The Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section is pleased to announce the formation of a new general committee, the Women Trial Lawyers Committee, which officially became a TIPS general committee at the end of the 2018 ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago.
December 11, 2018 Did You Know?
TIPS Women Trial Lawyers Committee: Developing and Connecting Talented and Accomplished Women
By Christine S. Davis
The origins of this committee date back to 2016, when TIPS formed a Women Trial Lawyers’ Task Force with the goal of getting together women lawyers, particularly those who try cases and those who hire trial lawyers, to share experiences and information relating to their legal practice area.
During the past two years, the task force demonstrated just what the women of TIPS can do. We held interactive, roundtable discussions on topics of interest to our members at each TIPS quarterly meeting. We sponsored highly successful networking receptions at TIPS meetings. The committee also put together CLE presentations at those TIPS meetings, focusing on pertinent and substantive issues facing women trial lawyers, such as women as first chairs at trial, implicit bias in the workplace, and men as allies and champions. Notably, the programs hosted well-respected panelists, including general counsel and chief executive officers of Fortune 500 companies, highly respected trial attorneys, a best-selling author, and professors and a dean from nationally recognized law schools.
Last spring, the Women Trial Lawyers Task Force sponsored a Women’s Networking Luncheon that was open to all attendees at the 2018 Section Conference. Our keynote speaker was the Hon. Virginia Phillips, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Judge Phillips gave an inspirational speech to a sold-out crowd of both women and men.
In addition to convening TIPS women to support a common cause, the Section recognizes that its members include many women trial lawyers who are involved in women lawyers’ groups both nationally and locally, which provides an added value to the Women Trial Lawyers Committee.
The Women Trial Lawyers Committee conducts in-person meetings at each TIPS quarterly meeting, as well as periodic calls throughout the year. Meetings and calls involve interactive sessions, as well as educational opportunities on a wide variety of subjects affecting women trial lawyers.
We have been delighted by the excitement and support received from TIPS for women trial lawyers, both in TIPS as well as in other Sections of the ABA, and we strive to continue this important work as a general committee by matching women trial lawyers with opportunities for skills building, court appointments, substantive programs, and networking events. We encourage the participation of all TIPS women who are interested in joining us in this important work. If you would like to become involved, visit the Women Trial Lawyers Committee’s webpage on the TIPS website at www.americanbar.org/groups/tort_trial_insurance_practice.html, or contact the author directly at [email protected].