WLA New VP, Board Applications, Better Legal Profession, Finding the Right Firm Fit, Gender Stereotyping, and More!

[WLA Harvard Law School]

Check out all the great events coming up this week and next!  

WLA Board Announcements:      
1. Congratulations to the New WLA VP! 
2. Apply to be a WLA Board Member for 2011-2012 - Apply by by 5pm on Wednesday, March 30th.

WLA Events:

This Week:      
1. Building a Better Legal Profession – Mon., Mar. 21, 12:00-1:00pm, Griswold 110 
2. How to Find the Right Fit:  Differentiating Law Firms and Getting the Most of Your Summer Experience – Tues., Mar. 22, 12:00 – 1:00pm, Pound 100 – Non-Pizza Lunch! 
3. Women on Board?: A Discussion on Gender Stereotyping in Business and the Pros & Cons of Gender Quotas on Company Boards – Wed., Mar. 23, 12:00-1:20pm, Langdell South  
4. When Marriage is Slavery: International Law from Geneva to Freetown – Wed., Mar. 23, 4:00-5:30pm, P332 

Upcoming:
5. WLA Transfer Students Lunch – Mon., Mar. 28, 12:00-1:00pm, Hauser 101 – Lunch! 
6. WLA Clinical/Course Selection Panel – Wed., Mar. 30, 12:00-1:00pm, P102 – Lunch! 
7. The WLA at HLS: A Conversation with Cheryl Conner ('82), Co-Founder of the WLA – Wed., Mar. 30, 7:00-8:30pm, P332 – Dinner!  
8. Sex Ed Trivia – Thurs., Mar. 31, 8:00pm, Tommy Doyle’s 
9. 2011 Freedom Seder – Mon., April 4, 7:00pm, Ropes Gray 
   
WLA Sign Ups:  
1. Sign Up for WLA's Second Book Club Meeting – Tuesday, March 29th at 7:30pm – Email email kc...@jd11.law.harvard.edu ASAP to sign up

2. Sign Up for Political Bootcamp – April 8, 3:00-7:00pm – Email hls...@gmail.com to sign up.  

   
General Announcements:     
1. Harvard for Japan Week - Candlelight Vigil – Mon., Mar. 21st, 8pm, Steps of Memorial Church 
2. The Jackie (and Jill) Robinson Effect: Why Do Congresswomen Outperform Congressmen? – Thurs., Mar. 24, 11:40-1:00pm, WAPPP Cason Seminar Room, Taubman Building, Kennedy School  
 

WLA Board Announcements:

Announcing the New WLA VP! 

Congratulations to Stephanie Davidson, 1L from Section 6, on her appointment as the new WLA VP.  Please email Stephanie at sdav...@jd13.law.harvard.edu with any questions about the WLA Board selection process.  Thank you to all of this year's exceptional VP applicants.
  

Apply to be a WLA Board Member for 2011-2012! 

Serving on the WLA Board is an awesome opportunity to get more involved with the WLA and get high level leadership experience at HLS.   Please see the attached document for a detailed list of board positions and responsibilities.  We are looking for a diverse range of women who are passionate about the WLA's mission of women supporting women at HLS.  No prior involvement with the WLA is required.  Those interested are encouraged to send questions to the WLA president, Amy Sennett (amy.s...@gmail.com) or WLA Vice-President, Stephanie Davidson (sdav...@jd13.law.harvard.edu) or attend their office hours.  Office hours will be held Wednesday, March 23rd and Tuesday, March 29th from 9-12 in Pound 418.  To apply, complete this poll with your top three board position choices and a brief statement of interest by 5pm on Wednesday March 30th.  In addition, please email hls...@gmail.com with a digital photo of yourself as an attachment.  We look forward to working with you!

   

WLA Upcoming Events:  
   

Building a Better Legal Profession  

BBLP is is a national grassroots movement that seeks market-based workplace reforms in large private law firms. They publicize firms' data on billable hours, pro bono participation, and demographic diversity. We encourage students deciding who to work for to exercise their market power and engage only with the firms that demonstrate a genuine commitment to these issues. Co-Sponsored with APLASA. Monday, March 21, from 12:00 – 1:00pm, Griswold 110.  
   

How to Find the Right Fit:   

Differentiating Law Firms and Getting the Most of Your Summer Experience 

On Tuesday, March 22, from 12 – 1pm in Pound 100, the WLA invites you to come hear from a panel of attorneys from Cravath, Paul Hastings and Vinson & Elkins about how to distinguish among firms for your summer associate experience and how to make the most of your time with a firm.  A helpful discussion that shouldn't be missed! Non-pizza lunch! 
   

Women on Board?:  

A Discussion on Gender Stereotyping in Business and the Pros & Cons of Gender Quotas on Company Boards  

A mere 15% of board members of companies are women, the European average is 11.7%, in China it is approx. 7% and in Japan it is even lower. What are the reasons for this disparity and what are measures against it? Some countries, notably Norway, have taken the step to mandate gender quotas for boards of companies. Other countries are debating similar laws. Are gender quotas for boards of companies the right tool to address the problem, or do they lead to unintended consequences? The discussion will address these questions and the underlying sociopsychological issues. March 23, 12pm-1.20pm in Langdell South. Co-sponsored by the Harvard Association for Law and Business, the HLS Advocates for Human Rights, the HLS Student Association for Law and Mind Sciences, ACLU and the Harvard Journal of Law & Gender.  
   

When Marriage is Slavery: International Law from Geneva to Freetown  

Please join Dr. Jean Allain for a discussion of situations in which marriage must be deemed slavery in international law, with a focus on the notion of “forced marriage” in the context of recent armed conflicts in Africa. He will challenge the determination of the Special Court for Sierra Leone that such relations are conjugal, and contend that they are a form of enslavement that allows other crimes to transpire. Wednesday, March 23, 4:00-5:30pm, Pound 332. See attached poster. 
  

WLA Transfer Students Lunch 

Come join members of the class of 2011 and 2012 who spent their first year somewhere besides HLS for an informal lunch!  This event will be a great opportunity to meet other feminists who have navigated through HLS, OCS and the clerkship process as transfer students.  *Non-pizza lunch with veggie option will be provided!*  Brought to you in collaboration with DOS. Monday, March 28 in Hauser 101. 
  

WLA Clinical/Course Selection Panel 

Looking ahead to next year and deciding what classes to take? Interested in a clinical but not sure which one is right for you? Concerned about maximizing your success in the course registration lottery? Join the WLA for an interactive Q&A with upperclassman about the ins and outs of course and clinical selection. Lunch will be served! Wednesday, March 30, 12:00-1:00pm, in P102 – Lunch will be served!
  

The WLA at HLS: A Conversation with Cheryl Conner ('82), Co-Founder of the WLA  

Join us Wednesday, March 30 from 7-8:30pm in Pound 332 for dinner and conversation with Cheryl Conner, one of the founders of the WLA at HLS. Cheryl will be talking about life at HLS during the early 80s and her impetus for founding the WLA. We will also be discussing women and leadership, highlighting Cheryl's very own empowered leadership model. Thai food (and dessert!) will be served.  
  

Sex Trivia Night! 

Sex Trivia Night is a fun and relevant bar trivia event. Students will test their sexpertise and engage in an open, fun, and lively dialogue about sex. The event is a precursor to HL Central’s Bar Review at Tommy Doyle’s on Thursday, March 31st. Trivia will begin at 8pm. Prizes will be awarded. Cosponsored by ACS, CRCL, HL Central, Lambda, SG, and WLA. 
  

2011 Freedom Seder 

The WLA is honored to be a part of this year's Freedom Seder, which is being spearheaded by the JLSA and BLSA. This year's Freedom Seder is an opportunity for our communities to commemorate our histories, to celebrate our victories, to recognize our shared stake in the social justice challenges of our generation. Please join us on April 4th, at 7pm in Ropes Gray, as we explore these ideas through the structure of this ancient Passover tradition. 
   
WLA Sign Ups:  
  

Sign-ups for WLA's Second Book Club Meeting!  

The WLA is having its second book club meeting with Diane Rosenfeld on Tuesday, March 29th at 7:30PM. The book that Prof. Rosenfeld has chosen for this meeting is "The Woman Who Walked Into Doors" by Roddy Doyle. Prof. Rosenfeld writes, "This is a short and very powerful novel about domestic violence that offers insights into how abuse can interplay with love to create the complications faced by survivors of DV." Dinner will be served. Space is limited! Participation in previous book club events is not required. If you are interested in attending, please email Kathryn at kc...@jd11.law.harvard.edu.  
     

WLA Presents: Political Bootcamp  

Get the skills you need to run for political office and win! Join the WLA on April 8, from 3:00 – 7:00pm for a special, non-partisan training session for HLS students interested in running for office. Whether you're thinking of running in 5 years, 10 years, or this year, we want to make sure you have the tools to win! Dinner served. Location TBD. Space is limited. To reserve a spot, email hls...@gmail.com.  
   
General Announcements:     
   

Harvard for Japan Week - Candlelight Vigil 

Monday, March 21st, 8pm, Steps of Memorial Church. In response to the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan, the Harvard community is coming together as Harvard for Japan.  Please join the WLA and other co-sponsoring organizations for a showing of community support and solidairty towards the relief and reconstruction efforts.  This gathering will launch a long-term initiative to spread awareness about the effects of the quake and the resulting aftershocks, tsunamis, and nuclear crisis.  Harvard for Japan will also be hosting several fundraising events to raise money for the Japanese Red Cross Society.  A full list of events for the week can be found online at harvard.edu/harvardforjapan. 
  

The Jackie (and Jill) Robinson Effect: Why Do Congresswomen Outperform Congressmen?  

In this paper, Berry and Anzia argue that the process of selection into political office is different for women than it is for men, which results in important differences in the performance of male and female legislators once they are elected. If voters are biased against female candidates, only the most talented, hardest working female candidates will succeed in the electoral process. Thursday, March 24, 11:40 am - 1:00 pm, WAPPP Cason Seminar Room, Taubman  Building 1st floor - Harvard Kennedy School.

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