California Women Lawyers (CWL) is the statewide

bar association A bar association is a professional association of lawyers as generally organized in countries following the Anglo-American types of jurisprudence. The word bar is derived from the old English/European custom of using a physical railing to separ ...

for women in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Headquartered in

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, CWL was founded in 1974 to seek the professional advancement of women lawyers, to promote gender equity in the legal profession and the

judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

, and to advance women's rights generally.

Programs

"So You Want to Be a Judge?" aims to demystify the judicial application process and to encourage women in California to seek judicial appointment. Panelists have included the judicial appointments advisor of the

Governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constitution of California, the g ...

, members of the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (JNE), and sitting judges and justices from throughout the state. Panelists teach lawyers how to build the strongest

résumé A résumé, sometimes spelled resume (or alternatively resumé), also called a curriculum vitae (CV), is a document created and used by a person to present their background, skills, and accomplishments. Résumés can be used for a variety of re ...

and gather support for appointment or election. "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. 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.

Legislative advocacy

CWL promotes state and national policy initiatives meant to improve women's lives. CWL has voiced support for the

Violence Against Women Act The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) is a United States federal law (Title IV of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, ) signed by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994. The Act provided $1.6 billion toward investig ...

, bills that protect women's reproductive rights, and a resolution urging California corporations to include more women on their boards of directors. 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 Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...

, domestic violence, gun violence and sex crimes), 3) human rights and equality, 4) court funding and access to justice, and 5) economics. CWL has advocated for many bills on its legislative agenda, such as: * AB 1517, which sought to expedite the processing of DNA

rape kit A rape kit or rape test kit is a package of items used by medical personnel for gathering and preserving physical evidence following an allegation of sexual assault. The evidence collected from the victim can aid the criminal rape investigation an ...

s. CWL drafted a letter in support of this bill, and wrote directly to the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...

(FBI) urging it to increase the speed in which DNA is tested and uploaded into the FBI's

Combined DNA Index System The Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) is the United States national DNA database created and maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. CODIS consists of three levels of information; Local DNA Index Systems (LDIS) where DNA profiles orig ...

(CODIS). * SB 477, which protected documented foreign workers from abuse and human trafficking by banning labor contractors from charging recruitment fees and requiring full disclosure of employment conditions. CWL drafted a letter in support of this bill. * SB 899, which protects newborn's health and safety while prohibiting the state from inserting itself into the private reproductive and medical decisions of families just because of income level. CWL drafted a letter in support of this bill. * SB 939, which would streamline the prosecution of human trafficking charges and help victims avoid the trauma of testifying in multiple jurisdictions against their traffickers. CWL drafted a letter in support of this bill. * In addition to these bills, CWL supported

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Reve ...

and sent letters of support for each bill on their legislative agenda. (AB 1755, AB 1841, AB 1805, and AB 1759). * CWL supported military spouses by sending a letter to California Chief Justice

Tani Cantil-Sakauye Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye ( née Cantil; born October 19, 1959) is an American lawyer and jurist who was the 28th Chief Justice of California and is the president/ CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California. Nominated by Governor Arnold Sch ...

in support of the Military Spouse JD Network's drafted model rule urging that military spouses be treated similarly to corporate counsel, allowing them to practice law on a limited basis in states to which they are relocated due to their spouse's service. * CWL, along with the County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDACA), joined the Commercially Sexually Exploited Children Coalition (CSEC) and sent letters in support of, and testified on behalf of, an increase to the CWDACA's budget to provide training and programming for CSEC. SB 855, which included the increase, was signed into law; it establishes the CSEC program and clarifies the jurisdiction of CSEC under the child welfare system. * At the federal level, CWL was one of the first 50 organizations in the country to sign on in support of the Protect Women's Health From Corporate Interference Act of 2014, also known as the "Not My Boss’s Business Bill". * 2014 legislative work was especially focused on the use of social media. CWL worked with several national

grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...

social media campaigns using tweet "storms" and national " town halls" to address the public.

Amicus advocacy

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 An ''amicus curiae'' (; ) is an individual or organization who is not a party to a legal case, but who is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case. The decision on ...

on these core issues in the

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

, the

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * District o ...

, the

California Supreme Court The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court of appeals in the courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacra ...

and the

California courts of appeal The California Courts of Appeal are the state intermediate appellate courts in the U.S. state of California. The state is geographically divided along county lines into six appellate districts.

. Recently CWL has been amici in briefs supporting same sex marriages, equal treatment of female and male student athletes, and the

Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presid ...

’s requirement of full insurance coverage of contraceptives approved by the

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...

(FDA): * ''Obergefell v. Hodges'', ''Tanco v. Haslam'', ''DeBoer v. Snyder'' and ''Bourke v. Beshear'' – In 2015, CWL joined the

National Women's Law Center The National Women's Law Center (NWLC) is a United States non-profit organization founded by Marcia Greenberger in 1972 and based in Washington, D.C. The Center advocates for women's rights and LGBTQ rights through litigation and policy initiati ...

(NWLC) in an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court in support of same sex marriages in Ohio, Tennessee, Michigan and Kentucky, and throughout the country. * ''Ollier v. Sweetwater'' – In 2014, CWL joined the NWLC in an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit. Ollier involved several questions of importance in the continuing effort to ensure that women and girls are treated equally in athletics. Female student-athletes brought a

class action A class action, also known as a class-action lawsuit, class suit, or representative action, is a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member or members of that group. The class actio ...

against a California

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

district, alleging unlawful sex discrimination for failing to provide equal athletic participation opportunities and equal treatment/benefits in violation of

Title IX Title IX is the most commonly used name for the federal civil rights law in the United States that was enacted as part (Title IX) of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other educat ...

. The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court judgment granting declaratory and injunctive relief on September 19, 2014. * ''

Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby ''Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.'', 573 U.S. 682 (2014), is a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark decision in United States corporate law by the Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court allow ...

'' and ''Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Sebelius'' – CWL joined the NWLC in an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court in support of the Affordable Care Act's requirement of full insurance coverage of FDA approved contraceptives. However, on June 30, 2014, the Court ruled that requiring closely held corporations to provide health-insurance coverage for methods of contraception that violate the sincerely held religious beliefs of the companies' owners violates the

Religious Freedom Restoration Act The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, Pub. L. No. 103-141, 107 Stat. 1488 (November 16, 1993), codified at through (also known as RFRA, pronounced "rifra"), is a 1993 United States federal law that "ensures that interests in religiou ...

of 1993.

Judicial evaluations and nominations

Each year, candidates seeking judicial nomination request that CWL research and rate their qualifications for judicial appointment. CWL's confidential ratings are shared directly with the California governor's office. 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.

Annual conference

CWL's annual conference is a full day of educational programming tailored to address issues affecting women in law and society. Recent keynote speakers include

Nancy Pelosi Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...

, Kamala Harris, Patricia Gillette, Catherine Lacavera, The Hon. Joan Dempsey Klein and professor and author Joan C. Williams.

Annual dinner and silent auction

Prior to 2017, the CWL Annual Dinner was held on the first night of the

California State Bar The State Bar of California is California's official attorney licensing agency. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, prescribing appropriate disciplin ...

annual meeting, attended by lawyers and jurists from throughout the state. 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. At this dinner, the CWL Foundation hosts a

silent auction An auction is usually a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from the lowest bidder. Some exceptions to this definition ex ...

to raise money for the foundation's work.

CWL Foundation

The CWL Foundation is a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

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. The foundation promotes these goals in multiple ways, including: * Facilitating academic

stipend A stipend is a regular fixed sum of money paid for services or to defray expenses, such as for scholarship, internship, or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from an income or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work pe ...

s for women, as they study for the California bar exam or work their way through law school. * Generating and distributing educational materials about equal access and opportunities for women in law and society. The Foundation's 2010 project, "Lessons from Our Mothers," chronicles the California history of women in the legal profession and CWL's role in that history. * Co-sponsoring the San Francisco Color of Justice Program, which won the 2012 Public Service Award from the National Conference of Women's Bar Associations. The program's other sponsors were the

San Francisco County Superior Court The Superior Court of California of the County of San Francisco is the state superior court with jurisdiction over the City and County of San Francisco. History In 1976 the Court helped to create the San Francisco Pretrial Diversion Project, a ...

, the National Association of Women Judges, CWL affiliate Queen's Bench Bar Association, and Balboa High School. In the continuing program, inner-city minority and

underprivileged Social privilege is a theory of special advantage or entitlement, which benefits one person, often to the detriment of others. Privileged groups can be advantaged based on education, social class, caste, age, height, weight, nationality, geogra ...

students take part in panel discussions by judges and lawyers, a mock argument, and small-group discussions.

Leadership

A current list of the board of governors can be found on the CWL website.

In-house counsel network

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 Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...

; Sally Narey, general counsel for

Fireman's Fund Insurance Company Fireman's Fund Insurance Company was an insurance company based in Petaluma, California which provided personal and commercial property and casualty insurance products in the United States. The company was a principal U.S. subsidiary of Allianz, ...

; Michelle Banks, general counsel of Gap; Natalie Panossian, senior counsel for

Ricoh is a Japanese multinational imaging and electronics company (law), company. It was founded by the now-defunct commercial division of the Riken, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (Riken) known as the ''Riken concern (business), Concer ...

Printing Systems America, and Lynne Carrithers, managing counsel for

Occidental Petroleum Occidental Petroleum Corporation (often abbreviated Oxy in reference to its ticker symbol and logo) is an American company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration in the United States, and the Middle East as well as petrochemical manufacturing in the ...

. Other founding members include: Olga Balderama, general counsel for

Ruiz Foods Ruiz Foods is an American food production and service company based in Dinuba, California, founded in 1964 by Louis Ruiz and his son, Fred. As of April 2010, it was the top seller of frozen Mexican dishes in the US and Canada. Under the brand nam ...

; Suzan “Sam” Miller, vice president of legal and corporate affairs as well as deputy general counsel for

Intel Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, and is one of the developers of the x86 seri ...

; Dawn Smith, general counsel for

VMware VMware, Inc. is an American cloud computing and virtualization technology company with headquarters in Palo Alto, California. VMware was the first commercially successful company to virtualize the x86 architecture. VMware's desktop software ru ...

; Catherine McEvilly, vice president and general counsel for Honda North America; Laura Stein, general counsel for

The Clorox Company The Clorox Company (formerly Clorox Chemical Company) is an American global manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products. As of 2020 the Oakland, California based company had approximately 8,800 employees worldwide. Net sales ...

; Erika Rottenberg, general counsel for

LinkedIn LinkedIn () is an American business and employment-oriented online service that operates via websites and mobile apps. Launched on May 5, 2003, the platform is primarily used for professional networking and career development, and allows job se ...

, and Debra Zumwalt, general counsel for

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

Founders

The Founding Mothers of CWL included: * Carol Agate * Edna R. S. Alvarez * Dagny Winkler Andreassen * Blanche C. Bersch * Justice Rose E. Bird * Betty Bryant * Jeanette Christy * Judith E. Ciani * Arlene Colman-Schwimmer * Hon. Patricia Yim Cowett * Georgia Franklin-Shutan * Joanne M. Garvey * Sue Hone * Hon. Barbara Barnhouse Johnson * Carolyn Kammler * Melodie M. Kleiman * Justice Joan Dempsey Klein * Janice E. Koll * Hon. Lucy Kelly McCabe * Judith G. McKelvey * Olga A. Miller * Ruth Miller Rymer * Marjory Winston Parker * Barbara Price * Hon. Roberta Ralph, Ret. * Drucilla Stender Ramey * Hon. Louise H. Renne * Renee Rubin * Beverly Savitt *

Lynn Schenk Lynn Alice Schenk (born January 5, 1945) is an American politician and lawyer from California. A Democrat, she served one term in the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 1995. Biography Schenk was born in 1945, in the Bronx, t ...

* Candis Scott * Carol Ruth Silver * Mary-Louise Smith *

Fay Stender Fay Abrahams Stender (March 29, 1932 – May 19, 1980) was an American lawyer from the San Francisco Bay Area, and a prisoner rights activist. Some of her better-known clients included Black Panther leader Huey Newton, and the Soledad Brothers, ...

* Karen Pedersen Stevens * Diane Wayne * Elizabeth Yahn Williams * Norma Zarky

Past presidents

* Ana Storey, 2021-2022 * Naomi Dewey, 2020-2021 * Jessica Rowe, 2019-2020 * Amee Mikacich, 2018-2019 * Renee N.G. Stackhouse, 2017-2018 * Chris Goodman, 2016-2017 * Kelly Robbins, 2015-2016 * Wendy Behan, 2014-2015 * Neda Mansoorian, 2013-2014 * Eliza M. Rodrigues, 2012-2013 * Patricia Sturdevant, 2011-2012 * Nancy E. O’Malley, 2009-2011 * Jean M. Pledger, 2008-2009 * Karen M. Goodman, 2007-2008 * Angela J. Davis, 2006-2007 * Pearl Gondrella Mann, 2005-2006 * Hon. Marguerite D. Downing, 2004-2005 * Candace M. Carroll, 2003-2004 * Andrea S. Carlise, 2002-2003 * Belynda Reck, 2001-2002 * Carol C. Copsey, 2000-2001 * Nancy Hoffmeier Zamora, 1999-2000 * Gillian M. Ross, 1998-1999 * Grace E. Emery, (Dec.), 1997-1998 * Vivian L. Kral, 1996-1997 * E. Jean Gary, 1995-1996 * Dawn M. Schock, 1994-1995 * Lisa E. Brandon, 1993-1994 * Hon. Angela Bradstreet, 1993-1993 * Anne D. McGowan, 1991-1992 * Doris Coleman, (Dec.), 1989-1990, 1990-1991 * Hon. Marjorie Laird Carter, 1988-1989 * Janice Kamenir-Reznik, 1987-1988 * Pauline Weaver, 1986-1987 * Patricia A. Shiu, 1985-1986 * Pamela J. Jester, 1984-1985 * Hon. Meredith C. Taylor (Ret.), 1983-1984 * Christine Curtis, 1982-1983 * Susan R. Stockel, 1981-1982 * Eileen Cochran (Dec.) * Marjorie M. Holmes, 1980-1981 * Hon. Barbara T. Gamer (Ret.), 1979-1980 * Hon. Isabel Cohen (Ret.), 1979 * Melodie M. Kleiman, 1978-1979 * Louise Renne, 1977-1978 * Hon. Barbara J. Johnson, 1976-1977 * Judith McKelvey, 1975-1976 * Hon. Joan Dempsey Klein, Provisional President * Hon. Roberta Ralph (Ret.) * Co-Chair, Organizing Committee, 1974 * Joanne M. Garvey (Dec.) * Co-Chair Organizing Committee, 1974

References

External links

CWL 40th Anniversary Video

CWL Website

CWL Elect to Run Video
{{Authority control 1974 establishments in California California law Organizations established in 1974 Women in California