Linda Bray Chanow is a leader in the national and local conversation on gender equity in the legal profession. A frequent author and speaker on issues of importance to women lawyers, Linda co-authored the Center’s publication, Power in Law: Lessons from the 2011 Women’s Power Summit on Law and Leadership which has been widely disseminated and highly praised. Prior to joining the Center, Linda authored numerous reports on women in the legal profession, including Reduced Hours, Full Success: Part-Time Partners in U.S. Law Firms, 21 Hastings Women’s L.J. 223 (2010); Actions for Advancing Women Into Law Firm Leadership: Report of the National Association of Women Lawyers National Leadership Summit (2008); and Creating Pathways to Success: Advancing and Retaining Women in Today’s Law Firms (2006)(chaired Reporters’ Committee).  Linda recently co-chaired the American Bar Association (ABA) Toolkit for Gender Equity in Partner Compensation, an initiative of the ABA Presidential Task Force on Gender Equity, and is a liaison to the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession.

In her role as Executive Director of the Center for Women in Law, Linda regularly communicates with stakeholders to identify opportunities to advance women lawyers. She convenes leaders and top academics for the Center’s biennial Women’s Power Summit on Law and Leadership. Linda implements the Women in Law Institute, a training program for female law students and judicial clerks, providing them with critical skills to successfully navigate their careers. She also facilitates the Consortium for Advancing Women Lawyers, which brings together the heads of women lawyer organizations and thought leaders from across the country to share knowledge, develop synergies, and double efforts to advance women in the profession.

Linda is also a mentor and advisor to female law students at The University of Texas School of Law.  She designs and implements events for students, including the Tuesday Power Lunch Series, a weekly lunch meeting held in the fall at which student leaders discuss current issues and career strategies with alumnae and law school faculty. Linda proactively develops and maintains relationships with student organizations, including the Asian Law Students Association, the Latina Law Caucus, the Thurgood Marshall Legal Society, and the Women’s Law Caucus, and regularly advises student group board members.  She maintains an open door policy and is often sought out for advice on career strategies and interviewing techniques.

Linda was recently selected to be a member of the 2013 Class of Leadership Texas and to receive 2013 Advancement of Women Award by the Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association and the Travis County Women Lawyers’ Foundation. Prior to joining the Center for Women in Law, Linda served as the Assistant Director of the Project for Attorney Retention, an initiative of the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California Hastings College of the Law. She was a member of the board of directors of the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia and a co-chair of its Initiative on Advancement and Retention of Women. Linda began her legal career as a commercial litigator at WilmerHale in Washington, D.C. Linda graduated magna cum laude from American University’s Washington College of Law in 1999. While in law school, Linda focused on employment law and worked with Distinguished Professor of Law Joan C. Williams on the development of Professor Williams’ book, UnBending Gender: Why Family and Work Conflict and What to Do About It.