December Meeting
Wednesday,
December 5, 2001
12:30 p.m.
Capital Club
Reserve My Spot

Newsletter Sponsored by American National Lawyers Insurance Reciprocal              December 2001
                                       (Risk Retention Group)

LOCATION: Capital Club
  Three James Center, Fourth Floor
  1051 East Cary Street

COST: $16.00 for members
  $19.00 for non-members

RSVP:  Stephanie Grana
  voice mail: 644-1400
  e-mail: sgrana@cantorarkema.com
  Please respond by 5:00 p.m.,
  Friday, November 30th

PAYMENT: Mail in advance to:
  MRWBA
  P.O. Box 538
  Richmond, Virginia  23218-0538

PARKING: Use James Center parking deck
  Validated parking up to $5.00

NOTICE:
All luncheon reservations must be made by the deadline specified above.  Reservations may be cancelled prior to this deadline.  You must make a reservation even if you mail your check.  No reservations made after the deadline are guaranteed.  Limited walk-in spaces are available for each luncheon on a first-come-first-served basis.

If you do not attend the luncheon after making a reservation and do not cancel prior to the deadline, you will be charged for the cost of the luncheon.  If you have made a reservation and cannot attend the luncheon, you may substitute someone in your place.  However, you (or your substitute) must advise Stephanie Grana (644-1400) or sgrana@cantorarkema.com) of such substitution prior to or at the luncheon.

If you have any questions about the billing process, please contact Laura White, Treasurer (775-1409 or lwhite@mcguirewoods.com).

Luncheon Program:

MRWBA
Women of Achievement Award Presentation to
Darrel Tillar Mason

Please join us for our annual holiday luncheon, which will feature an awards presentation of this year's recipient of the Women of Achievement Award to Darrel Tillar Mason.

Pianist Tommy Witten will provide musical entertainment.

Members are encouraged to invite their assistants or other office personnel to show appreciation for their hard work.
-------------------------------

Darrel Tillar Mason is an attorney in private practice in Richmond where she focuses her practice in the area of special education law.  She is the founder of the Virginia Coalition for Students with Disabilities Legal Advocacy Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing families with legal assistance necessary to represent effectively children's educational rights.  Ms. Mason also serves as contract counsel for the Department for the Rights of Virginians with Disabilities and has served as a Special Education Hearing Officer through the Virginia Supreme Court.  Ms. Mason formerly served as Vice President of the State Board of Education.  She presently serves on the Board of Directors of TAP-VA (The Autism Program of Virginia) and is Vice

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MRWBA Newsletter December 2001
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PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS

The MRWBA Public Service Committee has recently partnered with Flagler House at St. Joseph's Villa to provide monthly educational programs for its residents. St. Joseph's Villa is a dynamic multi-service human service organization serving more than 400 families and their children each day.  Flagler House, one of the Villa's many programs on its 82-acre campus in Henrico County, provides transitional housing for homeless women and their children. MRWBA has agreed to "adopt" one night a month at Flagler House for our members to provide practical and useful legal information to its  residents. Each volunteer instructor will prepare about a one and 1/2 hour presentation (creativity encouraged!) that covers an area of law of particular interest to the residents, such as child support/custody, employment, landlord/tenant and bankruptcy.
If you are interested in volunteering with this amazing new endeavor, or have any questions, please contact Tara Casey, at 804-916-2931 or at tara_casey@ca4.uscourts.gov .

MRWBA Newsletter December 2001
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Continued from Page 1

Chair of the Board of Directors of the Appalachia Educational Laboratory, a federally funded education research program.   

A member of the Virginia State Bar, Ms. Mason received her Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1981 and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and a Master of Arts Degree in Education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. 

Ms. Mason has served as a member of the Virginia State Bar Council, the Bar's
Legal Ethics Committee, and has chaired the Bar's Lawyer Malpractice Insurance Committee.  She is an active member and past president of the Virginia Women Attorney's Association and has served as editor of its legal journal.  Ms. Mason frequently presents seminars on legal topics and has written numerous articles on a variety of legal and social issues.

MEMBERSHIP NEWS

You Belong in the MRWBA

Although the "official" deadline has passed, it is not too late to send in your dues and renew your membership! (The deadline this year was July 31st so membership rolls would be updated before the September monthly meeting.)

Also, please tell the other women attorneys in your office about the benefits of membership in the MRWBA and encourage them to join. These benefits include: networking and support, career enhancement opportunities, CLE programs, judicial candidate development, public service opportunities, a mentor program and legislative monitoring.

For a renewal form, please contact Renata Manzo at rmanzo@hunton.com. Applications are available at our website: www.mrwba.org.

For the first time, MRWBA is offering a reduced rate of $45 for previous MRWBA members who did not renew their memberships last year. Please spread the word that we want old members back! A "Returning Member" application is available on the website. Please note that the Returning Member form is not for membership renewals!

Coming Soon…

January 9th Luncheon Meeting:
What is a Multidisciplinary Practice and
What Does it Mean for Me?
(CLE CREDIT APPROVED: 1 HOUR ETHICS)

Would hiring a social worker or a certified financial planner add to your client base? Would you like to work as a lawyer for one of the big five accounting firms? Very soon, both of the above may be possible in Virginia. The VSB is considering a proposal to allow law firms to associate with, and share profits with, nonlawyers. The entities created are called MDPs or Multidisciplinary Practices. Come hear about this highly controversial topic at our January luncheon meeting and learn what MDPs will mean for you.

MRWBA ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Our administrative assistant, Paulette Davidson, has decided she needs to devote more of her time (when she's not at her full-time job) to her family. Therefore, we are now seeking a part-time administrative assistant. This position pays $12/hour with an estimated 4 hours per week.  The administrative assistant reports to the president-elect.  Duties include: checking bar's post office box and distributing mail (weekly); checking bar's voice mail box and reporting messages (weekly); assisting Membership Chair with mailing and processing new member and renewal applications (Fall) and maintaining member directory on database and on web site; assisting Public Relations/Newsletter Chair (Monthly); and assisting Public Service Chairs (Spring).

Application Deadline:  November 30, 2001

Resumes should be sent to Carolyn White,              MRWBA President-elect
c/o House & Davidson, P.O. Box K-200, 
Richmond, VA 23288
hdesq@erols.com (email),
285-8601 (phone), 285-8604 (fax)

MRWBA Newsletter December 2001
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Click here to visit our sponsor American National Lawyers Insurance Reciprocal 

Mark Your Calendar!
Winter Luncheon Dates

January 9
February 6

All meetings take place at the Capital Club and lunch starts at 12:30

Newsletter Items?

Send to Jill Wells by e-mail to
JWells@reciprocalgroup.com
or by fax to 565-1538.
Deadline for January newsletter::
December 14

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Look for these new items on the
MRWBA web site:
Job Vacancies
Members Practice Areas

P.O. Box 538
Richmond, VA  23218-0538

MRWBA Newsletter December 2001
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