From a strong field of nominations, we are pleased to single out a few programs to honor with the 2016 Public Service and Outstanding Member Program Awards. This year, the Awards Committee, chaired by Leigh-Ann Patterson Durant and Jeanne Marie Clavere, felt that the excellent programs of two additional groups should be recognized with Honorable Mentions. 

The 2016 Public Service Award winner is Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys for their Youth Summit on Social Justice Issues. Lawyers Club of San Diego is the recipient of an Honorable Mention in this category for their Human Trafficking Task Force.

The winner of our 2016 Outstanding Member Program Award is California Women Lawyers for their program, Elect to Run. The Military Spouse JD Network is the recipient of an Honorable Mention for Justice for Military Families. 

These organizations will be honored at a special luncheon at the City Club of San Francisco during our Women's Bar Leadership Summit on August 5. 

As individuals, you can write to your own Senators, urging them to support an up-or-down vote on the nomination. Here is an e-mail form created by the National Women's Law Center (NWLC). Or you may wish to pattern your letter after the template provided here by the NWLC.

If you want to consider taking action as a bar group, here is background information about federal judicial vacancies from the American Bar Association. Here's a fact sheet from the NWLC on why women's rights are affected by the Supreme Court vacancy. For a detailed explanation by the Congressional Research Service of the Senate Judiciary Committee's role in the Supreme Court appointment process, click here.

Here's a sample op-ed piece provided by the NWLC you might tailor to fit a local newspaper.

Here are some examples of letters and press releases from bar organizations:

Queen's Bench Bar Association was a signatory on a letter from numerous California local and specialty bar associations. Click here to read the letter from California bar groups.

To echo the words of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, "We need somebody now to do the job. Let's get on with it."

Thank you to all who have already sent in their dues for 2016. The organizations which have paid 2016 dues are listed in the left margin of this newsletter. Our membership year runs with the calendar year, which means that this is the right time to send in your organization's membership dues for 2016. Dues for 2016 have not increased, and are based on your organization's membership numbers. We rely on your membership dues and active participation in order to strengthen women's bar groups throughout North America. Click here to download a membership form to send in with your dues check. If you prefer to pay by debit or credit card, click here.

Remember to check Women Lawyers News for articles and unique tools to make practicing law just that much easier.

The NCWBA maintains three separate listserves. Presidents and Presidents-Elect of our member associations are eligible for our Presidents Circle listserve.  Executive Directors and those who take on primary administrative tasks for member organizations which do not have paid staff are eligible for our Executive Directors listserve. Anyone involved with women's bar associations as a leader or member may opt to join our NCWBA listserve on Yahoo Groups.  This is an interactive list which is a great resource for referral requests, job announcements and other matters of interest to women's bar associations. To join this list, send us an e-mail with your name and the e-mail which you wish to use, describing your involvement in a women's bar association. Let us know if you know of people who wish to be added to any of our lists.

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Member organizations are invited to have links to significant upcoming events on our "Members" page. Send us your links!