 California Women Lawyers | |
| Abbreviation | CWL |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1974 |
| Type | Statewide bar association |
| Headquarters | Sacramento, CA |
| Website | www.cwl.org |
California Women Lawyers (CWL) is the statewide bar association for women in the U.S. state of California. [1] Headquartered in Sacramento, [2] CWL was founded in 1974 to seek the professional advancement of women lawyers, to promote gender equity in the legal profession and the judiciary, and to advance women's rights generally. [1]
"So You Want to Be a Judge?" aims to demystify the judicial application process and to encourage women in California to seek judicial appointment. [3] Panelists have included the judicial appointments advisor of the Governor of California, members of the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (JNE), and sitting judges and justices from throughout the state. [3] Panelists teach lawyers how to build the strongest résumé and gather support for appointment or election. [3]
"Elect to Run" is a program to educate and encourage women to run for public office, meet other women who have run for office, as well as those who support or train women to run, and to get the information you need to decide whether you want to run. [4] Keynote speakers have included Senator Toni Atkins, Senator Kevin de Leon, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and State Controller Betty Yee.
Both "So You Want to be a Judge?" and "Elect to Run" have been recognized as Outstanding Member Programs by the National Conference of Women Bar Associations. [5]
CWL promotes state and national policy initiatives meant to improve women's lives. [3] CWL has voiced support for the Violence Against Women Act, bills that protect women's reproductive rights, and a resolution urging California corporations to include more women on their boards of directors. [3]
CWL's legislative priorities have included work in the following areas: 1) reproductive justice (choice, maternity care, access and privacy), 2) violence against women and children (human trafficking, domestic violence, gun violence and sex crimes), 3) human rights and equality, 4) court funding and access to justice, and 5) economics. [6]
CWL has advocated for many bills on its legislative agenda, such as:
CWL files as a friend of the court in cases which advance women's rights, gender equality and equality generally. CWL writes or joins amicus briefs on these core issues in the Supreme Court of the United States, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the California Supreme Court and the California courts of appeal. Recently CWL has been amici in briefs supporting same sex marriages, equal treatment of female and male student athletes, and the Affordable Care Act’s requirement of full insurance coverage of contraceptives approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): [3]
Each year, candidates seeking judicial nomination request that CWL research and rate their qualifications for judicial appointment. [3] CWL's confidential ratings are shared directly with the California governor's office. [3]
CWL promotes a judiciary that includes people of diverse backgrounds and varied life experiences. CWL shared one of the first diversity awards given to bar associations for consistent efforts to include more women in the legal profession and on the bench. [6]
CWL's annual conference is a full day of educational programming tailored to address issues affecting women in law and society. [3] Recent keynote speakers include Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, Patricia Gillette, Catherine Lacavera, The Hon. Joan Dempsey Klein and professor and author Joan C. Williams. [3]
Prior to 2017, the CWL Annual Dinner was held on the first night of the California State Bar annual meeting, attended by lawyers and jurists from throughout the state. [7] In 2017, The State Bar of California ceased holding its Annual Meeting, and as a result CWL partnered with the California Judges Association. The dinner depends, in large measure, on the sponsorships of law firms, legal departments, associations, and other professionals. [7] At this dinner, the CWL Foundation hosts a silent auction to raise money for the foundation's work. [7]
The CWL Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, which serves to educate lawyers and the general public about the status of women in the legal profession and the legal issues affecting women. [8] The foundation promotes these goals in multiple ways, including:
A current list of the board of governors can be found on the CWL website. [11]
The CWL In-House Counsel Network (“IHCN”) was created so that CWL and in-house counsel from across the state, and from across industries, could partner on an agenda that included advancing women in law and business, gender pay equity, diversity in corporate legal and executive departments, leadership training, and educational, networking and community service opportunities.
Membership in the IHCN is limited to in-house lawyers providing legal services or serving in corporate executive positions solely for the company which employs them. “In-House Counsel” includes corporate counsel of public, private, large and small companies, non-profits, and educational institutions. The founding members of the network include Catherine Lacavera, director of litigation for Google; Sally Narey, general counsel for Fireman's Fund Insurance Company; Michelle Banks, general counsel of Gap; Natalie Panossian, senior counsel for Ricoh Printing Systems America, and Lynne Carrithers, managing counsel for Occidental Petroleum. [12]
Other founding members include: Olga Balderama, general counsel for Ruiz Foods; Suzan “Sam” Miller, vice president of legal and corporate affairs as well as deputy general counsel for Intel; Dawn Smith, general counsel for VMware; Catherine McEvilly, vice president and general counsel for Honda North America; Laura Stein, general counsel for The Clorox Company; Erika Rottenberg, general counsel for LinkedIn, and Debra Zumwalt, general counsel for Stanford University. [12]
The Founding Mothers of CWL included:
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