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President's Message Last May I began this bar year by asking several hard questions of our membership. I said in the beginning that I didn't have any preconceived answers, but that we couldn't be afraid to ask hard questions of ourselves. After months of planning, and weeks of implementation, the MRWBA conducted focus groups of active and inactive members. This project was a huge undertaking and I especially want to thank Past Presidents Gen Dybing, Karen Elliott, Carolyn Lavecchia, Karen Lebo, Teri Miles, Margee Smither, Judge Beverly Snukals and Yvonne Wellford for taking the call back into action to facilitate several of the sessions.
Common Themes
What we found, not surprisingly, is that women lawyers do not all think alike. However, some common themes did emerge:
§ All focus group participants believed the Bar was still relevant for networking, professional education, referral sources, and public service.
§ Members felt comfortable attending Bar programs and desired even more time to get to know each other.
§ Programs are focused on issues and topics interesting to women lawyers.
§ Bar should continue to offer a mix of social/networking activities and professional education.
§ More experienced attorneys still support the Bar, but feel it is less important to them professionally. They attend luncheon programs when the topic is of interest, but now don't need Bar membership for the networking benefits.
§ Many members want to be more involved in committee work and want to attend alternate programs.
§ Bar should continue involvement in public service activities with particular focus on the domestic relations booklet and Flagler House.
§ Bar should increase number of joint activities with other bars and professional organizations.
§ Reaction to email correspondence and online newsletter was generally positive.
§ Dues are reasonable.
§ In judicial endorsements, the Bar should endorse the best candidate. If and when there are candidates equally qualified, most focus group participants felt the woman candidate should be supported by our women's bar.
Misperceptions
Three misperceptions arose from the focus groups that I need to address directly:
1. Newsletter -- The online newsletter has been a big hit. However, if you want to receive the newsletter in hard copy by snail mail, you can indicate that on your membership renewal application.
2. Legislation -- The MRWBA does not take a stand on legislative issues. There apparently is a widely-held belief that the MRWBA advocates a position on issues such as abortion, the death penalty, etc. We do not. Our legislative committee monitors legislation during the General Assembly, publishes frequent tracking reports and encourages members to contact their legislators personally to express their own views. There are a multitude of other organizations through which members can advocate their political sentiments. The MRWBA is a professional organization with members across the political spectrum. This year's Attorney General candidate debate and the death penalty panel discussion are good examples of the strong non-partisan character of our association.
3. Status -- The MRWBA is not a chapter of the Virginia Women Attorneys Association
(VWAA). Although we have enjoyed friendly relations, and have occasionally held joint activities, the MRWBA was founded before the VWAA and has different members, bylaws, structure and mission, and a different judicial endorsement process. Continued on Page 4
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MRWBA Newsletter May 2002
Page 2
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President's Message -- Continued from Page 2 Suggestions
The list of suggestions generated by the focus groups is too long to go into. But suffice it to say, it will keep the MRWBA Board busy for years. The most prevailing suggestion was to offer additional meeting opportunities outside of downtown. Members from Henrico and Chesterfield especially felt that they would participate more fully, would appreciate the networking forum, and even would continue their membership if programs were offered in different locations and at different times. This will add a layer of complexity to Board planning, but it is obviously necessary to satisfy members' expectations and to keep our Bar valuable for all members.
I want to extend a hand of gratitude to the 2001-2002 officers and committee chairs. I also want to wish Carolyn White a successful year. I have no doubt that with her practical and fair-minded leadership, with her dedication to this association and our profession, and with her boundless energy, the MRWBA is in good hands.
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President Elect's Report The President-Elect is charged with the supervision of the Association's Administrative Assistant. The MRWBA has had the assistance this year of two different individuals in this part-time position: Paulette Davidson through November of 2001 and Uta von Recum beginning in December of 2001. The addition of the Administrative Assistant position has been an enormous help to the Membership, Public Service, and Public Relations Committees particularly, who no longer have to rely exclusively on volunteer assistance for their big projects. Sadly, Uta has had to resign from her position and we are now in the process of interviewing candidates to replace her. However, the position itself has been a big step in improving the administration of the
MRWBA.
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Virginia Women's Leadership Project:
A Statewide Collaboration Facilitating the
Appointment of Qualified Women to Government Positions The Governor will be making nearly 4,000 appointments during his four-year term and between 450-600 before the end of 2002. The Virginia Women's Leadership Project is a collaborative effort designed to bring Virginia women's organizations together from across the state to identify and recommend qualified women to serve in appointed positions at the state, local and regional level of government. The mission of the Project is to create a process for identifying and recommending qualified women to appointing authorities including the Governor of Virginia.
Women who are interested in gubernatorial appointments can submit their names directly to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. An application and information about upcoming gubernatorial appointments are available on the Secretary's website, www.commonwealth.state.va.us.
Women interested in serving on boards and commissions can also submit their names to the Project and obtain additional information about upcoming meetings and other activities of the Project on its webpage on The Foundation's website,
www.virginiawomen.org or by contacting The Foundation at (804) 780-0500.
Organizations that wish to be included in the Leadership Project should contact the Project chair, MRWBA member Claire Guthrie Gastaņaga at
claire@cg2consulting.com or (804) 521-4067.
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MRWBA Newsletter May 2002
Page 4
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Please click here to visit
our sponsor Prestige Media, Inc.
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JOB OPPORTUNITY Randolph, Boyd, Cherry and Vaughan, a small, downtown Richmond firm, is seeking an attorney for general practice, but with focus on creditors' rights and insurance defense. Self direction, good inter-personal skills and demonstrated writing ability are important. One year's experience required. Full-time immediate position. Fax resume with writing sample and salary requirements to Hiring Partner, 804-783-2765.
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P.O. Box 538
Richmond, VA 23218-0538
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MRWBA Newsletter May 2002
Page 5
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