Dear Coalition Delegates:

It is very exciting to witness the energy of our group - the Coalition's board and membership has grown and enabled us to offer a large number and variety of programs.  Attorneys from member law firms and companies have attended more than 25 events this year.  Most of the Coalition events include CLE credit, and all of the Coalition programs offer strategies and networking to build and propel the careers of women in law.

The Coalition is planning 10 CLE and/or networking events between now and the end of 2014, including our annual event announcing the "Call to Action" results and the Coalition's Leadership Forum, featuring a keynote speaker and the recipients of this year's Coalition awards. You can sign up for many of these events here. 

The Coalition committees are now preparing for our new programming and membership year.  If you would like to get involved, either as a committee member or co-chair, please send an email to chicago@thewomenscoalition for more information, and/or plan to attend the Coalition's annual meeting on October 1.  Also, we still have seats open at the Coalition tables for the September 8 CBA luncheon featuring Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- please let us know if you can attend.

Warm regards,

A View From The Top Panel

September 17, 2014

5:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP
300 N. LaSalle, Chicago   Learn More and Register Here 

The Only National Forum Facilitating Women-to-Women Exchange on Current Legal Issues. The second annual Women, Influence & Power in Law Conference has a uniquely substantive focus, covering the topics that matter most to corporate counsel, outside counsel, and public sector attorneys. 

Click here for more information 

September 17 - 19, 2014

The Capital Hilton, Washington, DC 

Style and Success

Building a Wardrobe that Works at Work

 

What does your personal style say about you as a professional?  How do you build a lasting wardrobe yet keep up with changing trends? 

  

Please join us as EpsteinSchwartz Legal Search presents Judi McCarthy, Chicago Personal Stylist/Shopper.  Judi will address these concerns and others, as well as take your questions.  Judi works with professional men and women across various industries and has a keen understanding of how personal style can help shape your personal and professional image.  

  

Judi's presentation will be followed by cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and networking.

 

DATE: September 18, 2014         Register Now! 

TIME: 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

HOSTED BY: Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

525 W. Monroe Street, Chicago

Presented by:

Book Club Event:

Striving to Thrive in the Legal Profession

Please join the Associates Committee of the Coalition for a discussion of Arianna Huffington's book Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder.  In Thrive, Huffington argues that we must redefine what it means to be successful in today's world.  According to Huffington, pursuit of the traditional metrics of success-money and power-has led to unhappiness, stress, and burn-out.  Huffington argues that we need a third metric for defining success, which includes well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving. 

Three distinguished attorneys will lead a discussion of the book and its applicability to women in the legal profession.  Drawing on their varied background, the discussion leaders will talk about what it means to be successful in the legal field and how women can pursue a successful legal career in a manner that embraces the third metric.

NOTE: Attendees need not have read Huffington's book to participate and benefit from the the discussion. The Committee will circulate a list of key concepts and discussion topics in advance of the event for those who do not have time to read the book.

 October 2, 2014

6:00 - 7:30 PM

 Hosted by: McGuireWoods LLP

77 W. Wacker Drive, 44^th Floor

The discussion leaders will include:

Jane Pigott, Managing Director, R3 Group LLC;  Susan Lichtenstein, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Legal Officer, Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc; and Amy Manning, Managing Partner of the Chicago office, McGuireWoods LLP  

Women Working Together:

Using Data to Change the Future 

Chicago's Call to Action Event

October 28, 2014

4:00 to 5:30 p.m. - Reception to follow

Jenner & Block:  353 N. Clark Street, Chicago 

It is time again for the Coalition of Women's Initiatives in Law to announce the results of the Chicago Call to Action, which tracks the top ten Chicago-area firms in three categories: the percentage of women in partnership, the percentage of women in associate positions, and the percentage of women in the "other attorneys" category. 

This year we are pulling together a number of organizations that are providing essential benchmarking reports that track data on women's advancement towards leadership roles in the legal and corporate sectors.  Gloria Santona, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of McDonald's Corporation and the Chairwoman of The Chicago Network's Census for 2013, will describe the results of the Census, which tracks women in leadership roles in the top 50 public companies in the Chicago area, and how the data has changed over time.  The National Association of Women Lawyers' Immediate Past President Deborah Froling (Arent Fox), who is co-chair of NAWL's Survey Committee, will talk about NAWL's Survey on the Retention and Promotion of Women in Law Firms, including this year's results and the long view of the results after 8 surveys.  Jane Pigott (R3 Group) will present the Call to Action results and share some history of the project and key takeaways from the beginning of the initiative to date. 

After all three women have set forth some historical perspective and the current results from their surveys, Claudia Wolf (Deloitte) will moderate a discussion between the three leaders about how the three sets of data relate, how they can be used to make progress, and what we can all do to help women advance at a faster rate than that which has been shown through the history of the reports.

At the reception following the program, we'll celebrate the milestones of two groups of women working together: the 15^th anniversary of the Women Everywhere: PARTNERS IN SERVICE PROJECT, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing volunteer services of the legal community to women and children in need; and the 100^th anniversary of the Women's Bar Association of Illinois, an association bringing together women lawyers across the state to learn, network, and advocate for women in the legal profession.  It is a rare program that brings so many different local, state-wide, and national women's groups to the same table to work together and celebrate each other. 

Join us to learn from the collaboration and plan for a future working together to advance women in law.

Register to Attend

Application for Illinois CLE is pending.

Coalition Spotlight - Jennifer Rakstad

 Why did you enter - and leave - the practice of law?