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Committees
These are the committees defined within Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts. Click "View Members" to
see a list of committee members.
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The Amicus Committee writes amicus briefs on various issues affecting women and the law. The briefs are intended to assist the Court in resolving interesting and often controversial legal issues. The committee responds to requests of various individuals and organizations that approach the WBA requesting amicus assistance.
In keeping with the WBA mission to foster and promote a just society and the elimination of all forms of discrimination, the WBA has filed a
number of briefs in cases involving alimony, child support, domestic violence, domestic relations, employment, discrimination, sexual harassment, gender equality, spousal elective share, reproductive rights, and reproductive technology.
The Amicus Committee encourages WBA members of all levels to join us. Our goal is to provide the Supreme Judicial Court, as well as other state and federal courts, with well-written and researched briefs that support the positions and concerns of the WBA as an organization.
Are you a senior attorney who can provide your expertise and experience in a particular area of law to review briefs that are of concern to the WBA? Are you a new attorney with writing experience and an interest in crafting the legal arguments in cases that will articulate the position and concerns of the WBA as an organization? If so, please join us.
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The Appointments, Awards and Endorsements Committee ("AA&E") actively encourages and supports women interested in nomination to the bench through the following activities: organizing educational programs concerning the judicial nominating process; providing female judicial mentors to supply advice and encouragement through the selection process; and, after conducting due diligence, endorsing qualified candidates seeking appointment to the bench. AA&E also nominates women for awards to recognize their contributions to the legal profession and society.
Click here to learn more about how we can help with awards
Click here to learn about judicial nominations
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The mission of the Business Development Committee is to promote the success of women in the law by creating an open environment to understand and build the skills necessary to develop business.
The Committee arises, in part, from studies citing business development as one of the key obstacles to women’s progression as equity partners in law firms. Since rainmakers are decision-makers in firms, in order to effect positive change such as promoting work-life balance, it is our goal to help all women develop business. We also recognize that women’s ability to develop business promotes financial independence and increases available career options.
To help overcome business development obstacles and achieve success, the Committee’s three main goals are to:
1. Provide women with the skills necessary to develop business while simultaneously creating a network of contacts and support.
2. Analyze, explore, and address the unique challenges facing women lawyers in the area of business development.
3. Increase WBA membership by providing unique business development opportunities to WBA members.
In these ways, the Committee seeks to further the WBA’s goals of enhancing women’s professional skills and creating a strong community of women lawyers.
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The WBA Cape Cod and Islands Committee is open to all women attorneys who live or work on Cape Cod and/or the Islands. The Committee will host meetings and programs to provide networking opportunities, promote business development and share ideas for the advancement of women in the law.
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The Central Massachusetts Committee provides WBA members residing and/or practicing in Worcester County and surrounding towns, with a forum where they may meet, network, share ideas and participate in local programming. Our committee establishes a firm link with the organization as a whole, acting as the voice that shares the experiences, challenges and the particular professional needs of the WBA members in our geographic location.
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This Committee is concerned with issues affecting women in the practice of law, such as part-time work issues, issues surrounding the evaluation process, and issues concerning the so-called glass ceiling, to name a few.
Originally formed only a few years ago, this Committee issued a groundbreaking study on reduced hours arrangements at the 100 largest law firms in Massachusetts: “More Than Part-Time: The Effect of Reduced-Hours on the Retention, Recruitment, and Success of Women Attorneys in Law Firms.”
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The Government Lawyers Committee invites women lawyers who work in the public sector to join this Committee to address issues inherent in government and public service.
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The Greater Boston Committee serves the needs of women attorneys and legal professionals living and/or working in the Greater Boston area. Through weekly luncheons usually held in Needham, attorneys have the opportunity to meet and network in a welcoming and informal atmosphere. Frequent guest speakers and member spotlights are featured and all are welcome to attend and contribute. Areas of practice span a broad spectrum and many lawyers are solo and small firm practitioners. Prospective WBA members are encouraged to attend and membership materials will be available.
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The In-House Counsel Committee of the Women’s Bar Association is committed to connecting women who work in-house with each other and other members of the WBA.
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The mission of Law Firm Advancement Committee is to develop and advance the careers of women in law firms. The Committee is focused on the following goals: increasing the number and proportion of women equity partners and non-equity partners, working with law firms to increase the retention of women attorneys, and assisting in the career advancement of women attorneys through education, training and mentoring, furthering the WBA’s commitment to diversity.
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The Law Student Committee is designed to meet the needs of women law students. Along with facilitating committee meetings, the Law Student Committee sponsors annual Mentoring Circle programs at area law schools. These Circles are informal question and answer sessions with law students and panelists who are practicing attorneys, often alumnae of the law schools. In the past year, members met at Suffolk University Law School, Boston University School of Law, Boston College Law School, Northeastern University School of Law, New England Law, Massachusetts School of Law, and Southern New England School of Law.
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The Legislative Policy Committee monitors the WBA Legislative Agenda. We prepare testimony for hearings and letters to elected officials on the bills and issues we support or oppose. We also meet with legislators and our allies to advance the WBA’s legislative agenda. There’s no experience necessary to join the LPC; come learn!
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The Metro West Committee serves the needs of women attorneys and legal professionals living and/or working in the Metro West area. Frequent guest speakers and member spotlights are featured and all are welcome to attend and contribute. Areas of practice span a broad spectrum and many lawyers are solo and small firm practitioners. Prospective WBA members are encouraged to attend and membership materials will be available.
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The WBA's Middlesex County Committee serves as a networking, information and support resource for WBA members working or living in Middlesex County. The Committee meets for lunch on the second Friday of each month, at noon, at the Yangtze River Restaurant in Lexington Center.
The Middlesex Committee is the first and oldest of the WBA's regional committees. Our members include women at all stages of their careers and spanning the full breadth of practice areas. Many are solo and small-firm practitioners. Committee members share information about business trends, practice tips, current and upcoming events and career development opportunities that may be of interest to the group. The Committee also hosts special events once or twice a year.
We welcome all interested WBA members to join us for our monthly networking lunches and special events. Please contact the co-chairs for more information.
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How do you fit it all in? How can you make it work as a lawyer, as well as a mother? The Mothers' Forum Committee seeks to provide a forum for women to discuss issues related to balancing home and family commitments with being a lawyer and the intersection of these two important parts of you. The Mothers' Forum Committee also seeks ways for our profession to include, accommodate and advance mothers within its ranks. We encourage the involvement of new moms, not-so-new moms, soon-to-be-moms and others who are trying to balance their family and work lives in all of our committee events.
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The New Bedford/Fall River Area Committee provides WBA members residing and/or practicing in Southeastern Massachusetts with a forum where they may meet, network, share ideas and participate in local programming. The Committee seeks to support the personal and professional goals of members in our geographical location through social and educational events.
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Being the new kid on the block is never an easy thing, particularly when you are a new female attorney. The New Lawyer Committee seeks to provide a forum for new women lawyers to share their experiences, draw on each other’s knowledge, provide advice on rising in the ranks, and meet new people. The New Lawyers Committee also provides new lawyers the opportunity to assume leadership roles in the Committee and the WBA.
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The North Shore Committee is comprised of women attorneys and related professionals who work or live on Boston’s North Shore. The Committee is a diverse group – members range from those who have just been admitted to those who have been lawyers for more than fifteen years.
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The WBA Public Relations Committee is dedicated to promoting the organization’s public presence. Getting involved in this committee will allow you to tap into any communications activity that piques your interest. Activities on our agenda include: media outreach, drafting press releases and articles, overseeing member communications, plugging the organization into social media, creating advertising and marketing materials, developing networking relationships between the WBA and other legal and business organizations & planning programs around media issues.
This is a great group of women working to making sure that our organization and its efforts in advancing women do not go unnoticed!
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This Committee addresses the concerns of legal services attorneys, bar advocates, public counsel and other attorneys working in the non-profit and non-traditional law firm settings that focus primarily upon the representation of indigent and low-income clients, civil rights, activism and advocacy to bring about positive social change.
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“In Practice for Over 15 Years? Join the WBA's Senior Practice Group! This committee focuses on topics of interest and concern to attorneys who have reached a level of seniority and expertise in their legal fields and/or workplaces – such as, advancing women in the legal profession, business development, compensation and evaluation, effective mentoring, career planning and business succession. The committee holds regular lunch meetings to have focused discussions about important issues affecting senior practitioners. The committee also sponsors periodic networking events, and events with invited speakers to address substantive issues of interest to senior practitioners.”
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The Solo and Small Firm Committee understands how crucial peer to peer support is for the solo and small firm practitioner. To fill the void, the Committee has developed a network of solo and small firm practitioners who provide advice on substantive areas of law, client management, office administration, and other questions.
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Join the South Shore Committee to meet, network, and share ideas and business with other women attorneys who live or work on the South Shore. The primary goal of the South Shore Committee is to support the personal and professional goals of our members through a variety of social and educational events, while furthering the overall Mission Statement of the WBA.
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The Western Massachusetts Committee of the Women’s Bar Association provides WBA members residing and/or practicing in the State’s four Western Counties with a forum where they may meet, network, share ideas and participate in local programming. Our committee establishes a firm link with the organization as a whole, acting as the voice that shares the experiences, challenges and the particular professional needs of WBA members in our geographical location. Our members, who range from seasoned attorneys to law students, come from diverse practice areas and environments ranging from in-house counsel, solo practitioners, and public servants, to associates and partners in both small and large firms.
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Are you still struck by those occasions when you find yourself the only woman - other than the court reporter - at a crowded motion session or deposition? Do you often wonder whether you are being taken advantage of by male opposing counsel, how to respond and whether other women experience the same things? Are you drawn to litigation both by -- and in spite of -- the power dynamics? Do you crave opportunities to share war stories and memoranda, plights and insights, and camaraderie with women of varying levels of experience who also practice in the courts? Then the WBA's Women in the Courtroom Committee is for you.
The Women in the Courtroom Committee offers opportunities for networking, informal mentoring, education, and information sharing. Civil litigators, prosecutors and public defenders, legal services lawyers, family lawyers and everyone else who finds herself in adversary proceedings from any side for all or part of her practice are welcome, including mediators and judges. We have more in common as women litigators than sometimes meets the eye. It’s time we join forces to help one another become and remain successful lawyers. Please join the Women in the Courts Committee now!
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It is our goal and mission to promote women of color in the legal profession for their multitude of successes and to honor them for their personal and professional accomplishments. We, as women of color and attorneys by profession, strive to publicize our diverse cultures. We hope our contributions to our communities will help to ensure the number of women attorneys of color will soon increase.
We are women of color first and attorneys second, but we are also mothers, daughters, wives, sisters, aunts, and grandmothers. We are often caregivers, teachers, breadwinners, role models and cultural leaders. These are not responsibilities that we seek out, but are responsibilities that fall upon us, because we are women. Nonetheless, these are the responsibilities that we fulfill on a daily basis and for these reasons we celebrate all women.
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This is an exclusive committee specifically for WBA Co-chairs.
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The Membership Committee of the Women’s Bar Association is committed to increasing the membership ranks of the WBA by reaching out to law students and attorneys in all walks of legal practice. We invite law students and attorneys to learn first-hand how joining the WBA can benefit them professionally, socially, and in every aspect of their lives. Whether promoting events sponsored by one of the WBA’s committees, lauding the WBA’s involvement in the preparation of amicus briefs on various issues affecting women and the law, or discussing the highly-rewarding pro bono programs of the Women’s Bar Foundation, the Membership Committee is dedicated to attracting increasing numbers of law students and attorneys to our organization.
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