made new friends. It was suggested that the soiree become an annual event and many wanted to be on the scholarship committee for 2015. We are always looking for new ways to serve the Phoenix area women in the law and love this community of friendship we are building.

Great Experience at Kansas City Conference

I just returned from the Annual JRCLS Conference that was held in Kansas City, Missouri. The Conference theme was "Obedience To Law Is Liberty". It was wonderful! It was well organized, addressed interesting topics  and was attended by some of the brightest, kindest and most interesting attorneys you will find anywhere.

Women in Law hosted a panel presentation. It was entitled "Maintaining Spirituality When Dealing With Contention". Two judges, one from India and one from Arizona, were on the panel as well as the general counsel for the Community of Christ Church (formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

The panelists were very open, sharing how their faith helps them handle difficult situations in their legal careers. The Indian Judge, Farah Shoukatali, said that because of her faith she would not accept bribes, although that is common practice in the Indian courts. The Arizona judge, Dan Barker, said he learned that you "control what you can control". Karen Minton, the general counsel, said that she prays everyday for guidance.

Women in Law also hosted a breakfast. We had a wonderful group attend: about 35-40 women and a couple of men. Each person shared a little bit about themselves and that once again showed, although we are different, with different challenges and gifts, we share so many things in common with one another.

Next year the Annual Conference is going to be held in Phoenix, Arizona. It will be held the second week of February. If you would like to contact some of the women who attended this year in order to help you decide if you'd like to attend next  year, please let me know (nanbarker@gmail.com). Start planning for next year. It will be time well spent.

JRCLS Annual Conference: Register Now!

The JRCLS Annual Conference is coming up.  It is going to be held on February 13-15, 2014 in Kansas City, Missouri at the UMKC School of Law.  The Conference theme is  "Obedience to the Law is Liberty".  

Great speakers are lined up including J. W. Nixon, governor of Missouri, James Clayton, Solicitor General of Missouri, judges from Kansas and Missouri, Elder Lance Wickman, general counsel for the Church and many, many others.

Since the first student conference in 2004, the J. Reuben Clark Law Society Annual Conference has expanded to include attorneys, and Society members from outside the United States who gather to discuss contemporary legal issues, expand professional networks, discuss the mission of the Law Society, hold Section meetings, and provide mentoring.

Please think about attending. One of the benefits to holding the Conference in the Kansas City area is that there is so much LDS Church history associated with that location. Many of the Conference classes and side trips will include this historical perspective.

For more information about the Conference or to register go to www.jrclsconference.com/. 

We will be holding a special Women in Law Breakfast on Friday morning. Hope to see you there!

Overflow Legal Network: A Company that Creates an Alternative to Firm Life

(Written by Desiree Nordstrom, a WIL Committee member.)

My business partner and I recently started a company, Overflow Legal Network LLC. OLN is a group of qualified freelance attorneys providing contractual legal support to law firms nationwide. I came across this business model a few years back, just after having my baby girl. At the time, I was trying to figure out how to do it all: how to have a career, be a great mommy, be a good wife and everything in between.  As a new mother, I was overwhelmed, to say the least.  I finally settled on leaving full-time practice and scaling back to part-time freelance work.  

Having years of experience as a freelance attorney helps me see the value that being associated with a network of freelance attorneys can provide.  I would like to detail those benefits below. 

Joining Overflow Legal Network’s group of freelance attorneys enables you to have a flexible schedule, work from any location at any hour of the day, set your own hourly rate, and bill out on an hourly basis. As an OLN freelance attorney, you have the autonomy to accept or deny work on a project-by-project basis. Having the final say gives you power over your schedule.  

Another benefit is OLN does the networking for you.  One thing I struggle with while freelancing is finding the time to get out and meet potential new business. But for attorneys associated with OLN’s network, making contacts in an effort to get more work is not a pressure. OLN does the marketing and networking for you. This allows you to focus on the reasons you needed to take time away from full-time practice in the first place.  

Overflow Legal Network provides a wonderful opportunity for freelance attorneys and we are currently recruiting to expand our network.  If you think freelance legal work is right for you, please feel free to visit our site and contact us.  

If you are a firm that seeks assistance in completing the work product you need, feel free to contact us as well.  We are here to answer your questions.  Find us at: overflowlegalnetwork.com.

A Man's Perspective on CLE Offered at a Women's Conference

At our Regional Women in Law Conference a handful of men attended.  Two had recently passed the bar.  One was a recent law school graduate. Two were experienced practicing lawyers. One was a sitting federal district court judge. Another, my husband, a retired Arizona Court of Appeals judge.

All seven came up to me and told me they really appreciated being at the Conference. Four of them said they enjoyed our Conference CLE more than they have any other CLE.

These men were very pleased they were there and also very pleased with the experience they'd had. Why? What was so different about the CLE/classes we offered?

I asked a few of them.  One said that it was so much more personal than what is typically offered. Another said it allowed him to better understand some of the issues women lawyers face, to hear women talking with other women about women. Another said he learned a lot from discussions about priorities and how to evaluate where to spend your time. This last man said that "I'd never had those discussions in a legal setting before".

So what did we learn? CLE presented by women, for women, helps and enriches us all.

I'm Off to Leadership Conference!

(Written by Nan Barker, WIL Committee chair.)

It's 5:30am on Wednesday morning.  I'll be leaving for the airport in just a few minutes. My husband and I are going up to Utah to attend the Annual JRCLS Leadership Conference.

This Conference is held to help train, sustain and invigorate chapter chairs, vice-chairs, WIL reps and other law society leadership. JRCLS international committee members are also in attendance.

Chapter representatives come from all over the world. It is a great time to get to know other JRCLS members as well as learn from each other. Anyone involved in the law society who wants to become involved in law society leadership is welcome to attend, law student or lawyer.

I won't give you a blow by blow description of what takes place. I will, however, give you a few of the highlights later on this week. Women in Law is responsible for the Pre-Law event tonight (the one where female undergraduates come to learn more about attending law school and practicing law), a meeting tomorrow with students, a presentation to the entire group, a smaller class break out session and a few other administrative meetings.

The Conference is held every year during the first week of October. Part of it takes place on the BYU campus and part up Provo Canyon at Aspen Grove. Think about attending next year if you'd like to get more involved.  It would be great to see you there!

We're On Facebook!

Calling all Facebook users!  Did you know that JRCLS Women in Law has a Facebook page?!  

It's true!  What a great opportunity for us all to interact with one another.  

Please “Like” our page. We'd  love to have your comments and input!  Also, share this with your friends who would be interested in following us.  

Here is the link to the page: https://www.facebook.com/JrclsInternationalWomenInTheLaw

"Paths We Take": Regional Women in Law Conference

We are ready to go!  Our Conference is just two months away.  We are excited to see and meet you, as well as learn from the presenters and each other.  Are you going to join us? Say...Yes, I'll be there!

The Conference is for women lawyers, practicing or not; women law students; women, of any age (yes, that includes high school students and up) who are thinking about attending law school; and, any woman who has an interest in spending a few  hours around some amazing women in Arizona in November (the average temperatures for the week of the Conference are mid 70s in the daytime and mid 50s in the night time).

You might ask yourself, "Are men invited?" What should we say...yes...or...no?  The answer is yes.  All men are invited as well. However, all of the presenters are women and all of the classes are designed for women.

One of the reasons we're holding a Conference for women is we want to provide the learning environment and interaction at a low cost. The cost to attend the Conference is only $15.00...and that includes breakfast and lunch! If you want CLE (3.75 hours will be available, including .75 hours of ethics) the cost is $100.00.

You can find detailed information about the program by going to www.jrcls.org  and clicking on the Regional Women in Law Conference segment.  The registration link can be accessed from that page.

In addition to providing information about the program, you can also find information about accommodations (hotels within walking distance of the Conference, the option of sharing a room or needing to stay at someone's home the night before the Conference), transportation (if you are flying in and don't want to rent a car, you can get to the Conference location for $2.00 by using the light rail) and things to do in the area that weekend (Time Out for Women with Sheri Dew and Brad Wilcox, "The Lion King" playing at Gammage Theater on the ASU campus, etc.).

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Nan Barker at nanbarker@gmail.com.

Please come! We have a strong feeling the people attending will add as much as those presenting.  We need you there!  We want you there!

An Invaluable Tool

(Written by Deborah Hendrickson, the WIL Committee vice-chair.)

I wanted to share information about an invaluable tool that I have been using this past year.  It has enhanced my practice and lightened my burden more than probably anything else I can think of.  Hopefully if you don’t have this in your area, you could suggest it or help start it.

One of the state law associations has created a ListServe of the attorneys who practice in my area, which requires a login and password.  Attorneys can post/ask questions of each other, offer opinions and report on court experiences, judges, issues of common interest, etc.  It has provided quick and useful information many times when I have needed it.

The website also offers other resources, e.g. reports on new cases, which are very useful.

Below is the link to the website to get an idea of how it works.  So look into whether this might already be available in your area or perhaps you could get someone to start one.  By the way, they do charge an annual membership fee (minimal) to cover some of the expenses.   

http://www.azafla.com/

Law School and Beyond

Every year the Women in Law Committee hosts a wonderful event.  It is called the Pre-Law Event.  Why do we call it that?  The reason we call it the Pre-Law Event is because it is held in order to help female undergraduate students (males are welcome too)  help make the decision about whether or not they want to attend law school.

In years past we have had law students, law professors, judges, attorneys, and mother-daughter  and father-daughter attorney duos.

This year the event is entitled "Law School and Beyond."  It will be a panel discussion about opportunities after law school. Our panelists will be Lorena Riffo-Jenson, president of Vox Creative and Kelly Marsden, associate general counsel at the University of Utah.

In addition to the formal presentation, there is always a  Q & A segment which is followed by one-on-one discussions with not only the presenters but also any attorneys that are in attendance.  Which leads me to a request:  join us for "Law School and Beyond" this year.  We need you.  Please come talk to these undergraduate (and some high school) students who are thinking about attending law school.  Your experiences and insights can help them in countless ways.

So, you may be asking when and where: Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at 7:00pm-8:30pm in Room 3228  in the Wilkinson Center at BYU.

If you're anywhere close to Provo, Utah on Wednesday October 2nd, please come by and help these students. I promise it will be a rewarding experience for them... and you.