2009 Women’s Power Summit on Law & Leadership

- On law and leadership -

The Women’s Power Summit on Law & Leadership will be a historic gathering of specially selected leading women in law, ranging from those at the highest echelons of private practice and the corporate sector to their counterparts in government, non-profits, academia and the judiciary.

Apr 29, 2009 - to - May 01, 2009

The three-day event, held April 29, 30 and May 1, 2009, will feature speakers and panel discussions on a variety of topics affecting women within the legal profession. Participants will share information, assess the progress that has been made, identify the end goals, network and set an agenda for future change.

The Summit will culminate in the drafting and introduction of the Austin Manifesto on Women in Law, a statement of principles and pledges designed to address the myriad of obstacles facing women in the legal profession today.

Summit Speakers

The Summit features speakers from a variety of backgrounds, each bringing a different perspective on how to advance the position of women within the legal profession.

Keynote Speakers
Anna Deavere Smith

Anna Deavere Smith

Playwright, Actor & Professor, New York University

As an actor, playwright and teacher, Anna Deavere Smith has built a remarkably wide-ranging and respected career. Her work, which explores the American character and our multifaceted national identity, has been acclaimed by the media, critics and audiences across the country.

Ann Fudge

Ann Fudge

Chairman & CEO, Young & Rubicam Brands (ret.), Chair, Gates Foundation U.S. Program Advisory Board, Rockefeller Foundation Board of Directors

Ann Fudge is Former Chairman and CEO of Young & Rubicam Brands, a global network of pre-eminent companies across the full range of marketing communications. Prior to Young & Rubicam Brands, Ms.

Marie C. Wilson

Marie C. Wilson

Founder and President of The White House Project, co-creator of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work ® Day, past President of the Ms. Foundation, and author of Closing the Leadership Gap: Why Women Can and Must Help Run the World

An advocate of women’s issues for more than 30 years, Marie C. Wilson is Founder and President of The White House Project, co-creator of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work ® Day and author of Closing the Leadership Gap: Why Women Can and Must Help Run the World (Viking 2004).

Summit Chair
Diane C. Yu

Diane C. Yu

Chief of Staff and Deputy to the President of New York University

Diane C. Yu is Chief of Staff and Deputy to the President at New York University, the nation’s largest private university. Her portfolio mirrors that of the President as his surrogate, advisor, and alter ego in dealings with NYU Trustees, deans, faculty, students, and the University Senate.

Speakers

Hannah Brenner

Executive Director, Center for Women in Law

Hannah Brenner is the first Executive Director of the Center for Women in Law at the University of Texas School of Law, a new initiative designed to confront the barriers that stand in the way of women’s advancement in the legal profession.

Mary Cranston

Mary Cranston

Senior Partner (former managing partner), Pillsbury

Mary B. Cranston is the Firm Senior Partner and immediate past Chair of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. In her eight years as Chair, Ms. Cranston expanded the firm from a regional California base into an international platform through two large mergers and the addition of seven offices.

Karen Hirschman Larsen

Karen has more than 27 years of experience as a top-rated litigator handling major commercial disputes. She was a partner with Vinson & Elkins LLP until December of 2010, and now serves as a neutral on the American Arbitration Association’s national Commercial litigation panel.

Lisa Horowitz

President, National Association of Women Lawyers

Lisa Horowitz is President of the National Association of Women Lawyers, a professional organization which since 1899 has been committed to promoting the interests and advancement of women lawyers and women’s legal rights.

Lorraine Graw

Law Student, University of Texas College of Law

Lorraine Graw is a third year student at the University of Texas School of Law. After graduation, she will be clerking for the Honorable Alan M. Ahart in Los Angeles.

The Hon. Carolyn Dineen King

The Hon. Carolyn Dineen King

Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Cir.

Carolyn Dineen King is a Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Judge King is a native of Syracuse, New York. She graduated from Smith College summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa in 1959 and from Yale Law School in 1962.

Cathy Lamboley, President

Catherine Lamboley

Catherine Lamboley, retired Sr. Vice President and General Counsel of Shell Oil Company, is a native of Monroe, Wisconsin. Cathy graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a secondary education degree and from the University of Texas School of Law where she graduated Order of the Coif.

Ilene Lang

Ilene Lang

President & CEO, Catalyst, Inc.

Ilene H. Lang is the President & Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst, the leading research and advisory organization working with businesses and the professions to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women and business.

Barbara M.G. Lynn

The Hon. Barbara M.G. Lynn

United States District Court, Northern District of Texas

Barbara M. G. Lynn took the oath of office as a United States District Judge for the Northern District of Texas on February 14, 2000. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Virginia, Judge Lynn graduated first in her class at Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1976.

William Powers Jr.

President, The University of Texas at Austin

William Powers Jr. is the 28th president of The University of Texas at Austin. Before taking office on February 1, 2006, he served as dean of the university's School of Law.

Arin N. Reeves

The Athens Group

Arin Reeves has worked with diversity and inclusion in organizations for over fifteen years. She received her J.D. from University of Southern California and her Ph.D. in Sociology from Northwestern University.

Deborah L. Rhode

Ernest W. McFarland Professor of Law, Stanford University Law School

Deborah Rhode is the Ernest W. McFarland Professor of Law and the Director of the Center on the Legal Profession at Stanford University. Her teaching and research focuses on gender inequality and legal ethics.

Veta T. Richardson

Veta T. Richardson

President & CEO Association of Corporate Counsel

Veta T. Richardson is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC). Headquartered in Washington, D.C., ACC is the world’s largest bar association dedicated exclusively to serving the interests of in-house counsel.

Lawrence G. Sager

Dean, University of Texas School of Law

Lawrence G. Sager is the Dean of the University of Texas at Austin School of Law and holds the John Jeffers Research Chair in Law and the Alice Jane Drysdale Sheffield Regents Chair. Dean Sager is one of the nation's preeminent constitutional theorists and scholars.

Keisha N. Stanford

Student, Stanford Law School; Executive Board Member, Building a Better Legal Profession; National Board, Ms. JD National Women Law Students Association

Keisha N. Stanford is a second-year law student at Stanford Law School, where she serves as the Co-President of the Stanford Law Students’ Association and the Women of Stanford Law. Sheis also the Development Chair for Ms.

Laura Stein

General Counsel, The Clorox Company

Laura Stein returned to The Clorox Company in 2005, and serves as senior vice president – general counsel of The Clorox Company with responsibility for the company's worldwide legal, ethics and compliance, corporate secretary, corporate communications, crisis management, risk management and inter

Adrienne Iwamoto Suarez

Legislative Researcher, Hawaii State Representative Della Au Belatti

Adrienne Iwamoto Suarez received a B.A. in English and Comparative Literature, cum laude, from Columbia College, Columbia University in 1997; an M.A. in English Education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2001; and a J.D., summa cum laude, from the William S.

Joan C. Williams

Joan C. Williams

Distinguished Professor of Law, 1066 Foundation Chair and Co-Director of the Project for Attorney Retention, University of California Hastings College of Law

Joan C. Williams has played a central role in reshaping the debates over women’s advancement for the past quarter-century.

The Hon. Diane P. Wood

Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Cir.

Diane P. Wood is a Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School. Judge Wood attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning her B.A. in 1971 (highest honors), and her J.D.

Schedule

The Summit is a three-day event, held April 29, 30 and May 1, 2009.

  • Wednesday, April 29, 2009

    Welcome – Summit Kickoff   
    5:45pm

    • Hannah Brenner, Executive Director, Center for Women in Law

    The Landscape of Women in the Law   
    5:45 - 7:15pm

    This panel will examine the broad landscape of issues confronting women in the legal profession and will present the most current research on such matters as discrimination and bias, and women’s advancement and leadership challenges. The panelists are nationally renowned for their pioneering research and advocacy on these issues.

    • Roberta C. Liebenberg (Moderator), Chair, American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession
    • Deborah L. Rhode, Ernest W. McFarland Professor of Law, Stanford University Law School
    • Veta Richardson, Executive Director, Minority Corporate Counsel Association
    • Joan C. Williams, Distinguished Professor of Law, 1066 Foundation Chair and Co-Director of the Project for Attorney Retention, University of California Hastings College of Law

    Closing Remarks  
    7:15 - 7:30pm

    • Diane C. Yu, Summit Chair, Chief of Staff and Deputy to the President of New York University

    Reception & Dinner   
    7:30pm

    • The opening dinner will allow participants a unique opportunity to get to know one another informally and begin to establish important networks and alliances.

  • Thursday, April 30, 2009

    Welcome   
    9:00 - 9:10am

    • Lawrence G. Sager, Dean, University of Texas School of Law
    • Introduction of Justice O’Connor
    • Linda L. Addison, Partner-in-Charge, Fulbright & Jaworski-New York, and Founder, Center for Women in Law

    Keynote Address: The Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor   
    9:15 - 9:50am

    • As the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court, Justice O’Connor ascended to a position of leadership that was at one time unimaginable. After graduating from Stanford Law School, Justice O’Connor worked as an assistant attorney general in Arizona, and was later appointed to fill a Senate vacancy in that state. After twice winning re-election, she shifted her career to the judiciary, serving on the Maricopa County Superior Court. In 1981, she was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as an associate justice to the United States Supreme Court, receiving unanimous approval to the position by the United State Senate, and serving in this capacity until her retirement in 2006.  At the Summit, Justice O’Connor will offer her own observations as to why these barriers will continue to be so pervasive, and  participants will hear some of her perspectives on how today’s leading lawyers can reverse this dynamic and create positive change in the profession.

    Perspectives and Reflections on Justice O’Connor’s Remarks   
    9:50 - 11:00am

    • A distinguished panel of leading lawyers will join Justice O’Connor, reflect on her comments and engage in a facilitated dialogue.
    • Diane C. Yu (Moderator)
    • Mary Cranston, Senior Partner (former managing partner), Pillsbury
    • The Hon. Carolyn Dineen King, Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Cir.
    • Lawrence G. Sager, Dean, University of Texas School of Law
    • Laura Stein, General Counsel, The Clorox Company
    • The Hon. Diane P. Wood, Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Cir.

    Break  
    11:00 - 11:15am

    The Economics of Equality ~ The Equality of Economics   
    11:15 - 12:15pm

    This session will explore the ways in which economic issues impact the achievement of equality for women in the legal profession.

    • Arin N. Reeves, The Athens Group
    • Karen Hirschman, Partner, Vinson & Elkins & Founder, Center for Women in Law
    • Catherine Lamboley, General Counsel Shell Oil Company (ret.) and Founder,     Center for Women in Law

    Luncheon: The Many Manifestations of Leadership   
    12:15 - 2:00pm  
    A performance by Anna Deavere Smith

    • Hailed by Newsweek magazine as “the most exciting individual in American theatre,” Anna Deavere Smith uses her singular brand of theatre to explore issues of community, character and diversity in America. A playwright and actor, Deavere Smith is also a tenured professor at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and founder of the Institute on the Arts & Civic Dialogue. At the Summit, participants will experience Deavere Smith’s “new form of theatre – a blend of theatrical art, social commentary, journalism and intimate reverie,” which earned her a MacArthur Foundation “genius” Fellowship. At the Summit, Deavere Smith will offer commentary on women and leadership, followed by a special performance featuring notable women leaders.

    Break  
    2:00-2:15pm

    Strategies and Best Practices for Women’s Advancement in the Legal Profession  
    2:15 - 3:15pm

    Following up on their presentation on the landscape of women in law, this distinguished group of panelists will return to offer an overview of effective strategies, and best practices, for advancing women’s position in the legal profession.

    • Roberta D. Liebenberg, Chair, American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession
    • Deborah L. Rhode, Ernest W. McFarland Professor of Law, Stanford University Law School
    • Veta Richardson, Executive Director, Minority Corporate Counsel Association    
    • Joan C. Williams, Distinguished Professor of Law, 1066 Foundation Chair and Co-Chair of the Project for Attorney Retention

    Introduction of the Austin Manifesto on Women in Law  
    3:15 - 3:30pm

    • Summit Chair Diane C. Yu will present a working version of the Austin Manifesto with a description of the evolution of the drafting process, concepts behind the document and other details.  The Manifesto will include a set of principles and pledges designed to address many of the obstacles facing women in the legal profession today.

    Working Groups on the Manifesto  
    3:30 - 4:45pm

    • Participants will break into small groups and work together, with the assistance of special facilitators and recorders, to offer suggestions and revisions to the working draft of the document. Special thanks to Nina Cortell, Lauren Eaton Prescott, Patricia K. Gillette and Deborah Epstein Henry for their role as facilitators.

    Plenary Session: Revising the Manifesto  
    4:45 - 5:30pm

    • Summit participants will reconvene in a brief plenary session and small group facilitators will share comments and revisions with the larger group. A special committee will work to integrate these proposed ideas into the document; a final version will be presented during Friday morning’s opening session.

    Informal Networking Reception   
    5:30 - 7:00pm

    • After a day of working together to develop solutions to many of the problems faced by women in the profession, participants will have the opportunity to connect with one another and continue the conversation about how to most effectively implement the strategies and ideas gained from the Summit.

    Dinner with Ann Fudge: Leadership & Legacy

    • Our Legacy: The Summit and Beyond  

      Catherine Lamboley, General Counsel, Shell Oil Company (ret.) and Founder, Center for Women in Law  

      Introduction  

      Ilene Lang, President & CEO, Catalyst, Inc.  

      Keynote Address with Ann Fudge  

      Description: Ann Fudge, a prominent leader whose professional path distinguishes her as one of the most insightful and influential women in business, will provide this evening’s keynote address with a special focus on legacy. Named by Fortune magazine as one of the 50 most powerful women in American business, she is Former Chairman and CEO of Young & Rubicam Brands, a global network of pre-eminent companies across the full range of marketing communications. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of General Electric, Novartis, and has recently joined the Unilever Board.  She is on the Harvard Board of Overseers, the Board of Morehouse College, and is a trustee of the Brookings Institution.  Ms. Fudge also serves on the Boards of the Rockefeller Foundation, the Council on Foreign Relations, and is Chair of the U.S. Program Advisory Panel for the Gates Foundation.
Concluding Summit Sessions

On Friday, May 1, 2009, the Summit will be open to a broader audience; young lawyers and law students are invited to join the Summit’s senior women lawyers and attend the concluding sessions.

The concluding day of the Summit will have a special focus on intergenerational issues. The schedule includes presentation of current research on the topic and an interactive dialogue among lawyers from the Gen X, Gen Y and Baby Boomer crowds that will highlight their shared and divergent perspectives as well as illuminate strategies for the different generations working together.

 A final draft of the Austin Manifesto on Women in Law will also be revealed during the concluding sessions. The Manifesto is, a statement of principles and pledges designed to address the obstacles facing women in the profession today. 

Concluding Summit Sessions Schedule

All Friday Summit sessions will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, 98 San Jacinto Blvd.
 

Friday, May 1, 2009

Welcome
8:45 - 9:00am

  • William Powers, Jr., President, The University of Texas at Austin

Special Remarks
9:00 - 9:15am

  • Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, United States Senate

Presentation of the Austin Manifesto on Women in Law
9:15 - 10:00am

  • Diane C. Yu, Chair of the Women’s Power Summit on Law & Leadership, will reveal a final version of the Manifesto, a statement of principles that will call for specific, concrete steps to tackle the stubborn obstacles facing women in the profession today.

What's the Matter with Kids Today?" - Generational Changes and How They May Transform the Practice of Law
10:00 - 10:30am

  • This session will focus on "the next generation" of leading women in law. Lauren Stiller Rikleen will present an overview of demographics and current trends, highlighting some of her new original research on intergenerational issues.
    Lauren Stiller Rikleen, Executive Director, the Bowditch Institute for Women’s Success, Partner, Bowditch & Dewey and author, author, Ending the Gauntlet: Removing Barriers to Women's Success in the Law.
     

Transforming the Workplace: An Intergenerational Dialogue
10:30am - 12:00pm

  • A dynamic panel of lawyers and law students from across generations will engage in an interactive conversation illuminating some of their divergent and shared perspectives on working together in the legal profession. Panelists will address critical questions like: What do the generations owe to one another? How can the historically divisive issues be reframed to unite women lawyers? Conceptually, should women lawyers adopt a Code of Ethics like the one proposed by panelist Adrienne Iwamoto Suarez?
    • Lauren Stiller Rikleen (moderator)
    • Lorraine Graw, Law Student, University of Texas School of Law, Permanent Class President, Class 2009 and Faculty Appt. Committee
    • Lisa Horowitz, President, National Association of Women Lawyers
    • The Hon. Barbara M.G. Lynn, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
    • Keisha Stanford, Law Student, Stanford Law School, Executive Committee, Building a Better Legal Profession, National Board, Ms. JD National Association of Women Law Students
    • Adrienne Iwamoto Suarez, Legislative Researcher, Hawaii State Representative Della Au Belatti

Luncheon with Marie C. Wilson: Add Women ~ Change Everything
12:00 - 2:00pm

  • Marie C. Wilson, an advocate of women’s issues for more than 30 years, will conclude the Summit by offering final remarks on women and leadership. She is the founder and President of The White House Project, co-creator of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work ® Day, past President of the Ms. Foundation, and author of Closing the Leadership Gap: Why Women Can and Must Help Run the World.
Multimedia

Audio

Cathy Lamboley
Center for Women in Law Founder

Ms. Lamboley talks about what inspired the Founders to create the Center for Women in Law, how the Center can be a resource for female law students and lawyers and her vision for the Center’s Future.

Bobbi Liebenberg
Chair of the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession

Ms. Liebenberg talks about collaboration between the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession and the Center for Women in Law, what she considers the greatest challenge for female lawyers, the factors that influence the longevity of women within law firms and offers advice to established female lawyers.

Diane Yu
Summit Chair
Chief of Staff and Deputy to the President of New York University

Ms. Yu talks about the obstacles that women in the legal profession face, her vision for the Austin Manifesto on Women in Law and the Center for Women in Law.

Video

Hannah Brenner
Executive Director, Center for Women in Law

Ms. Brenner talks about what inspired her to become involved with the Center for Women in Law, the Founders of the Center and the Women’s Power Summit on Law and Leadership.

 - Video No Longer Avalable -

 

Colleen Burnie
Student, University of Texas School of Law

Ms. Burnie talks about the inspiration that comes from working with the Founders, what current law students can learn at the Women’s Power Summit on Law and Leadership and the challenges ahead for young female lawyers.

  - Video No Longer Avalable -

 

Lawrence G. Sager
Dean, University of Texas School of Law

Dean Sager talks about what makes the Center for Women in Law unique, the Founders of the Center, and why the University of Texas School of Law is the ideal place for the Center and the future of the Center.

 - Video No Longer Avalable -

Summit Advisory Board
  • The Honorable Christine M. Durham 
    Utah Supreme Court
  • JoAnne A. Epps 
    Temple University Beasley School of Law
  • Marcia D. Greenberger 
    National Women’s Law Center
  • Susan Hackett 
    Association of Corporate Counsel
  • Irma D. Herrera 
    Equal Rights Advocates
  • Lisa B. Horowitz 
    National Association of Women Lawyers
  • The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison 
    United States Senate
  • Herma Hill Kay 
    UC Berkeley School of Law
  • The Honorable Carolyn Dineen King 
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
  • Carolyn B. Lamm 
    White & Case
  • Ilene H. Lang 
    Catalyst Inc.
  • Roberta D. Liebenberg 
    Fine, Kaplan & Black
  • Toni Massaro 
    The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law
  • Karen J. Mathis 
    McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter
  • Michele Coleman Mayes 
    The Allstate Corporation
  • The Honorable M. Margaret McKeown 
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
  • Rachel F. Moran 
    UC Berkeley School of Law
  • Vicki A. O’Meara 
    Pitney Bowes
  • The Honorable Harriet O’Neill 
    Supreme Court of Texas
  • Arin N. Reeves 
    The Athens Group
  • Judith Resnik 
    Yale Law School
  • Deborah L. Rhode 
    Stanford Law School
  • Veta T. Richardson 
    Minority Corporate Counsel Association
  • Alice E. Richmond 
    Alice E. Richmond & Associates
  • Lauren Stiller Rikleen 
    Bowditch & Dewey
  • Thomas L. Sager 
    DuPont
  • Margaret B. Shannon 
    BJ Services
  • Wendy C. Shiba 
    KB Home
  • The Honorable Randall T. Shepard 
    Indiana Supreme Court
  • Charna E. Sherman 
    Squire, Sanders & Dempsey
  • Laura Stein 
    The Clorox Company
  • The Honorable Jean Hoefer Toal 
    South Carolina Supreme Court
  • Sarah Weddington 
    The Weddington Center
  • Joan C. Williams 
    UC Hastings College of the Law
  • The Honorable Diane P. Wood 
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
  • The Honorable Laurie D. Zelon 
    California Court of Appeal
Sponsors
The Women’s Power Summit on Law & Leadership is made possible through the generosity of the following sponsors.
The Austin Manifesto on Women in Law

Adopted by acclamation at the Women’s Power Summit on Law and Leadership™, convened by the Center for Women in Law at The University of Texas School of Law, on May 1, 2009.

 I.  Summit Resolution

To eliminate the barriers that have thwarted the advancement of women in the legal profession for the past several decades, and thereby enhance the legal profession and its ability to serve an increasingly diverse and globally connected society, the participants at the Women’s Power Summit on Law and Leadership™ – women leaders who work in all sectors of the legal profession – articulate the following principles and commit to the following pledges:

II.   Principles

A. The depth and breadth of the talent pool of women lawyers establishes a clear need for the legal profession to recruit, retain, develop, and advance an exceptionally rich source of talent.

B. Women increasingly have been attaining roles of influence throughout society; legal employers must achieve gender diversity in their leadership ranks if they are to cultivate a set of leaders with legitimacy in the eyes of their clients and members of the profession.

C. Diversity adds value to legal employers in countless ways – from strengthening the effectiveness of client representation to inserting diverse perspectives and critical viewpoints into dialogues and decision-making. A critical mass of women lawyers is a significant element in providing a work environment that is hospitable and nurturing to women lawyers.

D. It is imperative that, with a sense of urgency, we eliminate the barriers to equality and equity that confront women, especially women of color.

E. Legal employers should offer a wide range of work arrangements to best take advantage of some of its most talented and committed lawyers, both male and female.

F. Legal employers should provide transparency in articulating expectations, rules, and policies.

G. Legal employers should ensure that those in management positions are held accountable for enforcing applicable policies promoting diversity, inclusion, and gender-neutral performance evaluations.

H. Legal employers should ensure gender parity in compensation and advancement opportunities.

I. The prevailing law firm business model should be examined and changed because it impairs the advancement of women, increases attrition, and is under increasing scrutiny by clients. The current economic downturn creates urgency and opportunities for such restructuring.

J. Our ultimate goal is to achieve gender parity in positions of leadership, influence, and responsibility in the legal profession.

III.  Pledges

A. We pledge to achieve parity for the generations of women lawyers who follow us by advancing these Principles and by working actively to eliminate gender bias and other barriers that impede the advancement of women in the legal profession.

B. We pledge to adopt and implement measurable goals and benchmarks to monitor progress and to ensure that we achieve the implementation of the Principles set forth in the Manifesto.

C. We pledge to be a public voice for change in the legal profession by speaking and writing about these issues; by supporting, conducting, and publicizing research that demonstrates the myriad harms to both women and the workplace resulting from barriers confronting women lawyers; by insisting that the institutions of which we are a part support the Principles in this Manifesto; and by advocating creative approaches to organizational change that will accomplish these goals.

D. We pledge to continue to identify, recruit, and engage leaders – in law firms, corporations, the judiciary, academia, and other sectors – who hold positions of influence and power within the legal profession, and to encourage them to be active and constructive participants in the advancement of these Principles and in the advancement of women in the legal profession.

E. We pledge to identify goals and timetables that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and trackable. We commit to achieve no less than 30% women equity partners, tenured law professors, and general counsel by 2015; to achieve no less than 10% equity partners who are women of color by 2020; to elect a woman of color as President of ABA and Chair of ACC by 2015; and to urge the President to nominate and the Senate to confirm women to vacancies on the federal bench, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

F. We pledge to take specific ideas, actions, and best practices from the Summit to our organizations, firms, corporations, courts, and universities, and encourage them to change or adapt their policies to reflect best practices.

G. We pledge to encourage the collection of specific, relevant data that will illuminate the most accurate, detailed picture of women in the legal profession so that our actions are evidence-based, data-driven, and outcome-focused.

H. We pledge to support and advance the careers of other women by taking concrete action, including, among other things, mentoring, providing access to formal and informal professional networks, and referring business and job opportunities to women.

I. We pledge to support the hiring, retention, and advancement of women of color to positions of leadership.

J. We pledge to work for the restructure of compensation systems to reward the full range of contributions by attorneys, including training, mentoring, enhancing diversity, and maintaining and expanding client relationships.

K. We pledge to encourage law schools to include in their curricula courses that develop leadership and business skills and offer guidance on a wide range of career paths.

L. We pledge to reconvene the Summit participants to measure achievement of the goals and pledges stated in this Manifesto.

BE A PART OF THE NATIONAL MOVEMENT - ENDORSE THE AUSTIN MANIFESTO NOW!

To be included in the list of endorsers, please email your name (and affiliation if applicable) as you would like it to appear to: centerforwoneninlaw@law.utexas.edu with MANIFESTO in the subject line.

ENDORSEMENTS

  • Ida Abbott
  • The Honorable Marilyn Aboussie
  • Linda L. Addison
  • Maria Angelo
  • Judith A. Archer
  • Susan Ayers
  • Kelli Benham
  • Melissa J. Bernstein
  • Barbara D. Bonar
  • Stacy Brainin
  • Hannah Brenner
  • Linda Broocks
  • Cynthia Bryant
  • Sarah M. Buel
  • Altresha Q. Burchett-Williams
  • Colleen Burnie
  • Ophelia Camina
  • Jessica Cassidy
  • Linda Bray Chanow
  • Evelyn Chen
  • Katy Monroe Civins
  • Dorene B. Cohen
  • Nina Cortell
  • Mary R. Crouter
  • Morey Darsey
  • Sylvia A. deLeon
  • Melonie DeRose
  • Sarah A. Devine
  • Diane S. Diel
  • Harva D. Dockery
  • Leander Altifois Dolphin
  • Allene D. Evans
  • Dr. Ilise L. Feitshans
  • Mandy Ford
  • Elizabeth Brown Fore
  • Sarah B. Foster
  • Claudia Wilson Frost
  • Ali Gallagher
  • Pat Gillette
  • Abbie Giraud
  • Lorraine Graw
  • Melanie Gray
  • Lisa Graybill
  • Marcy Hogan Greer
  • Laura Hagen
  • Elizabeth Haluska-Rauch
  • Amy Sladczyk Hancock
  • Elizabeth Hardy
  • Yvette Harmon
  • Deborah Epstein Henry
  • Lisa Bowlin Hobbs
  • Lisa Horowitz
  • Megan Alter Hudgeons
  • Cisselon Nichols Hurd
  • Julie Hutchings
  • Barbara Johnston
  • Tara Goff Kamradt
  • Rochelle Klaskin
  • Jessie Kornberg
  • Jennifer Kracht
  • Catherine Lamboley
  • Ilene H. Lang
  • Lacy Lawrence
  • Nan Leverett
  • Roberta Liebenberg
  • Jennifer Littlefield
  • Karen M. Lockwood
  • Karen Lundquist
  • Diana Elizabeth Marshall
  • Ruth V. McGregor
  • Cathleen McLaughlin
  • Laura J. McMahon
  • Lisa Meyerhoff
  • Kelly S. Mixon
  • Paula Monopoli
  • Sinead O’Carroll
  • Cynthia Nance
  • Melanie Oberlin
  • Jane O’Connell
  • Karen Oshman
  • Ellen A. Panksy
  • Emily A. Parker
  • Lauren Eaton Prescott
  • Veta T. Richardson
  • Alice E. Richmond
  • Katharine Battaia Richter
  • Lauren Stiller Rikleen
  • Kelly B. Rose
  • Jill Russell
  • Karen Sage
  • Myrna J. Salinas
  • Katie Sammons
  • Charna E. Sherman
  • Patricia Costello Slovak
  • Martha E. Smiley
  • Bea Ann Smith
  • Christina Stanford
  • Keisha Stanford
  • Jennifer L. Steiger
  • Adrienne Iwamoto Suarez
  • E. Janice Summer
  • Gretchen Sween
  • Amanda R. Tyler
  • Lana K. Varney
  • Gloria E. Avila Villa
  • Genevieve Vose
  • G. Gail Watkins
  • Sandra L. Weaver
  • Emily Westridge
  • Zipporah Batshaw Wiseman
  • Diane C. Yu
  • National Association of Women Lawyers
  • Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York
  • The Work Health and Survival Project