Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts
In 1978, a group of activist women lawyers met for dinner at Dini's on Tremont Street in Boston. The discussion that night revolved around the concern that no bar association in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was speaking out on issues affecting women and women lawyers. Equally troubling to these early pioneers was the significant lack of women on the bench, and the failure of any bar association to actively encourage women to serve in the judiciary. These women were convinced that a bar association that spoke out on behalf of women's issues would garner membership and gain credibility in the legal community. Thus, in the spring of 1978, the Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts was born. Today, 30 years later, the WBA & WBF occupy a small office suite on School Street, not far from where Dini's used to be. The Women's Bar Foundation (WBF) was founded in 1993 to oversee their charitable activities. Together, the staff of the WBA and WBF consist of a full-time executive director, membership director, strategic partnerships director, business manager, and administrative assistant, as well as a deputy director for both organizations and a staff attorney for the Family Law Project. The WBA has a Legislative Committee that seeks to advance various legislative priorities surrounding women and the law. The WBA has a total of 30 committees, created to meet the individual needs of all women lawyers. Individual WBA committees hold socials and meetings all throughout the year. Additionally, the WBA offers programs and workshops to help women market themselves, to assist members in building practices, and to expose women to important business development opportunities. Some of these events have included: Mentoring Circles, Speed-Networking, "Work/Life Balance," "Demystifying the Path to Government Appointments," "Women In Politics: Challenges And Trends," as well as various panel discussions and guest speakers. Each year, the WBA also hosts their annual WBA Gala, which is a fundraiser where proceeds go toward supporting the continuance of the WBA. There is also an annual legislative breakfast, in which WBA members discuss new policy objectives and reflect on past achievements. There is also the WBA Annual Meeting & Newly Admitted Lawyers Reception and the Annual Summer Associate, Law Clerk and Intern Reception. The WBA has a newly designed, interactive web site, and also publishes the Women's Bar Review, a quarterly newspaper, and the annual Chronicle magazine. The WBA Employment Issues Committee also publishes an annual "Employment Report" on women attorneys in Massachusetts. The press regularly consults WBA leadership on issues of concern to women. Thanks to the initial founders of the organization, current leadership and members, the WBA is a vibrant organization with a powerful mission.
History
The Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts (WBA) has over 1500 members and was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1978 with a goal to achieve the full and equal participation of women in the legal profession and in a just society. It is one of the oldest and largest women's bar associations in the country.