NHWBA Members and Friends Gathered for an 

Enjoyable Evening at UnWine'd

On January 19th, NHWBA members and friends gathered at UnWine'd in Manchester to unwind from the holidays and gear up for the new year. The well attended event allowed members to enjoy each other's company and also give back to the community.  Over $100 and many cans of tuna and salmon were collected for the NH Food Bank.  What a great way to start the new year!   

NHWBA Now Accepting Nominations for the 2012 Marilla M. Ricker Achievement Award    

The NHWBA is now accepting nominations for the 2012 Marilla M. Ricker Achievement Award.  The Ricker Award honors outstanding women lawyers in New Hampshire who have achieved professional excellence, and who have paved the way to success for other women lawyers, advanced opportunities for women in the profession and/or performed exemplary public service on behalf of women.  The award is named in honor of Marilla M. Ricker, who was the first woman to apply for admission to the New Hampshire Bar.  If you would like to nominate someone for this award, click here.  Nominations will be accepted through May 15, 2012. If you have any questions about the nomination process, please e-mail our Executive Director, Gretchen Pyles, at Gretchen@nhwba.org. 

NHWBA Still Seeking Mentors for 

Protégé Program with UNH School of Law    

Would you like to be a mentor to a UNH School of Law student? Here's your chance to share your wisdom and experience with future bar members.  Let them see first hand what you do on a daily basis and share your insights into the practice of law.  Click here to view the application for this exciting new program. 

We have organized a mentorship subcommittee to help facilitate this program.  If you are interested in joining the subcommittee or are interested in becoming a mentor, please e-mail our Executive Director, Gretchen Pyles, at Gretchen@nhwba.org. 

Save the dates:  March 30, 2012 - April 1, 2012  NHWBA's 10th Annual Work Stress Relief Clinic

the inviting Inns & Spa at Mill Falls in Meredith, NH.  Prepare to be pampered while networking with fellow NHWBA members. NHWBA members receive a 15% discount on the spa services of your choice!

The registration deadline is February 27, 2012 and space is limited. The registration form can be found on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages. For more information on registering, please contact Gretchen Pyles. Spa services should be scheduled directly with the Cascade Spa at (866) 719-0161.  Be sure to mention your NHWBA membership when you make your reservations to receive the 15% discount on services.

Judges Needed for the 

Northeast Regional Tournament of the 

American Mock Trial Association

The Northeast Regional Tournament of the American Mock Trial Association will be held on Friday, February 17, 2012 through Sunday, February 19, 2012 at Saint Anselm College.  It will feature 24 teams from schools in the New England and Mid-Atlantic states, including Harvard, Northeastern and Saint Anselm College.  The tournament is looking for 144 judges (3 judges in 12 trials in all four rounds).  This year's tournament features a murder case.  No advance preparation is necessary and the total time commitment is 3 to 3.5 hours per round. Judges are welcome to register for more than one round.  Judges' meetings will be held at the following times:

Round 1 - Friday, February 17, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.

Round 2 - Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 8:30 a.m.

Round 3 - Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.

Round 4 - Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 8:30 a.m.

To learn more about the tournament or to volunteer to be a judge, go to www.anselm.edu/mocktrial. 

ABA President Calls for the Removal of Barriers so Women Attorneys can Equally 

Participate in the Practice of Law

In the January 2012 edition of the ABA Journal, ABA President, Bill Robinson, discusses the barriers that continue to deny women equal participation in the practice of law.  He points out that "[t]he underrepresentation of women in law firm leadership positions and the disparity in compensation have contributed to the high rate of attrition of women from the profession."  He touches on other reasons for this attrition including law firms' inflexibility with billable hour requirements, stigmatization of part-time and flex-time programs, and unequal treatment of women in allocating credit for business development.  He concludes that equality for women attorneys is a work in progress and one that must be fostered.  To read more, click here.

Unspoken Rules for Women's Career Advancement Discussed in ABA Journal

In the most recent ABA Journal, Jane Pigott, the managing director of R3Group in Chicago, E. Lynn Grayson, a partner at Jenner & Block, and Deb Sofield, a presentations coach, found that there are unwritten rules women must follow for career advancement.  They listed seven steps for moving up and getting ahead.  Those steps include determining the informal leadership network, building relationships, preparing for evaluations, providing quality work, showcasing your leadership skills, gaining positive visibility, and self promoting.  To read the entire list, click here. 

Confirmation of Federal Judicial Nominees Slowed at the End of 2011

Amy Matsui, Senior Counsel for the National Women's Law Center, reported in a recent newsletter of the National Conference of Women's Bar Associations that while US Senate leaders agreed in the beginning of 2011 to process judicial nominees more quickly, they failed to vote on 21 pending nominees at the end of last year.  The Senate confirmed 15 nominees in October, 2011, 6 in November, and 5 in December. When the Senate recessed on December 16, 2011, all but two of the 21 nominees had been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee with significant bipartisan support, 16 unanimously.  Yet, no vote to confirm these nominees was held.  Attorney Matsui reported that confirming the pending nominees at the end of December would have added much-needed diversity to the federal judiciary, including gender diversity.  She notes that the vacancy rate in the federal judiciary has remained around 10 percent for over 20 months.  She advocates contacting your Senators to implore them to vote on the nominees left pending at the end of 2011.   

2012 Best Law Firms for Women Initiative Announced by the National Association for Female Executives and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC

Law firms with fifty or more lawyers in the United States are invited to apply to be named one of the best law firms for women in 2012.  The winners will be featured in the December 2012/January 2013 issue of Working Mother magazine, and honored at a special awards event in late 2012.  In determining the winning law firms, hard data is collected from the law firms themselves.  The application includes questions about female representation, women's initiatives, workplace culture, networking, flexibility, mentoring, compensation, partnership and advancement.  The scoring is determined by female presence, roles, policies, programs and usage rates, as reported by the law firms.  All applicant firms receive confidential feedback on their own performance in the form of a scorecard that provides the firm's ranking in each of the key areas of the application as compared to all applicants.  The deadline for submission of the completed application is April 13, 2012 and an informational conference call will be held on February 7, 2012 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.  For more information, click here.   

March is Women's History Month

In celebration of Women's History Month, take time to learn more about the women attorneys who helped shape the legal profession today. Learn about the first 100 women attorneys in New Hampshire by reading A Celebration of New Hampshire's First 100 Women Lawyers, which can be found on our website under the Resources link.  Or, learn more about the history of the NHWBA.  Did you know that the NHWBA is the first statewide women's bar association and was incorporated in May 1998 by Maureen Raiche Manning, Jennifer L. Parent, Joy V. Riddell, Claudia C. Damon and Julie Introcaso?  Did you know that the NHWBA was formed when the women's county bar groups joined to establish a statewide women's bar association?  We have come a long way since 1998, and have a diverse and talented group of women attorneys to thank for the creation of our organization.  Celebrate Women's History Month by thanking one of the women lawyers you know who has paved the way for you in your practice.  

National Conference of Women's Bar Associations to Hold its Annual Women's Bar Leader Summit on Friday, August 3, 2012

Save the date for the National Conference of Women's Bar Associations Annual Women's Bar Leader Summit on Friday, August 3, 2012.  The Summit will be held at the Chicago offices of Jenner & Block.  Attend to learn the latest trends and concerns for women in the practice of law. That evening, a networking reception will be held at the offices of Foley & Lardner LLP.  More details will be forthcoming.