Lawyers Club Blog (ARCHIVE)

We would like to congratulate the Honorable M. Margaret McKeown who was elected to the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  Founded in 1780 by John Adams, John Hancock, and 60 other scholars, the academy is both an honorary society and an independent research center.  Academy members include individuals such as Professor Anita Hill, former Attorney General Eric Holder, and the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. 
 

This year you have an opportunity to participate in an event that only occurs once in decade.  However, a recent article in The New York Times highlighted that a recent survey found that fewer women than men intended to participate in this year’s census. This is concerning because the census count determines how valuable federal funds get distributed to the states.  This federal funding is vital to many services that women depend on, including, but not limited to, funding for childcare, programs to protect women and children from domestic violence, and healthcare.  The study also found that women of color were even less likely to express an intention to participate.  This is equally concerning because women of color tend to live in communities most in need of these vital services for women.  
 

As you know, Lawyers Club is currently hosting elections for the new board positions for next year.  If you have not voted for any of the fantastic candidates, you still have time.  While COVID-19 has prevented many of you from meeting our candidates in person, you still have an opportunity to meet the candidates virtually.  Each of the candidates has prepared a video to provide you that opportunity.  You can see the videos on our LinkedIn, IG and FB even without an account.  I encourage you to take time to view the videos to obtain insight on each of the candidates’ qualifications and vision for next year’s board.
 

At this point, I am sure that many of you are starting to feel the effects of cabin fever.  There are several ways you can ease the tension of being constrained at home, which include maintaining a routine, staying physically and mentally active, and connecting with others.  Seriously, take some time away from the news and your work to walk outside in the fresh air and in the sun.  You will be surprised how effective this can be to combat the dreariness of being indoors.  
 

When we began this year, none us fathomed that three months into the year a grand majority of San Diegans would be working from home. Tragically, our nation is currently facing a
pandemic, and we have been asked to do our part to “flatten the curve” of the spread of the virus by staying home and practicing social distancing. 

It is the time of year when we ask our members to vote for our new cohort of Lawyers Club board members.  Our board members are the backbone of the organization who ensure that engaging and valuable programming fulfills our mission and values.  I have found serving on the board as an especially rewarding experience. Our board members are talented women who devote countless hours of their time and inspire others to continue to carry the torch of the fight for equality.
 

With the turmoil caused by the coronavirus, I wanted to reassure our members that Lawyers Club is looking for ways to pursue our mission during these difficult times.  This is especially important for our future members still in law school.  As you can imagine with the significant disruptions to business and the market, the immediate future for law students may be especially difficult.  Given the importance of increasing the pipeline of women attorneys in our community, providing mentorship and networking opportunities to local law students is imperative.  While Lawyers Club normally provides a Speed Mentoring event each year for local law students, this year’s event will not be cancelled but modified.
 

While Lawyers Club’s International Women’s Day luncheon was postponed, we can still acknowledge the importance of International Women’s Day by recognizing the struggles of women outside our country.  Women in Mexico marked International Women’s Day by joining in a nationwide protest and strike against the extraordinary level of violence perpetrated against women. 
 

We recognize Equal Pay Day, the date that women must work after the end of the previous year to achieve the same pay as men, on March 31. In other words, women must work an additional 90 days before they achieve the same pay for the same work as men. While the U.S. women’s soccer team has recently brought equal pay to the forefront of public discourse, disparate compensation affects all women, including women in the legal profession.
 

February marks the beginning of Black History Month, which provides an opportunity to create awareness of some of the inequalities that black women face in the workforce.  For example, black women earn only 65% of the wages earned by men and they will not achieve pay equity until August 13, 2020. In addition, black associates in the legal profession have been declining every year since 2009, and women of color are more likely to leave the practice of law than other women.  This data serves as a reminder of the importance for Lawyers Club to advocate for improving the outcomes for women of color in the legal field.