On November 20th &
21st over 300 women gathered in Chicago for Ms. JD's 3rd Conference on Women in
the Law: Avenues to Advancement. The first day of the conference featured a
day-long skills workshop for law students facilitated by the Project on
Attorney Retention and the University of Texas School of Law Center for Women
in Law. The second day of the conference included panel discussions on a wide
range of topics including "The Old Girls Club: Maximizing Women's
Initiative Effectiveness", "The Indispensable Junior Associate,"
and "Bring on the Rain: Business Development Strategies." Speakers
and panelists included Michele Mayes, VP & GC Allstate Insurance; Andrea
Zopp, VP & GC Exelon Corp.; Cathy Lamobley, former GC Shell Oil Co.; Sue
Bettman, VP & GC R R Donnelley & Sons Co.; Judge Joan Lefkow, Northern
District of Illinois; Kelly Hoey, President 85 Broads; and Corrine Wood, former
Lt. Governor of Illinois.
The feedback from conference attendees has been overwhelmingly positive.
Students rated the skills-workshop among the most valuable experiences of their
legal education. That assessment was echoed by the volunteer faculty who worked
with them and described the workshop as the best of its kind. Given this
feedback, Ms. JD now plans to replicate this workshop model for junior
associates as well as other students groups. Of course the aim of the
conference was not just to disseminate content, but also to strengthen Ms. JD's
community presence. On that count the conference was a smashing success. In the
months following the conference Ms. JD's online traffic has steadily increased
and now receives roughly 115,000 unique visits per month, making Ms. JD.org the
central online meeting place for women in law and the nexus between women in
the profession and law students aspiring to join them.
Ms. JD is a nonprofit, nonpartisan web-based community founded by female law
students and dedicated to reinforcing and expanding the representation of women
in law school and the legal profession. Between 1948 and 2001 the number
of women attending law school consistently increased. That trend appears to
have reversed. Every year for the last 8 years the proportion of law school
classes occupied by women has decreased. Ms. JD aims to get our profession
and our institutions back on track.
The Blog: Ms JD.org features content ranging from “Advice on Taking the Bar
Exam” and “How to Get a Clerkship” to “What to Wear to an Interview” and
“Networking Advice for Female Law Students.” Contributors include
students and young attorneys along with notable guest bloggers like Justice
Sandra Day O'Connor, General Elena Kagan, Slate.com's Dahlia Lithwick,
Professor Herma Hill Kay, Professor Barbara Babcock, and Judge Dorothy Nelson.
The Network: In 2008, Ms. JD formed the National Women Law Students’
Organization at 70 law schools. NWLSO continues to grow, with local
events throughout the year and annual gatherings at Ms. JD's conferences.
Through NWLSO, Ms. JD has created a “rapid response” network that connects
professionals to students and can spread news about women in the law, job
opportunities, resources, and events.
The Library: Two years ago Ms. JD created the most comprehensive online
collection of resources available on women in the law. The Library, now jointly
maintained with the University of Texas School of Law Center for Women in Law,
holds hundreds of articles, reports, and best practice recommendations on all
topics relevant to women in the legal profession.
The Scholarship: Every summer Ms. JD funds summer stipends for two female law
students dedicated to public interest work. Past recipients have used their
stipends to intern at the ICC in the Hague, the JAG Corps, the ACLU Voting
Rights Project, and the Equal Justice Foundation.
The Fellowship: Ms. JD is launching the Leadership Fellows program. In
conjunction with the ABA's Commission on Women in the Profession's Margaret
Brent Award, Ms. JD will match 20 high-achieving female law students with
mentors from among the Commission's alumnae of commissioners and award winners.
The one-year program is designed to foster a commitment to excellence in a new
generation of women attorneys, inspired by the generation of trailblazers who
paved the way for their success.
The Research: In 2009, Ms. JD launched its first original research initiative,
collecting data on the representation of women in orders of the coif, law
reviews, and clerkship placements at the nation's top law schools.
Ms. JD spreads the word: women's victories are everyone's victories!
www.ms-jd.org