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YOU NEED US, AND WE NEED YOU
Women's Bar Review, March/April 2009
Traditionally, a new bar association president announces her priorities at the beginning of her term. I have three priorities: membership, membership, membership. Accordingly, in the 2009-10 year, the Women's Bar Association plans to add new members and build current members' connection to the WBA. Growth and depth are key as the WBA furthers its mission in a difficult economy. It has never been more important for you to join, and maintain your membership in, the WBA.
Simply put: you need us, and we need you.
The Economy - An Opportunity for Change
The WBA has grown significantly in the past few years and we have no intention of changing this trend, even in a bad economy. In fact, the economy may be a vehicle for growth and change, for several reasons.
First, there can be no debate that, while a down economy hurts everyone, women are disproportionately affected. Start with the proposed budget cuts for the courts. Women's access to justice for 209A Abuse Prevention Orders is going to be dramatically impacted as courthouses close. This means that, in addition to the many financial and emotional hurdles already facing her, a woman must now travel to another town to secure her safety. That woman will do so with less support and likely less efficiency, as the courts grapple with their financial limitations. Similarly, the court employees affected by the proposed layoffs are disproportionately female.
Also, some lawyers are beginning to examine whether layoffs at law firms are magnifying the already uneven advancement of women in private practice. For example, we question whether women are being laid off at the same rate as men. Further, we are concerned that the women who survive the layoffs may not be getting the "plum" assignments, or may be receiving fewer opportunities and work experiences that will help them grow. In addition, the rates at which women are being promoted to equity partner in this economy - already at a crawl - has slowed even further. These are issues that are at the forefront of the WBA agenda.
Perhaps one way to look at the economic downturn is as an opportunity, not solely a burden. For example, the WBA and other groups have long been documenting the harm that the billable hour model can inflict on a family. When success is measured based on the number of hours worked, there is no question that families suffer, as attorneys - male and female - sacrifice family time to meet billable hour requirements. With the decline in the economy, clients are demanding that firms be more flexible and creative in their billings than the billable hour model allows. Perhaps this is an opportunity to propose some alternatives, by necessity, to this model that can be so unfriendly to the family and to the advancement of women in our profession. There are likely many other ways that the economy will promote positive change.
Join and get involved
Maintaining your connection to the WBA is therefore more important than ever. The bar and society at large count on the WBA for its unique voice and unwavering focus on how events, including the economy, affect women.
At a more individual level, it has never been more important for attorneys to network and connect, both to find jobs and to help develop business and expertise in current jobs.
For these reasons, we need lawyers to join - and maintain - their membership. Even if you do not feel you are as "active" in the WBA as you might wish to be, you are still adding your voice to the WBA through your membership. By adding your name to our ever-growing ranks, you help us achieve goals for you and the bar - adding more women to the bench, monitoring legislation that affects women, and acting as a watchdog for our professional by ensuring it is held to a high standard.
In addition, the WBA would certainly benefit from each member increasing her level of involvement. Join one of our twenty-one committees and help projects and activities in an area most important to you. Consider bar leadership, so you can help direct the WBA now and in the future.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have ideas for how the WBA can better serve you and better serve our mission. My email address is mpeirce@dbslawfirm.com.
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