I am both honored and excited to be president of SCWLA this year because we have so many thrilling projects and events happening in 2011. SCWLA has developed organizational goals which are set forth on our website: http://www.scwla.org/about.asp

• To encourage and promote the advancement of women in the profession of law.
  
• To provide opportunities for the development of collegiality and mentoring among women lawyers.
  
• To enhance the professional lives of women lawyers.
  
• To increase the number of women in the judiciary.
  
• To provide a forum to consider and address issues unique to women in the legal profession.
  

The many exciting programs filling SCWLA’s 2011 calendar and described below are designed to advance all of these goals.

I encourage you to become active and involved in SCWLA activities. Don’t just check the dues payment box on the Bar renewal letter. Instead, get out of your office and join us. Attend the annual CLE and the programs in your region, come to the Bissell Reception, get mentoring or offer to be a mentor, complete your profile and use the SCWLA directory as a referral source, friend SCWLA on Facebook, raise money for community projects, speak out for an independent and diverse judiciary, or decide to run for public office!

Getting active in SCWLA can be very rewarding, both personally and professionally. I look forward to seeing YOU at an upcoming SCWLA!

Elizabeth Zeck, President

Forums for Women Lawyers

Annual CLE:
SCWLA’s annual conference advances our goal of “provid[ing] a forum to consider and address issues unique to women in the legal profession.” This year’s program is entitled “Women Lawyers and Leadership: Status and Success in a Changed Profession”  and features nationally recognized speakers Professor Anita Hill, Gloria Felt, Gloria Steinem, and Prof. Felice Batalan of the University of Chicago, as well as South Carolina leaders, Chief Justice Jean Toal, Belinda Gergel, and Deb Sofiel, among others. The full conference brochure is available here: http://www.scwla.org/conf2011.asp.

f you haven’t already registered, please do so immediately and make plans to join us in Columbia on October 21st for this great event.

Bissell Award:
SCWLA also recognizes excellence in the profession and in advancing the goals of women in law through its Bissell Award, named after Jean Galloway Bissell, the first South Carolina woman to serve as a federal judge. http://www.scwla.org/bissell.asp This year we will be recognizing yet another outstanding award winner at the Bissell Reception, to be held immediately following the CLE on October 21st at the beautiful rooftop conference facility of the Nexsen Pruet law firm. We hope to see you there!

In addition to the annual meeting and Bissell Reception, most of SCWLA’s regions now offer opportunities to network with other women lawyers at regularly scheduled luncheon meetings. Many meetings also include free or low-cost CLE credit. If you are not already receiving reminder emails about the meetings in your region, please contact SCWLA Administrator Angel Warren (angelwarren@msn.com).

In addition to our great website http://www.scwla.org/, SCWLA now is on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/South-Carolina-Women-Lawyers-Association-SCWLA/246339578744351 If you prefer to receive updates on SCWLA activities through this social network, be sure to “friend” us now.

SCWLA Foundation
To promote SCWLA’s community outreach work, we are in the process of creating a separate tax-exempt charitable organization to be known as the SCWLA Foundation. The SCWLA Foundation will give grants to community organizations promoting the interests of women and children in South Carolina, assist SCWLA members in identifying pro bono opportunities to both enhance their professional interests and also give back to the community, and sponsor scholarships for law students who have shown interest in and ability to advance SCWLA’s mission. If you are interested in working on or with the new Foundation, please contact me, Elizabeth Zeck (ezeck@willoughbyhoefer.com).

The kick-off fundraising event for the SCWLA Foundation will be a silent auction held during the October 21st CLE. If you are interested in donating items for the auction, please contact Community Outreach chairs Tara Shurling (tdshurling@aol.com) or Marguerite Willis (MWillis@nexsenpruet.com).

Professional Enhancement/Mentoring
SCWLA is working hard to support its members in these difficult economic times.
In addition to the free/low-cost CLE offered through the monthly regional luncheons, the Professional Development Committee is offering several free/low cost seminars to assist lawyers in starting up their own practices. These programs should assist both brand new lawyers and those who are just now venturing out on their own without the support of an established law firm. The first seminar will be held on October 14th at the Charleston School of Law: http://www.scwla.org/pressrelease.asp?NID=170. A similar program will be held in Columbia in early 2012. Additional information is available from committee chairs Abigail Walsh (abigail@williamsandwalshlaw.com) and Kelly Jolley (KJolley@MCNAIR.NET).

SCWLA also encourages its members to support each other through referrals. SCWLA’s Member Directory http://www.scwla.org/directory.asp is now searchable by name and key word. So if you get a call from a friend, relative or client needing legal services outside your area of practice, consider looking for a sister SCWLA member who can help out. The directory can be a great resource for referrals, but only if YOUR information is included. I urge every SCWLA member to update their member profile to include their complete professional contact information, practice areas and photograph. The link for updating your profile is here: http://www.scwla.org/login.asp. If you need help, our webmaster Stephanie Nye (SNye@sccourts.org) would be happy to assist you.

The Mentoring Committee is developing a program designed to offer newer SCWLA members the opportunity to develop meaningful, one-on-one relationships with accomplished attorneys. The initial group of mentors and protégés in the Ladder Program has already been paired, but later classes will be forming soon. If you are interested either in being a mentor or receiving mentoring, please contact committee chairs, Jennifer Rubin (rubin@rtt-law.com) or Stephanie Nye (snye@sccourts.org).

Promoting an Independent and Diverse Judiciary
One of SCWLA’s core goals is to increase the number of women in the judiciary. SCWLA continues to partner with the League of Women Voters in the Initiative on Judicial Independence and Diversity. Find out how you can get involved in this important project here: http://www.scwla.org/pressrelease.asp?NID=144

An allied goal to increasing diversity on the bench is to increase it at the Statehouse (and in City Halls and County Councils). South Carolina has the dubious distinction of ranking 51st in the percentage of women holding elected office. SCWLA works with the South Eastern Institute for Women in Politics to sponsor trainings for those considering a run for public office. If you are interested in serving as an elected official or being appointed to a public board or commission, please contact Ladder Group chair Amie Clifford (aclifford@cpc.sc.gov).