On Wednesday, September 10th, 2014, the Center for Women in Law held the Latina Commission Leadership Academy in collaboration with the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) and Walmart.
“Using the curriculum of the Women in Law Institute, the Center’s signature student program, the Leadership Academy provided valuable resources and opportunities for Latina law students and lawyers who have less than five years of legal experience,” said Linda Chanow, Executive Director of the Center. She explained, “the Leadership Academy gave Latina students and recent graduates the chance to work on perfecting the critical skills necessary in realizing their full potential in the legal practice.”
Featured speakers included Marsha Hunter, Founder & CEO of Johnson & Hunter, Inc.; Paula Monopoli, Professor of Law & Founding Director of the Women Leadership & Equality Program at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law; and Diane Darling, Founder and CEO of Effective Networking. The speakers espoused the importance of effective communication, self-promotion, and networking to achieve success in law and provided practical strategies for doing so. Following each lecture, attendees practiced these critical skills in small group settings consisting of judges, general counsel, partners, and senior government and non-profit attorneys.
Remarking on this extraordinary opportunity, one attendee explained that the faculty members “were the mirrors I needed [in order] to see that the control lies with me, and I am the agent that will drive the change I seek.”
The Center for Women in Law thanks the distinguished faculty members for their thoughtful critiques and speakers Marsha Hunter, Paula Monopoli, and Diane Darling for their insights. The Center also thanks HNBA for their help and Walmart for providing the funding to make this event possible.