Washington Women Lawyers upcoming events

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY - Draft Amicus Briefing in Major First Amendment Case (Pointer v. Phelps) (09/02/2026)

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Volunteer Opportunity

Draft Amicus Briefing: Pointer v. Phelps

Due: Sept 2, 2026

3–5 Members Needed

First Amendment

Washington Women Lawyers has an opportunity for members to volunteer to help draft an amicus briefing to support a First Amendment case now on appeal to the Eleventh Circuit.

The Case: Pointer v. Phelps involves the University of Alabama's permanent suspension of two student-run campus magazines — Nineteen Fifty-Six (centering Black student voices) and Alice (a publication "by and for" college women) — after the University characterized the magazines as "unlawful proxies" under a federal anti-discrimination memorandum. The district court denied their motion for a preliminary injunction, and the students have appealed.

Why It Matters: The district court's ruling raises serious concerns for free speech on college campuses, including whether student-run publications can be treated as "government speech," how courts define the relevant forum, and what counts as a cognizable "viewpoint." The outcome could have far-reaching implications for DEI-focused and gender identity-centered student publications.

Potential Amicus Topics:

Whether the magazines' speech is government speech
The proper forum analysis under First Amendment precedent
What constitutes viewpoint discrimination
The importance of student publications centering Black, women's, and LGBTQ+ perspectives
Implications for student speech and academic communities more broadly

Timeline & Requirements: Amicus briefs are due Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Given this compressed schedule, volunteers should be prepared to begin drafting soon after committing.

Who We're Looking For: Members interested in appellate advocacy, First Amendment law, education law, or civil rights — whether or not you have prior amicus experience. Volunteers will be paired with a supporting entity and coordinate with the Pointer case team.

Email Avatara Carrington Email Ashley Gammell

View from the Bench: Women in Law & Best Practices featuring Washington Justices Panel (09/11/2026)

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Washington Women Lawyers

View from the Bench: Progress/Setbacks for Women in Law & Best Practices

featuring a Washington Justices Panel

Friday, September 11, 2026

Noon – 1:30 p.m.

Spokane Superior Court, Jury Services Room

Join Washington Women Lawyers for an extraordinary lunchtime program featuring some of Washington’s most distinguished jurists. Justices and judges will offer insight from their many years of experience — come with your questions!

Lunch provided

⚖ CLE credit pending

Registration

Free for WWL members | $45 for non-members

Panelists

Hon. Rosanna Malouf Peterson

Senior Judge, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington

Hon. Debra Stephens

Chief Justice, Washington Supreme Court

Hon. Theo Angelis

Justice, Washington Supreme Court

Hon. Tracy A. Staab

Judge, Washington Court of Appeals

Hon. Kathleen O’Connor (Ret.)

Washington Superior Court Judge

Hon. Shelley Szambelan

Washington Superior Court Judge

RSVP / Questions: SpokaneWWL@gmail.com | www.wwl.org

Join us for WWL's Supreme Court Candidate Forum (09/17/2026)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 23:30:00 GMT

Supreme Court Candidate Forum

Thursday, September 17, 2026

4:30–7:00 p.m.

Location:

Davis Wright Tremaine
Madison Centre
920 5th Ave.
Seattle, WA

Join Washington Women Lawyers for an event to meet and greet Supreme Court candidates. The forum will include networking opportunities and a moderated question and answer session with each of the candidates.

We welcome you to hear from the candidates as Washington gears up to elect 5 open Supreme Court positions.

Registration opens soon.

JOIN US FOR THE ANNUAL EVENT (10/03/2026)

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Washington Women Lawyers

presents

Beyond the Ceiling

2026 Annual Event

Saturday, October 3, 2026
5:00 PM | The Point at Pier 70

2801 Alaskan Way, Seattle, Washington

Program

5:00 PM Doors open · Cocktail hour begins

6:30 PM Welcome remarks

6:45 PM Dinner program begins

Featuring a fireside chat with Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Barbara Madsen (ret.) in conversation with Chief Justice Debra Stephens

Tickets

Early-bird pricing through August 31, 2026:

$125 · WWL Members | $165 · Non-members

After August 31: $140 for members | $175 for non-members

RSVP & Registration

Getting There

Guest parking: Bell Street Pier 66 Cruise Port Garage, 2323 Elliott Ave (entrance on Elliott Ave, also accessible from Alaskan Way) — approximately a 5-minute walk from the venue. Scan the QR code included with your registration confirmation to prepay: 7-hour duration, $10 plus tax.

Step-free parking: A small number of spaces are available in the lot directly beneath the venue, reserved for guests who need them. Please contact Natalie Reber – reber.legat@gmail.com so she can reserve a space for you.

The venue is on the second floor. Take one flight of stairs to The Point at Pier 70, or use the elevator: enter through the Aqua restaurant (head west along the waterfront), take the elevator in the Aqua lobby, and it opens directly into the venue.

Overnight Accommodations

Pier 70 has arranged discounted rates at several nearby hotels for our guests. When booking, mention The Point at Pier 70:

The Edgewater Hotel (walking distance) — use promo code THEPOINT70 at EdgewaterHotel.com, or contact Manda Post for group reservations: mpost@noblehousehotels.com

Hyatt Place & Hyatt House Seattle/Downtown — book online at hyatt.com/events/en-US/group-booking/SEAXD/G-WWLE or use group code G-WWLE at Hyatt.com. Cutoff date: September 3, 2026.

Hotel Crocodile — book online at hotels.cloudbeds.com/en/reservation/iDc8ph using promo code WWL2026 (valid for October 3; contact Toña Zubia at tona@thecrocodile.com / (206) 279-2774 for additional nights)

Save the Date (Free CLE): From Litigation to Liberation: Stress Resilience Techniques for Lawyers (11/07/2026)

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Save the Date: From Litigation to Liberation

Date: Saturday, November 7

Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Credit: One Free CLE Credit

For those who missed her popular May CLE, attorney Megan Hassen returns to present From Litigation to Liberation: Stress Resilience Techniques for Lawyers. Don't miss this opportunity to earn one free CLE credit.

Save the Date for WWL Spokane's Winter Social (12/02/2026)

Wed, 02 Dec 2026 08:00:00 GMT