Spring 2015

Career

The Ballooning Effect of Hobby Lobby

Ann Farmer

In the wake of the landmark case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2014, more than 100 for-profit and nonprofit companies and organizations have filed lawsuits in federal court challenging the Affordable Care Act’s birth control coverage benefit.

Career

European Boards Make Huge Gender Equity Gains

G.M. Filisko

Whether achieved through quotas or national pressure for diversity, the advancement of women on corporate boards across the Atlantic now rivals progress made in the United States.

Career

Serving as a Lawyer for the People

Hannah Hayes

For lawyers in government and nonprofits, the choice to practice in the public sector is often made from the heart, and women can find public law to be a compelling track for rising to leadership positions.

Career

Choose to Lead from the Top

Kim Keenan

The former general counsel and secretary of the NAACP and past president of three bar associations encourages women to step up, take a risk, and become president of a bar association.

Career

Margaret Brent Award Celebrates 25 Years

Michele Coleman Mayes

The Brent Award remains timeless and relevant in part because it shines the light on those who are too often the unsung heroines, acknowledges those who have extensive name recognition, and honors remarkable lawyers in between.

Career

The 25th Annual Margaret Brent Achievement Awards Luncheon

Announced 2015 honorees are Mari Carmen Aponte, Flora D. Darpino, Fernande R.V. (Nan) Duffly, Mary Ann Hynes, and Emma Coleman Jordan.

Career

Patricia Gillette Receives Golden Hammer Award

The ABA Law Practice Division’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee presented its 2015 award to Patricia K. Gillette, partner with Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in San Francisco, who cofounded the Opt-In Project, a nationwide initiative focused on changing the structure of law firms to increase the retention and advancement of women in the workplace.

Career

Roberta Liebenberg Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

The 2015 award from Pennsylvania daily law journal The Legal Intelligencer honored Bobbi Liebenberg, senior partner at Fine, Kaplan and Black, R.P.C., in Philadelphia, and former chair of the Commission on Women, for her distinct impact on the legal profession and shaping the law in Pennsylvania.

Career

In Memoriam: Martha Fay (“Marty”) Africa

Martha Fay (“Marty”) Africa, a founder and partner of Major, Lindsey & Africa in San Francisco and founder of ABA Women Rainmakers, died on January 21.

Career

Save the Date: CLE for Women Leading, Litigating, and Connecting

The ABA Woman Advocate Committee, Women in Insurance Network, and Women in Products Liability Subcommittee in conjunction with the ABA Section of Litigation, will present “Leading, Litigating, and Connecting” in Chicago on November 11–13.

Career

MCCA Announces Employer of Choice Award Honorees

The Minority Corporate Counsel Association will honor Fannie Mae, BMO Financial Group, Darden Restaurants, Southern California Edison Company, and New York Life Insurance Company on June 30.

Career

German Corporate Boards Face Gender Quotas

Germany enacted a law on March 6 requiring approximately 100 of the country’s largest companies to allot 30 percent of supervisory seats on corporate boards to women.