WLS Foundation
The WLS Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation that provides financial assistance to qualified law students and local community organizations.
The Foundation conducts an annual fundraiser, the Art-Fest, each Fall. The Art-Fest includes dinner, live music, artwork from local artists and a silent auction. The proceeds benefit grants to local charitable organizations assisting women and children, as well as scholarships to outstanding law students in need.
CHARITABLE GRANTS
In 2005, the WLS Foundation awarded $6,000 in grants to non-profit community organizations for projects that support women and children. The following is a summary of the monies awarded:
$1,600
Stanford Home for Children: emancipation kits
$1,000
W.E.A.V.E. - Suited 4 Success Program: dry cleaning expenses for donated suits
Wellspring Women's Center: fresh fruit for daily breakfasts
Linkage to Education: purchase of college textbooks for entry into higher education
$500
Loaves & Fishes - Maryhouse Project: feminine hygeine products for guests
Loaves & Fishes - Mustard Seed School: necessary operating expenses including school supplies
$400
My Sister's House - Annual Rummage Sale Fundraiser: rental of tents/clothing racks
WLS SCHOLARSHIPS
Since it was founded in 1962, Women Lawyers of Sacramento has encouraged women to enter and excel in the legal profession. In furtherance of this goal, WLS provides financial assistance to needy law students in the Sacramento area. Three scholarships are available for first and second year law students; the fourth is available to a graduating student for expenses related to the bar examination. The selection criteria varies somewhat from scholarship to scholarship. In 2006, WLS plans to award up to four scholarships with a maximum award of up to $1,500 each. The number of scholarships and the amount of funds per scholarship will be determined upon review of the applications received.
The WLS Scholarship
WLS awarded the first WLS Scholarship in 1966, when it awarded $250 to Barbara McCallum. Ms. McCallum was a student at McGeorge School of Law who later served as president of WLS. The WLS Scholarship is awarded to a financially needy first or second year law student whose achievements are consistent with WLS's goals of advancing the position of women in law and society, but who may not meet the criteria applicable for WLS's other scholarships.
The Margaret A. Flynn Scholarship
In 1983, WLS established the Margaret A. Flynn Scholarship in honor of Sacramento County's first woman judge. Her appointment to the Sacramento County Municipal Court bench in 1964 was the result of WLS's first organized effort to get a woman appointed to the bench. A graduate of Boalt Hall School of Law, Judge Flynn served as Deputy Legislative Counsel, Principal Research Attorney and Clerk of the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District. Judge Flynn had a quick mind, an assertive manner and little patience for red tape detail. The Margaret A. Flynn Scholarship is awarded to a financially needy first or second year law student who has engaged in exemplary community service. Special consideration is given to candidates whose community service has benefited women and/or children.
The Francis Newell Carr Scholarship
In 1992, WLS established a scholarship in honor of Justice Frances Newell Carr. The daughter of migrant farm workers, Frances Carr often switched schools and quickly learned to take advantage of whatever educational opportunities were available. Naturally competitive, she learned to cut more grapes than anyone else by the time she was ten years old. She decided to become a lawyer because "all the important men were always lawyers." She worked her way through college and law school, graduating from Boalt Hall School of Law in 1948. She and another woman classmate had difficulty finding employment until they found a lawyer who offered to let them both work full-time for a single $200 a month salary. Frances Carr was a founding member and the first president of WLS. In 1975, she became the first woman appointed to the Sacramento County Superior Court. Five years later, she was elevated to the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, where she served until her death in 1991. The Frances Newell Carr Scholarship is awarded to a financially needy first or second year law student with an outstanding academic record. Special consideration is given to candidates who have overcome personal adversity.
The Virginia S. Mueller Scholarship
In 1997, WLS established a scholarship in honor of Virginia S. Mueller, a trail-blazing Sacramento lawyer who has worked tirelessly to advance the position of women in the legal profession. This scholarship is available to third year (fourth year evening) students studying for the bar examination. Virginia Mueller has practiced law for over half a century, having become a member of the California Bar upon graduation from Cornell University Law School in 1946. In 1959, she was hired as the first woman Deputy in the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office. She was hired, District Attorney John Price recalls, in spite of her gender; she simply was clearly the most qualified candidate. Virginia Mueller was a founding member of WLS and served as its second president. Through her leadership positions in WLS, the National Asociation of Women Lawyers and many other organizations, Virginia Mueller has vigorously worked to end all forms of discrimination against women. Special consideration is given to candidates who have worked to expand opportunities for historically disadvantaged persons.
DONATIONS
Donations may be made payable to "WLS Foundation" and sent to:
WLS Foundation
Women Lawyers of Sacramento
P.O. Box 936
Sacramento, CA 95812
