By Samantha Morales 2L
Just in time for TJSL's Women in the Law Conference, the Women’s Law Association was officially re-charted last month and held its first meeting on January 31st.
“At last year's Women in the Law Conference, Sarah Weddington, who argued Roe v. Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court, charged the young women in the room to pick up where she left off,” said WLA's Vice President of Membership and Events Cristina Kinsella 2L. “I joined because I want to help bring WLA back up to what it used to be. At its height, WLA used to be one of the largest organizations at on campus.”
"The great thing about TJSL is that we, as students, have the opportunity to create community agendas based on what's actually important to us. It was really surprising to me that there was no WLA to address the needs of a community that comprises about half the student population,” said WLA President Tara Almazan 2L. “There were two groups thinking this at roughly the same time and we were able to come together and get this done. I'm really looking forward to see how this group grows and evolves."
The student organization was successfully re-established thanks to the collaborative efforts of a founding committee that shared a vision for bringing WLA back to TJSL. President Tara Almazan 2L, Vice President Samantha Morales 2L, Vice President of Membership and Events Cristina Kinsella 2L, Lawyer’s Club Liaison Katie Smith 1L, Alyssa Casiple 1L and Michelle Mance 1L served as the founding committee. Professors Julie Greenberg and Karen Harkins will serve as WLA's faculty advisers
The Women’s Law Association is dedicated to providing a forum for the discussion and advancement of all women in the law by providing support and mentoring to its members. WLA has already established a committee to support students who are parents, will be volunteering at San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program's Women’s Resource Fair in March, and is forming running teams to support local charities.
For details on future meeting dates and events, visit the Women’s Law Association site on TWEN.
