President's Message
Greetings to all! I hope you are having a great year in 2023. I am excited to be at the helm of this longstanding and incredible organization. I am also honored and humbled by the opportunity to continue such great work.
This year has started at light speed, so it is hard to know where to start. The focus has been to bring back in person events and find “our new normal” as cliché as it is to say. Coming back to in person events post the height of the pandemic was no easy feat. It wasn’t as simple as going back to what once was; we had to start over. But “no” is just not in our vocabulary. At the end of 2022, we were fortunate enough to find Sequoia at the Cannery as an incredible event space and location. With their variety of spaces and setups, in-house catering, and bar, we found they were able to serve the needs of all our different events, and as such, we jumped at the chance to work with them all year.
We kicked it off with our first event in January, which was not your ordinary membership mixer. The committee stepped it up and flipped it on its head by making it a trivia night with sticker adorned name tags, and winners walking away with free membership. The event felt easy, seamless, comfortable, and fun. The food and company were amazing. We even heard from guests it was the best event they had been to.
We followed that up with our return of in person luncheons in February by co-hosting with Wiley Manuel Bar Association and featuring speaker Judge Awoniyi. This was an inspiring event where Judge Awoniyi shared about her life and career and what it means to be vulnerable and share your story, so we be colleagues and friends, rather than competitors. She captivated the audience with her personality, passion, and humor, bringing some attendees to tears.
We hope to continue this trend of positivity and excitement. Every third Thursday of the month, we plan to have an event, except for November and December. It will be either a daytime luncheon, evening mixer, or zoom event. So, keep a lookout. We are trying hard to keep the balance of the much-needed convenience of zooming with the great desire to be back in person.
We also have plans to work collaboratively with many of our affiliate organizations this year to co-host events. By doing this, we hope to illuminate the voices of each of our organizations, foster a stronger bond with our affiliates, and all around celebrate each other. We are honored to be part of the Sacramento Unity Bar and among such a great community of affiliate organizations.
All in all, this year has begun with a great start. Cheers to 2023!
Greetings to all! I hope you are having a great year in 2023. I am excited to be at the helm of this longstanding and incredible organization. I am also honored and humbled by the opportunity to continue such great work.
This year has started at light speed, so it is hard to know where to start. The focus has been to bring back in person events and find “our new normal” as cliché as it is to say. Coming back to in person events post the height of the pandemic was no easy feat. It wasn’t as simple as going back to what once was; we had to start over. But “no” is just not in our vocabulary. At the end of 2022, we were fortunate enough to find Sequoia at the Cannery as an incredible event space and location. With their variety of spaces and setups, in-house catering, and bar, we found they were able to serve the needs of all our different events, and as such, we jumped at the chance to work with them all year.
We kicked it off with our first event in January, which was not your ordinary membership mixer. The committee stepped it up and flipped it on its head by making it a trivia night with sticker adorned name tags, and winners walking away with free membership. The event felt easy, seamless, comfortable, and fun. The food and company were amazing. We even heard from guests it was the best event they had been to.
We followed that up with our return of in person luncheons in February by co-hosting with Wiley Manuel Bar Association and featuring speaker Judge Awoniyi. This was an inspiring event where Judge Awoniyi shared about her life and career and what it means to be vulnerable and share your story, so we be colleagues and friends, rather than competitors. She captivated the audience with her personality, passion, and humor, bringing some attendees to tears.
We hope to continue this trend of positivity and excitement. Every third Thursday of the month, we plan to have an event, except for November and December. It will be either a daytime luncheon, evening mixer, or zoom event. So, keep a lookout. We are trying hard to keep the balance of the much-needed convenience of zooming with the great desire to be back in person.
We also have plans to work collaboratively with many of our affiliate organizations this year to co-host events. By doing this, we hope to illuminate the voices of each of our organizations, foster a stronger bond with our affiliates, and all around celebrate each other. We are honored to be part of the Sacramento Unity Bar and among such a great community of affiliate organizations.
All in all, this year has begun with a great start. Cheers to 2023!
In Person Luncheons are Back!
WLS and the Wiley W. Manuel Bar Association teamed up to co-host an INCREDIBLE luncheon with Judge Bunmi Awoniyi on February 16th. Judge Awoniyi shared stories about her path from barrister to the bench, lessons she learned during the pandemic, her advice to young lawyers and women of color, and what Black History Month means to her. The event was WLS' first in-person luncheon in 3 years, and what a comeback -- it was sold out with 98 attendees! We would like to thank our co-hosts Wiley W. Manuel Bar Association on February 16 with Judge Awoniyi.
The Programs Committee is looking forward to hosting more engaging and important events with other community organizations, including SacLegal. We have a Zoom event in April for those unable to attend in person, a Mixer in June, and another in person luncheon in August.
The Programs Committee is looking forward to hosting more engaging and important events with other community organizations, including SacLegal. We have a Zoom event in April for those unable to attend in person, a Mixer in June, and another in person luncheon in August.
A Word from the Executive Committee
by Vice President Kathy Meola
The Mission of Women Lawyers of Sacramento (WLS) is to support and encourage every woman lawyer in her career aspirations and help promote a society where no limits are placed on her skills and talent. I have seen this mission play out almost every day that I have been a part of WLS with the following most recent examples being: (1) Karen Goodman, former WLS President, selected by the Sacramento Bar Association as the 2022 Distinguished Attorney of the Year; and (2) Kelly Babineau, former WLS President, appointed to the Nevada County Superior Court.
I encourage everyone to be an active member of WLS and attend our events to connect with your fellow women attorneys, discuss and commiserate the challenges we face in the legal profession and most importantly celebrate the gains we make. As we said in our WLS 60th Anniversary event last May, we’ve come a long way but we still have a long way to go. In 2023, we have already launched our strong and steady return to in-person events in order to encourage those connections, first with a very successful mixer and our upcoming (as I write this article) luncheon, co-hosted with the Wiley Manuel Bar Association. Thank you for supporting our fantastic, relevant and important organization!
by Vice President Kathy Meola
The Mission of Women Lawyers of Sacramento (WLS) is to support and encourage every woman lawyer in her career aspirations and help promote a society where no limits are placed on her skills and talent. I have seen this mission play out almost every day that I have been a part of WLS with the following most recent examples being: (1) Karen Goodman, former WLS President, selected by the Sacramento Bar Association as the 2022 Distinguished Attorney of the Year; and (2) Kelly Babineau, former WLS President, appointed to the Nevada County Superior Court.
I encourage everyone to be an active member of WLS and attend our events to connect with your fellow women attorneys, discuss and commiserate the challenges we face in the legal profession and most importantly celebrate the gains we make. As we said in our WLS 60th Anniversary event last May, we’ve come a long way but we still have a long way to go. In 2023, we have already launched our strong and steady return to in-person events in order to encourage those connections, first with a very successful mixer and our upcoming (as I write this article) luncheon, co-hosted with the Wiley Manuel Bar Association. Thank you for supporting our fantastic, relevant and important organization!
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Meet the 2023 WLS Board of Directors! You can find descriptions of our committees, as well as photos and bios each committee member on our website at www.womenlawyersofsacramento.org/board-of-directors. |
Recent Judicial Recommendations
by Judicial and Other Appointments Committee Co-Chairs Kimberly Buchholz & Aparna Agnihotri
WLS was pleased to find Shauna Franklin exceptionally well-qualified to serve as a judicial officer on the Superior Court of Sacramento County. Ms. Franklin has been a Deputy District Attorney for over 23 years, first in Mendocino County and in Sacramento County since 1999. As a Sacramento County Deputy DA, Ms. Franklin has been assigned to several different teams: misdemeanors, juvenile crimes, felony trials, domestic violence, career criminal, gangs, homicides, child sexual assault, and major narcotics. She was a lead on both misdemeanor and felony trial teams to help guide new lawyers. She has also been involved in various community-centered programs, including the Citizens Academy, the Youth Academy, iSmart (educating youth about the hazards of social media), GIFT (educating youth about the dangers of gangs and guns) and Knowing Your Rights (educating recent immigrants about their rights in our community). Ms. Franklin had numerous opportunities throughout her career to assist, support and empower women in the legal profession, and is one of the founding members of a non-profit that is devoted to helping girls and young women explore opportunities in the legal field. In addition, Ms. Franklin holds more informal mentor roles, based both on her experience and her position as the president of her union, in assisting women with navigating our office and holding the administration accountable for decisions regarding movement and promotions of women.
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Similarly, WLS was pleased to find Judge Bunmi Awoniyi exceptionally well-qualified to serve on the Third District Court of Appeal. Judge Awoniyi was appointed to the Sacramento Superior Court by Governor Brown in November 2012, and is currently the Assistant Presiding Judge. Judge Awoniyi served for many years in the Wiley Manuel Bar Association (WMBA) leadership, ultimately assuming the position of President. The WMBA leadership was committed to outreach to minority communities and mentoring minority students. Judge Awoniyi has taught specialty sub-topics to Judicial Officers, including Domestic Violence, which disproportionately impact women and minorities, and teaches about the relief available to immigrants who are victims of crime. Judge Awoniyi has been committed to the advancement of minorities and women throughout her life and career. Her commitment is reflected in her volunteerism both within and outside of the legal arena, in California and abroad, and spans over forty years.
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On January 19th, WLS hosted a membership mixer with female-forward trivia at The Cannery. With around 60 attendees the event was a blast! Pictured here are our winning trivia teams.
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Join us on our journey to promote women's voices!
by Membership Committee Co-Chairs Megan Nevin & Rabia Reed
The Membership Committee is still in its 2023 membership push and it's a great time to become a WLS member. As a WLS member, you will have access to monthly events including WLS's lecture and luncheon series, which features speakers on a broad range of topical issues and MCLE credits; mixers; and other networking opportunities. Your WLS membership will also help WLS support women and children's issues in the Sacramento community and statewide. We look forward to having you!
https://www.womenlawyers-sacramento.org/join.html.
You can also join our affiliate, California Women's Lawyers, through WLS at a discounted rate!
https://www.cwl.org/join-now.
The Membership Committee is gathering member interest in a "Connection" Program where WLS informally connects new lawyers with mid-career lawyers. We envision casual coffee dates, one-one-one conversations, and sharing information and experiences. Our goal is to support one another in life and in work! If you would be interested in participating in this program, please email meganenevin@gmail.com.
We hope to see you at our next FREE Membership Mixer in October! We can promise snacks, femme-focused stickers (!), and activities. What more do you need? Stay tuned for more details.