Women and the Law Program

Skadden Associates, Jen Gindin (Georgetown University Law Center '14), and WCL alumnae, Jenna Godfrey and Sydney Sgambato discussed steps they have taken to get to where they are today, and what employment opportunities were important in assisting them in their journey to big law.

Becca O'Connor, Vice President of Public Policy at RAINN, and Manar Morales, President & CEO of the Diversity and Flexibility Alliance, discussed effective strategies to promote self-care and avoid burnout in the commonly high-stress careers that follow law school. Panelists spoke to the helpfulness of finding and cultivating a mentor relationship, learning how to navigate hostile workplace environments and finding ways to incorporate self-care into long and hectic workweeks, strategies that help to ensure long-term professional success for female attorneys working in any area of law.

From birth to death, the assault on women’s lives is pervasive. The Women and the Law Program invited Lucas Martinez and Ghufran Alqahtani, two of WCL’s SJD candidates, to share their perspectives on preventing femicide and honor killing through legal remedies.

Did you know that the US has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the developed world? Did you know that black and brown mothers in the US are three and four times more likely to die during and immediately following childbirth? Safe childbirth experiences for women of color in the DC metro area is even more volatile. DC mothers are twice as likely to die because of pregnancy than the average American woman, and due to maternity ward closures, mothers living east of the Anacostia River are multiple bus rides away from the nearest hospital. This is one of the many reasons, babies in Southeast die at nearly 10 times the rate of those in Northwest.

The Women and the Law Program hosted a conversation with student with special guests, Professor Sherley Cruz from WCL, Lisa Schnall, Senior Attorney Advisor in the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Ellen Eardley from Mehri & Skalet about the intersection of gender justice and employment law.

#Metoo has catapulted sexual harassment into the public consciousness, but sex-based discrimination is not news to many lawyers. Women working in the legal profession have long endured inappropriate sexual comments, demands, and other forms of harassment. Join us for a conversation about legal and ethical reforms to prevent sexual harassment in the legal workplace, and how we can lead the way in demanding workplaces free from sex-based harassment, abuse, and discrimination for all women. Click to watch the panel.

The Women and the Law Program and the Office of Public Interest invited students, staff, and faculty to see Sovereignty, a play depicting the intersections of personal and political truths, historic and present struggles through the eyes of a young Cherokee lawyer fighting to restore her Nation’s jurisdiction while fighting with ghosts of her past.

Wondering what gender courses will be offered next semester? Stop by for the Commons one-on-one course advising.

Get career advice from practitioners working at the intersection of gender and immigration law. Find out about academic, pro-bono, and volunteer opportunities that will prepare you for practice in this field.

Women's Law and Public Policy and Reproductive Justice Fellowship Programs

For LLM students studying Gender and Law and Women's Human Rights

The Women and the Law Leadership Award recognizes the extraordinary accomplishments of alumnae who made significant contributions to the field of law and their service to the law school. This year, the program honored Lisa Dewey ’93 and her commitment to pro bono work and access to justice.

Skagen, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP will be hosting panel discussion with female attorneys discussing the steps they take out to where they are today.

Are women’s rights under threat? What ’s really at stake? What do the Trump administration’s promises , proposals, and policies mean for women in the US and abroad ? How do we connect women’s rights with other justice movements?