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| GET TO KNOW YOUR BOARD! We will highlight a few members of our board over the remainder of the year. We're pleased to meet you! Amy Whiting Riedel, President I have been a member of the KCWWL Board since 2014. Like many other members, I joined because I noted the disparity between women in the legal profession at graduation from law school, and women in the legal profession 10 years later. While I have not found the solution to this problem, I am continually thankful for my fellow KCWWL members and the support they provide to women in the legal community and beyond. Professionally, I serve as the compliance officer for Providence’s accountable care organizations, including a managed care health plan and other value based care delivery arrangements located across five states. I started my legal practice in business law, and while the transition to healthcare was a big one, I've discovered a common core to my work. Namely that as we explore ways to transform health care, my colleagues and partners have the same spark of creativity and innovation that I valued in my startup entrepreneurs. Also the same need for regulatory deep dives and plain language! Personally, when not thinking about healthcare regulations, I love knitting and sewing, a very dry martini, and my Boston Terriers - Rocco and Pineapple. When quarantine is over, I am most excited to eat in restaurants again! Carinne Bannan, President-Elect This is my third year on the KCWWL Board. I originally joined the Board as the Social Chair and planned the Annual Meeting/Holiday Party. I became a Board Member because I wanted to find a way to get more involved in the greater legal community, meet lawyers from other practice areas, and support women in the legal profession. I have spent my life surrounded by strong women, having attended an all-girls high school, and joined a sorority in college, so I was excited by the opportunity to work with inspiring women like the ones on our Board. I am most excited about the events we put on that help educate and empower the women in our community and that create opportunities for other female attorneys to help one another in their careers. Professionally, I practice insurance defense litigation at Lee Smart, P.S., Inc. where I handle a variety of cases including malpractice, construction defect, real property, personal injury, and commercial disputes. Not only do I enjoy the nature of defense work, but I also enjoy representing different businesses. I get to learn something new every day, which is one of my favorite aspects of the legal profession. In my free time, I enjoy gardening, traveling (in non-Covid times), and margaritas. Once life returns to some level of normal, I am excited to go to live concerts and happy hours again. Anela Ramic, Secretary I have been a member of the King County Washington Women Lawyers since law school and have been a Board member for the past two years. I decided to join the organization after attending events in law school where I found myself inspired by the diverse opinions and backgrounds of the amazing women in the organization. I witnessed a lot of women wanting to support other women in the profession and offering valuable advice. Mentoring and supporting women in the legal field is incredibly important to me, and I wanted to carry on the work from my time with the Women’s Law Caucus in law school. I feel strongly that women in our profession continue to face a number of challenges that have to be acknowledged and challenged in order for the legal field to be more inclusive toward women attorneys. I am a deputy prosecuting attorney for King County, currently assigned to the felony domestic violence unit. The practice incredibly demanding, but I have the honor and privilege of working with and for resilient survivors of gender-based violence. They are some of the strongest women I have met in my lifetime and have witnessed and endured so much. Outside of work, I enjoy hiking waterfall trails, dog-spotting (and petting!), live concerts, and baking. Once we are safely out of quarantine, I can’t wait to travel internationally again and go to Sounders games in person. WELCOME TO YOUR 2020-2021 KING COUNTY WASHINGTON WOMEN LAWYERS BOARD MEMBERS President: Amy Riedel President-Elect: Carrine Bannan Social Chair: Olivia Powar Membership Chair: Ashleigh Holmes JAL Co-Chairs: Angie Nolet and Manprett Kaur Business Development/Sponsorship Chair: Christine Park Criminal Law Section Chair: Vacant Communication Co-Chairs: Catherine Becker Scholarship Chair: Meredith Smith-Evans Liaison, Washington Women Lawyers: Jennifer Jones Become a MemberMembership in the King County Chapter of Washington Women Lawyers provides networking, mentoring, and volunteer opportunities, unique CLE programs, and social functions, to name a few benefits. KCWWL continues to strive toward the full integration of women in the legal profession and for equality for women everywhere and works toward increasing diversity on the bench. We offer meetings, activities and newsletters, and a chance to get together with other women attorneys in your area and make a difference. Join or Renew your Membership to King County WWL today.
Majidah Cochran, 2019 KCWWL Scholarship Recipient, Relates Her Experiences as a Queer Woman of Color in July's KCBA Bar Bulletin Majidah Cochran, a rising 3L at Seattle University School of Law, received KCWWL's 2019 Scholarship. King County Bar Association published her winning essay in this month's Bar Bulletin. Please take a moment to read about Majidah's experience as a queer woman of color in law school. Last summer, Majidah was a 2L Summer Associate with Beveridge & Diamond P.C., where she returned for the first half of this summer. She is finishing her 2020 summer at Williams Kastner. We look forward to seeing what else Majidah will contribute to the legal community when she begins her practice! Thank you, Majidah, for sharing your personal experiences with us. And for those interested in KCWWL's 2020 Scholarship Opportunities, please see the information listed below and contact Amy Larson, KCWWL Scholarship Committee Chair, at kcwwlscholarship@gmail.com with questions.
June 2020 marks 50 years of Pride. Marsha P. Johnson--a black, transgender woman--played a key role in the Stonewall riots of June 1969 that catapulted the LGBTQ+ movement to a new level. Before her death in 1992, she also protested oppressive policing, helped found one of the country's first safe spaces for transgender and homeless youth, and tirelessly advocated for sex workers, prisoners, and persons living with HIV/AIDS. Marsha's legacy lives on in the efforts to fight systemic racism and uphold the hard-won rights for the LGBTQ+ movement. While the Supreme Court's recent Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia decision held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination against gay and transgender persons, the Trump Administration's decision to eliminate an Obama-era regulation prohibiting discrimination in health care against transgender patients reminds us all that LGBTQ+ rights cannot be taken for granted. Although the COVID-19 pandemic keeps us from our usual Pride celebrations, Seattle Pride, Trans Pride Seattle, and Seattle PrideFest are all joining this weekend--June 26-28--for a virtual pride celebration. Please join Seattle's LGBTQ+ community in celebrating 50 years of Pride and educating ourselves to preserve the community for the next 50+ years.
Juneteenth commemorates the marching of the union army on Galveston, TX on June 19, 1865 that resulted in the final eradication of slavery in the United States, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. There are many marches and rallies in Seattle to memorialize this date and continue the fight against systemic racism on Friday, June Nineteenth. We've compiled a brief list of the events of which we are aware All West Coast ports are shutting down in commemoration of Juneteenth and to protest racial violence. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union will be marching from the Local 19 Hall parking lot (3440 E. Marginal Way S) at 9:00 AM to a rally at pier 46 at 10 am followed by a march to the Washington Department of Corrections (1550 4th Ave S). The public is invited to join any part of the march and rally. https://www.facebook.com/events/264152888240364/ Justice for Black Lives is conducting the Juneteenth March for Justice & Equality on 6/19 with speakers starting at 10:00 AM and a march commencing thereafter. Starts at West Woodland Park (Phinney Ave N & N. 59th St.) and ends at 5420 22nd Ave.NW (Bergen Place) https://www.facebook.com/events/3232349810159066/ King County Equity Now is conducting the Juneteenth Freedom March and Celebration on 6/19 at 2:00pm. Starts at 22nd and Madison and marches south on 23rd to Jimi Hendrix Plaza. https://www.kingcountyequitynow.com/ Not This Time! presents The Next Steps rally on 6/19 at 1:00 PM at Judkins Park (2150 S. Norman St., Seattle, WA 98144 https://www.facebook.com/events/713308079225119/
BLACK LIVES MATTER. George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Right here in our back yard--Manual Ellis. And countless others that weren't caught on camera. BLACK LIVES MATTER. Lawyers are especially positioned to take tangible action to directly impact systemic racism. Now more than ever we need to demand more of ourselves and others. KCWWL can do better. We are committed to being more representative of, and to be better allies to, the black community. In the coming weeks we will be critically reviewing our bylaws and judicial evaluation processes, giving a mic to black women in the legal community, and facilitating opportunities for KCWWL members to get involved to help address broader systemic racism. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks. We welcome ideas and suggestions along the way—we are here to listen. In the meantime, here are some organizations that could use your support: The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund ACLU of WashingtonBLM of Seattle-King CountyLoveland Foundation"If you don’t fight for all women, you fight for no women."
WELCOME TO YOUR 2019-2020 KING COUNTY
President: Birgitte Gingold President-Elect: Amy Riedel Business Development/Sponsorship Chair: Christine Park Criminal Law Section Chair: Anela Ramic Communication Co-Chairs: Ashleigh Holmes & Catherine Becker Become a MemberMembership in the King County Chapter of Washington Women Lawyers provides networking, mentoring, and volunteer opportunities, unique CLE programs, and social functions, to name a few benefits. KCWWL continues to strive toward the full integration of women in the legal profession and for equality for women everywhere and works toward increasing diversity on the bench. We offer meetings, activities and newsletters, and a chance to get together with other women attorneys in your area and make a difference. Join or Renew your Membership to King County WWL today.
Judicial Appreciation Luncheon - 2019 The luncheon was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate our award recipients. Awardees Betty B. Fletcher Judge of the Year Award Judge Monica Benton (ret.), King County Superior Court
President's Award Judge G. Helen Whitener, Pierce County Superior Court
Vanguard Award Judge Steve Rosen, King County Superior Court
Award for Special Contribution to the Judiciary The Judicial Institute
News from KCWWL:But first, a reminder about KCWWL Scholarships: There's still time to apply for KCWWL's solo and small firm grant and law student scholarships! The application process is simple, and KCWWL is accepting applications for these opportunities until Wednesday, October 14, 2020: 2020 Solo and Small Firm Attorneys Grant Opportunities The King County Chapter of Washington Women Lawyers is pleased to provide a grant opportunity of up to $1,500.00 each to recognize one or more new solo or small firm (2-5 attorneys) practitioners whose work benefits women directly or improves access to justice for women in Seattle/King County. Please see the grant application posted on the KCWWL website for complete eligibility criteria. Applications should be submitted to Amy Larson, KCWWL Scholarship Committee Chair, at kcwwlscholarship@gmail.com no later than October 14, 2020. 2020 Scholarship Opportunities The King County Chapter of Washington Women Lawyers (KCWWL) is pleased to offer a scholarship in the amount of $1,500.00 to one second-year female law student at University of Washington School of Law and one second-year female law student at Seattle University School of Law. The scholarship is intended to promote individualism and courage within the profession and to recognize women who have made significant contributions to the community or have overcome great obstacles in their lives. Recipients must be members of KCWWL (free for all students) and willing to commit ten hours of service to KCWWL. Please see the scholarship application on the KCWWL website for complete eligibility criteria. Applications should be submitted to Amy Larson, KCWWL Scholarship Committee Chair, at kcwwlscholarship@gmail.com no later than October 14, 2020. Have an event you would like to share with KCWWL? Please e-mail KCWWLCommunications@gmail.com
Are you an attorney mom looking to network with kids in tow? KCWWL supports MAMAS: Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle. Visit the MAMAS website to learn more. |
