WLAM: Women Lawyers Association of Michigan

WLAM's 92nd Annual Meeting Shines a Light on Gender Equity Issues, Provides Useful Negotiation Strategies and Honors its Jean L. King Award Recipient

By Teresa A. Killeen  If you missed WLAM’s State Annual Meeting at Greenfield Village on May 15, you missed out on a lot of value.  The meeting’s theme “Unconscious Gender Bias:  What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You” drew in over 100 attendees.  You could hear a pin drop as the panel of lawyers Kathleen Bogas and Jennifer Salvatore and State Representative Rebekah Warren rolled out their plan to bring proposed legislation on Pay Equity and Family Responsibilities Discrimination before the Michigan legislature.  WLAM’s Gender Equity Committee has been working collaboratively with Rep. Warren and others to draft the legislation and develop a strategy to pass it.  The panel covered everything from the reasons why the legislation is necessary to what potential unintended consequences might occur to how to lobby for its passage.

The meeting also included a panel on how to position yourself for increased compensation.  Moderated by Elizabeth Jolliffe, the panel of lawyers Peggy Costello, Julie Fershtman, David Winter, Denice LeVasseur and Susan Hartmus Hiser shared their advice on how to identify and market to potential clients, position yourself within a law firm, build a referral base, define success for yourself and then make it happen.

Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly of the Michigan Supreme Court, a long-time WLAM member, administered the oath of office to the new State-wide Officers and Board of Directors:  President Lysa Postula-Stein, President-Elect Hon. Angela Sherigan, Vice-President Hillarie Boettger, Treasurer Teresa Killeen, Secretary Julie Dykstra, Immediate Past President Kim Winokur, Directors-at-Large Julie Gafkay, Stacey King, Michele Rivas, Heidi Salter-Ferris and Suzanne Sukkar, Regional Directors Kelly Brushaber (Western), Michelle Lundquist (Macomb), Donna Mallonee (Great Lakes Bay), Cate McClure (Mid-Michigan), Julie Pfitzenmaier (Wayne), Kristen Pursley (Oakland) and Amy Reiser (Washtenaw).   

WLAM member and employee rights lawyer Kathleen L. Bogas received the Jean Ledwith King Leadership Award.  The annual award was created in honor of WLAM member Jean Ledwith King as a visionary and leading life-long advocate for women through her roles as a lawyer and political activist.  The audience warmly recognized and applauded Ms. King who was present at the meeting.

Prior to the start of the meeting, Kim Winokur conducted executive board training for all of the members of the state-wide and regional boards.  Susan B. Perlin, of Plante Moran, presented an overview of fiduciary duties, do’s and don’ts for a non-profit organization, and how to be more proficient at responsibilities and obligations as board members. 

Long after the close of the Annual Meeting, members were still engaged in the “meeting after the meeting.”   When you have people still talking an hour after a 3-½ hour meeting on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, you have ignited some strong energy!  

Please click the following link to view pictures from the meeting:  http://picasaweb.google.com/114721501752711869219/WLAMStateAnnualMeeting#

Michigan's hard-working women are seeing red. They're seeing red because they earn 72 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earn, a gender-based wage gap that's even worse than the national gap of 80 cents on the dollar. Because of this, Michigan's women must work longer, on average, for the same amount of pay.

April 20^th is Equal Pay Day, symbolizing just how far into the year a woman must work to earn as much as a man earned the previous year. On April 20^th, women's organizations and people who support equal pay for women will gather at the state Capitol. In a show of solidarity, we'll be wearing red to symbolize how much women and minorities are "in the red" with their pay. We'll also hold a press conference in the rotunda to raise awareness and meet one on one with our lawmakers to urge immediate action on Michigan's wage gap.

Today, you can help the Michigan Equal Pay Day coalition in our fight to ensure Michigan's women get equal pay for equal work. Thirteen organizations have joined together to fight for fairness, economic security and financial independence for women. There are bills before the state House and the state Senate that would ensure Michigan's women earn equal pay for equal work, and we need your help to deliver equality for Michigan's women.  You can help by taking action and telling your lawmakers to support equal pay for equal work! Click here to find how.

Click here to view the 2009 Membership Survey Results.  Each question is on a separate tab.

The Women Lawyers Association of Michigan  is pleased to announce that it is bestowing its annual Jean King Leadership Award to The Honorable Melinda Morris, 22nd Circuit Court Judge for the State of Michigan.  The Jean King Leadership Award honors and recognizes lawyers who exemplify leadership in securing the rights of women in society and advancing women in the legal profession.   The Award will be presented at the WLAM Annual Meeting, May 7, 2009, at the Fox Hills Country Club.

Judge Morris has opened doors for women her entire career.  She graduated with honors from the University of Michigan Law School in 1963 as one of three women in her class.    She was one of the first women partners in a Washtenaw County law firm.  She is the first woman to serve as circuit judge in Washtenaw County history.  She served as its chief judge from 1992 - 1995.  She is currently serving her fourth term as a judge in the Washtenaw County Trial Court Civil/Criminal Division.

Judge Morris received the Justice Blair Moody "Outstanding Judge" Award in 1994 from the Washtenaw County Chapter of the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association, the Mary E. Foster Award from the Women Lawyers of Michigan in 1995 and the Professionalism and Civility Award from the Washtenaw County Bar Association in 2000.

Not only has Judge Morris been an exemplary judge, she also has an outstanding record of community service.  During her term as president of the Washtenaw County Bar Association, she initiated "No Bills Day" in Washtenaw County.  She has served on the Washtenaw County Community Mental Health Board, the Legal Aid Board, the Soundings Board, and the Ann Arbor Schools' Committee on Excellence.  In 2001 she received the distinguished service award from the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation.

Judge Morris has been an inspiration and role model for all attorneys, but particularly the women attorneys.  In her many pioneering roles, she established the norm by which those who follow in her steps will be evaluated.  She has set a high bar for professional excellence, dignity, approachability and compassion.  By doing so, she has created an environment where those characteristics are valued and emulated, thus improving the quality of professional life for all attorneys – and women in particular.

91st Annual Meeting/Jean King Leadership Award Reception/Silent Auction

CELEBRATING WOMEN LEADERS

May 7, 2009