2019 Women’s Power Summit on Law & Leadership

2019 PS

The Center for Women in Law will convene leaders for its sixth biennial Women’s Power Summit™ and CWIL’s 10-Year Anniversary. Over the past decade, the invitation-only Women’s Power Summit™ has convened the Who’s Who of influential women in the legal profession to generate ideas and lead change.

Apr 10, 2019 - to - Apr 12, 2019
Women's Power Summit
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See photos from the 2019 Women’s Power Summit™

Welcome to the 2019 Women’s Power Summit™

Speakers and attendees include women lawyers at the height of their career – chief legal officers and general counsel, law firm managing partners, judges, government officials, law school deans, bar presidents, and other preeminent lawyers, as well as academics and business leaders who are positioned to make significant and lasting change in the legal profession.

 

Speakers

Christina M. Ackermann

Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Bausch Health Companies Inc.

Ms. Ackermann joined Bausch Health as Executive Vice President, General Counsel, in August 2016. In this role, she is responsible for Bausch Health’s worldwide legal affairs, compliance, global security and enterprise risk management.  Prior to Bausch Health,  Ms.

Kelly Ayotte

U.S. Senator, New Hampshire (2011-17)

Senator Ayotte was elected to the Senate in 2010, where she was ranked as one of the most bipartisan senators working across party lines to find solutions to our nation’s biggest challenges.

Brad Barron

President and CEO, NuStar Energy L.P.

Mr. Barron became Chief Executive Officer, President and a director of NuStar GP, LLC in January 2014. Prior to the merger pursuant to which NuStar GP Holdings, LLC became a subsidiary of NuStar Energy L.P., Mr.

Susan Blount

Susan L. Blount served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Prudential Financial, Inc., where she was responsible for the company’s 700-person global law, compliance, business ethics and external affairs (LCBE) organization.

Paula Boggs

Founder, Boggs Media, LLC

Paula Boggs is the founder of Boggs Media, LLC, a business that manages her music, speaking, and other creative business activities. She is a Musician, Public Speaker, Lawyer and Philanthropist.  She is also a Board Member of numerous for-profit and non-profit organizations.

Cristina Carvalho

Firmwide Managing Partner, Arent Fox

Ms. Carvalho is a Firmwide Managing Partner at Arent Fox.  She has been widely recognized for her work in commercial transactions, intellectual property, licensing, and technology for leading US and foreign companies.

Janice L. Block

Chief Administrative and Legal Officer, Kaplan, Inc.

Janice Block is an executive vice president and the Chief Legal and Administrative Officer, at Kaplan Inc., a global education company owned by The Graham Holdings Company.

Stephanie L. Chandler

Partner, Jackson Walker LLP

Ms. Chandler leads the San Antonio Corporate practice at the law firm of Jackson Walker LLP.   In her practice, she guides businesses and large non-profits and their boards through governance issues and transactions including mergers and acquisitions and securities offerings.

Marie Donoghue

Vice President, Global Sports Video, Amazon

Marie Donoghue, is Vice President of Global Sports Video at Amazon, responsible for Amazon’s global sports content business. In her role, Ms.

Stacey Doré

Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer, Vistra Corp.

Prior to joining Hunt Utility Services, Doré spent eight years as in-house counsel at Energy Future Holdings Corp. (EFH), including serving as executive vice president and general counsel of EFH for the last four years.

JoAnne A. Epps

Executive Vice President and Provost, Temple University

Ms. Epps the Executive Vice President and Provost at Temple Law School. A member of the faculty of Temple Law School since 1985, Ms.

Margaret M. Foran

Chief Governance Officer, Senior Vice President, and Corporate Secretary, Prudential Financial Inc.

Ms. Foran is Chief Governance Officer, Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary of Prudential Financial, Inc. Her role at Prudential also includes oversight of the Company’s Shareholder Services and Sustainability divisions.

Hilda C. Galvan

President Elect, Partner-in-Charge, Jones Day

Hilda Galvan is Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day, Dallas.  Hilda, a nationally recognized trial lawyer, has represented plaintiffs and defendants in intellectual litigation in courts across the country for more than 25 years.

Lisa Atlas Genecov

Lisa Genecov is the national co-chair of Katten Muchin Rosenman's Health Care practice, concentrating on the regulatory, business, corporate, governance, compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and transactional aspects of health care law, with a particular focus in the private equity space.

Deborah R. Gilg

Neutral Arbitrator, Financial Regulatory Authority Commissioner, Nebraska Crime Commission U.S. Attorney, District of Nebraska (2009-2017)

Deborah R. Gilg is the former United States Attorney for Nebraska. She was appointed by President Barack Obama and served from 2009-2017.

Leslie A. Goldman

Managing Director, In-House Practice Group, Major, Lindsey & Africa

Ms. Goldman, a Managing Director with Major, Lindsey & Africa’s In-House Practice Group, is retained by companies to recruit chief legal officers, chief compliance officers, deputy GCs and other senior in-house attorneys.

Marcy Greer

Marcy Hogan Greer is a partner with Alexander, Dubose, Jefferson & Townsend in Austin. She is recognized for her work in federal and state trial and appellate courts throughout the country.

Juanita Harris

Assistant Vice President and Senior Legal Counsel to Human Resources AT&T, Inc.

With a legal career spanning over 20 years, Ms. Harris is a veteran corporate attorney with in depth experience fusing legal mandates with visionary business insights. She currently serves as Assistant Vice President and Senior Legal Counsel to Human Resources at AT&T, Inc.

Beth P. Hecht

Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary, Xeris Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Beth Hecht is a Managing Director and Chief Legal and Administrative Officer and a member of the Investment Committee for Auven Therapeutics, a global private equity firm focused on the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries with offices in the United States, Switzerland, U.K., Bermuda and t

Vicki A. Hollub

President and Chief Executive Officer, Occidental Petroleum Corporation

Vicki Hollub is President and Chief Executive Officer of Occidental Petroleum. She has been a member of Occidental’s Board of Directors since 2015.

Claudia Kalb

Bestselling Author, Independent Journalist

Ms. Kalb is a New York Times bestselling author and independent journalist specializing in medicine, science and human behavior.

Denise Keane

Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Altria Group Inc.

Denise Keane serves as Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Altria Group. In her role, she leads the company’s Law department and the Corporate Secretary’s office.

Anastasia D. Kelly

Co-Managing Partner (Americas) at DLA Piper, former Vice-Chairman of AIG, and former General Counsel of MCI/WorldCom, Sears, and Fannie Mae

Anastasia D. Kelly is the former Vice Chairman of American International Group (AIG), a role she held until the end of 2009. In this role, she was responsible for the global legal, compliance and regulatory functions, government relations, communications, corporate affairs and human resources.

Nancy Kestenbaum

Partner, Covington & Burling Co-Chair Covington & Burling White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group

Ms. Kestenbaum is a partner in the New York office of Covington & Burling and is Co-Chair of Covington’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group.  Ms.

Kim Koopersmith

Chairperson, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Ms. Koopersmith, chairperson of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, guides the firm’s strategic direction, heads the firm’s management committee and ensures the firm’s continued commitment to client service, diversity, pro bono work and attorney excellence.

Sophie L’Hélias

Founder and President, LeaderXXchange

A former M&A attorney in New York and Paris, Ms. L’Hélias is an international corporate governance expert with extensive experience in shareholder activism and investor campaigns in Europe, the United States and Canada.

Nancy Laben

Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Booz Allen Hamilton

Ms. Laben is the Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary and ExecutiveVice President of Booz Allen Hamilton.

Jean Lee

President and CEO, Minority Corporate Counsel Association

Ms. Lee is the President and CEO of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), a national organization focused on hiring, promoting and retaining women and diverse attorneys by providing cutting-edge research, best practices, training and training.

Mara Liasson

National Political Correspondent, NPR

Ms. Liasson is the national political correspondent for NPR. Her reports can be heard regularly on NPR’s award-winning newsmagazines Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Ms.

Michele Coleman Mayes

Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Michele Coleman Mayes, was appointed Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary at The New York Public Library in 2012. She serves as chief legal officer and is responsible for guiding NYPL's legal strategy to enable the Library to achieve its mission.

Julie Cohen Norris

Senior Client Partner, Board & CEO and Legal Services Practices, Korn Ferry

Ms. Norris is a Senior Client Partner in the Boston Office and a member of the Board & CEO and Legal Services Practices. Ms. Norris specializes in the recruitment and leadership development of board directors, general counsels, and other C-suite executives.

Carey A. O’Connor

Jobs for the Future

Ms. O’Connor is an experienced senior business executive most recently serving on the executive team of Flowserve Corporation, a S&P 500 global manufacturer of engineered flow control products located in 55 countries. As Flowserve’s Chief Legal Officer, Ms.

Hari M. Osofsky

Dean and Distinguished Professor of Law, Penn State Law; Dean, Penn State School of International Affairs

Ms. Osofsky is Dean of Penn State Law and the Penn State School of International Affairs and Distinguished Professor of Law, Professor of International Affairs, and Professor of Geography.

The Hon. Tonya Parker

Judge for the 116th Civil District Court, Dallas County, Texas

Nearly a year into her first term as an elected official, Judge Parker made national headlines. Not for the way she cleared-out scores of dated cases in the severely backlogged court she inherited.

Marla S. Persky

CEO and President, WOMN LLC

Ms. Persky is CEO and President of WOMN LLC, a company dedicated to helping women succeed in the business of law by increasing their knowledge of and acuity with financial drivers, client development, and leadership. Throughout her professional life, Ms.

Karen Popp

Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

KAREN A. POPP, a partner in Sidley Austin’s Washington, D.C. office, is the global co-chair of Sidley’s White Collar Practice group and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Ms.

Lynn Povich

Award-Winning Journalist, Author of The Good Girls Revolt

Ms. Povich is an award-winning journalist who has spent more than 40 years in the news business. After graduating from Vassar College, she began her career as a secretary in the Paris Bureau of Newsweek magazine, rising to become a reporter and writer in New York.

Yvonne K. Puig

U.S. Chief Integration Partner, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Norton Rose Fulbright

Ms. Puig has a substantial commercial litigation practice in both state and federal courts. She represents large health systems, medical schools, institutional health care providers, for profit educational companies, and managed care organizations across the US. 

Sandra L. Phillips

Sandra Phillips Rogers is group vice president, general counsel, chief legal officer, corporate secretary, and chief diversity officer of Toyota Motor North America (“TMNA”). In this role, she leads the legal services function for Toyota's operations in North America, Toyota Legal One (“TL1”).

Patricia A. Shiu

Legal and Policy Consultant on Workplace Diversity and Inclusion

Patricia Shiu is a consultant on diversity and inclusion policies that reflect an organization’s mission, culture and brand. Appointed by President Barack Obama, Ms.

Heather Smith

Principal, Global Board & CEO Practice, DHR International

As a member of the Board & CEO Practice at DHR International, Ms. Smith works with clients to successfully place C-level executives and board directors. Ms. Smith brings knowledge of boards and boardroom risk derived from her career experience in the insurance industry to DHR.

Judy A. Smith

Founder and President, Smith & Company

Judy A. Smith is the founder and President of Smith & Company, a leading strategic advisory firm with offices in Washington D.C., Los Angeles and New York.  Over the last 25 years, Ms.

Danielle Sugarman

Vice President, BlackRock's Investment Stewardship

Ms. Sugarman is a Vice President with BlackRock’s Investment Stewardship team.  She serves as the lead analyst for BlackRock’s energy, utilities, pharmaceutical and biotech portfolios in the Americas. Ms.

Tina Tchen

Partner, Buckley LLP

Ms. Tchen is a partner at Buckley LLP and heads up its Chicago office. Over the course of her extensive career, Ms. Tchen has handled complex civil litigation and enforcement matters in both state and federal courts in Illinois and across the country.

Sharyn Tejani

Director, TIME'S UP Legal Defense Fund

Ms. Tejani is the Director of the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund. Immediately prior to starting this role in April 2018, she served as a Deputy Chief at the Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Renée Peterson Trudeau

President/Owner Renee Trudeau & Associates, LLC

Ms. Trudeau is an internationally-recognized leadership coach, speaker and president of Career Strategists, an award-winning consulting firm. Her corporate clients include Fortune 500 companies, national conferences and nonprofit organizations.  Ms.

Elisse B. Walter

Director, Occidental Petroleum Corporation; Commissioner and Chairman, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (2008-13)

Ms. Walter, 66, was appointed Commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by President George W. Bush, and served in that capacity from 2008 until 2013. President Barack Obama designated her as the 30th Chairman of the SEC in December 2012.

Debbie Wemyss

Founder, DW Consulting Solutions LLC

Ms. Wemyss enjoys sharing her passion for LinkedIn in terms that educate audiences as to how LinkedIn draws visibility and business to them. LinkedIn is the largest professional networking site in the world with over 590M members in over 200 countries.

Heather Wolf

Managing Director, Allegis Partners

Ms. Wolf is Managing Director at Allegis Partners, a boutique search firm and sister company of Major Lindsay and Africa. Her practice focuses on Board and CEO placements with a “diversity first” approach. Previously, Ms.

Jenny R. Yang

Fellow, Open Society Foundations Leadership in Government and Urban Institute; Chair, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2013-2018)

Ms. Yang served as a Commissioner and Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from 2013 to 2018.

Sally Quillian Yates

Partner, King & Spalding; Deputy Attorney General (2015-17)

Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates is a partner in King & Spalding’s Special Matters & Government Investigations practice. Ms. Yates’ deep experience, leadership and wide-ranging background provide clients with seasoned judgment in difficult times.

Agenda

April 10, 2019

3:00 p.m.

Registration and Opening Reception

Ballroom Terrace

Sponsored by Bracewell LLP

4:00 p.m.

Women's Power Summit Kickoff

Four Seasons Ballroom

4:10 p.m.

Opening Speaker

Four Seasons Ballroom

5:00 p.m.

Manifesto Moment

Four Seasons Ballroom

5:10 p.m.

Mindset Matters

Four Seasons Ballroom

5:45 p.m.

Break

6:00 p.m.

Panel Discussion

Four Seasons Ballroom

6:45 p.m.

Achieving Long-Term Careers for Women in Law

Four Seasons Ballroom

7:00 p.m.

Attendee Introductions

7:30 p.m.

Dinner

The Lawn

Sponsored by Shook, Hardy & Bacon

 

8:00 p.m.

Entertainment

The Lawn

April 11, 2019

Time

Session Information

6:00 a.m.

Goat Yoga

The Lawn

7:00 a.m.

Breakfast and Registration

Four Seasons Ballroom Foyer and Terrace

Sponsored by Kean Miller LLP

8:00 a.m.

Opening Remarks

Four Seasons Ballroom

8:05 a.m.

Interview

Four Seasons Ballroom

8:05 a.m.

Fireside Chat

Four Seasons Ballroom

8:30 a.m.

Fireside Chat

Four Seasons Ballroom

8:55 a.m.

Panel Discussion

Four Seasons Ballroom

9:40 a.m.

Break

9:50 a.m.

Panel Discussion

Four Seasons Ballroom

10:45 a.m.

Breakout Sessions

12:00 p.m.

Leadership Lunch

Four Seasons Ballroom

Sponsored by Haynes and Boone, LLP

1:00 p.m.

Panel Discussion

Four Seasons Ballroom

2:00 p.m.

Break

2:15 p.m.

Breakouts Sessions

3:45 p.m.

Fireside Chat

Four Seasons Ballroom

4:30 p.m.

Panel Discussion

Four Seasons Ballroom

5:15 p.m.

Break

5:45 p.m.

Buses Leave for Legacy Dinner

6:30 p.m.

Legacy Dinner

Sponsored by Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

 

April 12, 2019

Time

Session Information

6:30 a.m.

Early Morning Exercise

7:30 a.m.

Breakfast

Four Seasons Ballroom

Sponsored by Hunton Andrews Kurth

8:30 a.m.

Welcome

Four Seasons Ballroom

Welcome and Introduction of Speakers

8:40 a.m.

Fireside Chat

Four Seasons Ballroom

9:20 a.m.

Fireside Chat

Four Seasons Ballroom

10:15 a.m.

Break

10:30 a.m.

Accelerating Women Presentation

Four Seasons Ballroom

10:45 a.m.

Luminarias Legal History Project

Four Seasons Ballroom

11:00 a.m.

The Politics of Power

Four Seasons Ballroom

11:45 a.m.

Concluding Remarks

Four Seasons Ballroom

12:00 p.m.

Farewell Lunch

The Lawn

Sponsored by Jones Day

Sponsors
champion
Leader
ADVOCATE
Benefactor
Venue

The 2019 Women’s Power Summit™ will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel.

98 San Jacinto Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78701-4039

+1 (512) 478-4500

Advisory Board

Chairs

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Kimberly S. Lubel

 

Kimberly S. Lubel is the former Chairman and CEO of CST Brands, Inc., a Fortune 250 North American convenience and fuel retailer with over 14,000 employees that was acquired by Circle K in June 2017. Ms. Lubel serves on the boards of directors of WPX Energy, Inc., an NYSE-traded oil and gas company, and PBF Energy, Inc., an NYSE-traded petroleum refining company. Prior to her role at CST Brands, Ms. Lubel spent over 15 years with Valero Energy Corporation, including six years as Valero’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Among her professional recognitions, Ms. Lubel has twice been named to Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women list (2013 & 2015) and was named Executive Leader of the Year in 2014 by the San Antonio Business Journal. She recently was appointed to the Texas Law Foundation Board.

 

 

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Hilda C. Galvan

Hilda C. Galvan is the Partner-in-Charge at the Jones Day Dallas office. For more than 20 years, Ms. Galvan, a nationally recognized trial lawyer who focuses on complex intellectual property litigation, has represented plaintiffs and defendants in federal and state courts across the country. She has served as lead counsel for IBM, Texas Instruments, and Essilor in the enforcement of their patent portfolios and in defending against allegations of infringement. In 2016, Ms. Galvan was named a global IP leader by World IP Review. She has led cross-border litigation matters involving courts in Europe, Asia, Texas, and the ITC. IAM magazine identified Ms. Galvan as a “powerhouse litigator” and lauded her “extensive experience in big-ticket patent litigation.” Ms. Galvan has litigated more than 100 patent cases, with 50+ in the Eastern District of Texas. She recently chaired the board of the Dallas Regional Chamber, serves on the board of trustees of The University of Texas Law School Foundation, and on the boards of Parkland Hospital Foundation, Dallas Women’s Foundation, and the Dallas Hispanic Law Foundation. She was named one of “The Most Powerful Business Leaders” in Dallas-Fort Worth” by D CEO.

 

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  Beth P. Hecht

 

Beth Hecht is the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Xeris Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: XERS) a publicly traded specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing injectable products.  As Xeris’ chief legal officer, she leads the legal, compliance, security and corporate secretarial functions and is a member of the Company’s seven-person Executive Leadership Team.  Before joining Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Ms. Hecht served as Managing Director and Chief Administrative and Legal Officer of Auven Therapeutics, a private equity life science firm. Ms. Hecht is a graduate of Amherst College and Harvard Law School.  Ms. Hecht currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors and Chairperson of the Nominating and Governance Committee of Neos Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NEOS) a publicly traded life science company based in Dallas, Texas.

 

 

Advisory Board

Linda L. Addison
Immediate Past Managing Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP

Dolores S. Atencio, Esq.
Visiting Scholar, Sturm College of Law; University of Denver Latino Center for Community Engagement & Scholarship

Sharon R. Barner
Vice President – General Counsel, Cummins Inc.

Janet Bawcom
Senior Vice President, Corporate, Securities, & Finance Law, Dell Inc.

Janice Block
Chief Administrative and Legal Officer, Kaplan Inc. (Ret.)

Susan Blount
Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Prudential Financial (Ret.)

Janet Carrig
Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and  Corporate Secretary, ConocoPhilips

Patricia Diaz Dennis, Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, AT&T Inc. (Ret.)

Gemma Descoteaux
Partner, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Lori Erwin
Litigation Attorney, Texas Health and Human Services Commission

Claudia Frost
Partner, Orrick, Herrington, and Sutcliffe LLP

Elisa Garcia
Chief Legal Officer, Macys Inc.

Deborah Gilg
Vice President, General Counsel, and Chief Operating Officer, Time Health Management

Leslie Goldman
Managing Director, Major, Lindsey, and Africa

Marcy Greer
Partner, Alexander Dubose Jefferson & Townsend LLP

Juanita Harris
Assistant Vice President – Senior Legal Counsel, Human Resources, AT&T Inc.

Susan Feigin Harris
Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Cisselon Nichols Hurd
Senior Litigation Counsel, Shell Oil Company

Anne Johnson
Partner, Haynes and Boone, LLP

Kimberly Leach Johnson
Partner and Firm Chair, Quarles and Brady LLP

Arleas Upton Kea
Director of Division of Administration, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

Kim Koopersmith
Chairperson, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Jean Lee
President and CEO, Minority Corporate Counsel Association

Roberta “Bobbi” Liebenberg
Senior Partner, Fine, Kaplan and Black, R.P.C.

Michele Coleman Mayes
Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary, The New York Public Library

Julie Mayo
Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP

Jami Wintz McKeon
Partner, Chair of the Firm, Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP

Elizabeth Moore
Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Consolidated Edison Inc.

Carey O’Connor
Advanced Leadership Initiative, Harvard University

Sandra L. Phillips
Group Vice President, General Counsel, and Chief Legal Officer, Toyota Motor North America, Inc.

Karyn Polak
Deputy General Counsel, PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.

Karen Popp
Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

Julia Simon
Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Mary Kay Inc.

Debra Wong Yang
Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

Jenny Yang
Fellow, Open Society Leadership in Government

Outcomes
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power plays that matter

Power Plays that Matter: Themes that emerged from the 2017 Women’s Power Summit on Law and Leadership™.

 

 

 

 

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Power for Change

 

The second publication in the Power series that resulted from the 2015 Women’s Power Summit™, Power for Change, provides five steps for all women lawyers to assume responsibility and take the lead in advancing fellow women professionals across the legal profession, now and in the future.

 

 

 

 

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Power in Law

 

Power in Law is the white paper that resulted from the 2011 Women’s Power Summit on Law & Leadership. This 40-page report captures seven strategies for getting, using, and keeping power and summarizes the steps that leaders today can take to accelerate the advancement of women in the legal profession.

 

 

 

 

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Austin Manifesto

The Austin Manifesto, a blueprint for achieving parity in the legal profession, was adopted by acclamation by all of the participants who came to the 2009 Women’s Power Summit on Law & Leadership. By signing the Austin Manifesto, participants committed to personally taking specific, concrete steps to tackle the stubborn obstacles facing women in the profession today.