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New Women's Groups Focus on Mentoring

New York Lawyer
February 4, 2005

By Thomas Adcock
New York Law Journal


Women attorneys, a rarity only a generation or two ago, have come a long way since U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg failed to land a job offer at any of Manhattan's private firms after graduating in 1959 from Columbia Law School at the top of her class.

But even today, when female law students constitute the campus majority and women attorneys, at least at the associate level, are common, women practitioners see the need to stick together.

But even today, when female law students constitute the campus majority and women attorneys, at least at the associate level, are common, women practitioners see the need to stick together.

"These informal groups are a really wonderful way of filling in some of the gaps that even a formal women's bar association has a little trouble covering," said Martha E. Gifford, senior counsel at Proskauer Rose and former president of the New York women's bar group.

"These informal groups are a really wonderful way of filling in some of the gaps that even a formal women's bar association has a little trouble covering," said Martha E. Gifford, senior counsel at Proskauer Rose and former president of the New York women's bar group.

"We're so scattered throughout the city, we're kind of removed from interacting with each other," said Laurie N. Robinson, founder of the Women of Color group and assistant general counsel at CBS Broadcasting. "With women in general, there are unique challenges with respect to institutional barriers — the glass ceiling and so forth. When you add an extra component, color, there are extra barriers."

But, she added, the group does not spend time talking about problems.

"We're focused on how to manage effectively, and how to move forward in our careers by getting on boards and into publications and the like," she said.

Corporate Counsel Women of Color began in November with 20 New York members. Since then, the group has grown to nearly 700 members nationwide, thanks to Ms. Robinson's recruiting efforts. About half the group's members are on the East Coast, she said.

In December, the group won 501(c)(3) status as a non-profit organization. Ms. Robinson's former law firm, Seyfarth Shaw, acted as pro bono counsel.

Lauren S. Albert of Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider initiated the New York branch of the antitrust group in part, she said, because "I'm the only woman partner at my firm. I've become very good friends with [male counterparts], but it's just nice to have the companionship of women in the same field."

Casual though the group is, Ms. Albert has seen the practical networking benefit of some members landing jobs simply by showing up for lunch meetings and letting others know of their needs. Before the New York affiliate, the women's antitrust group existed only in Chicago and Canada.

The New York group started out about two years ago with a luncheon in Ms. Albert's office.

"Everyone knew two people who knew two other people, and that's how it happened," she said.

About 25 attendees now gather once a month for the luncheon sessions, which hosts judges, prosecutors and authors in the antitrust field.


Acting as Mentors

Ms. Gifford, a member of the antitrust group, said Ms. Albert saw the need of providing role models for younger attorneys.

"Lauren recognized that while there are an increasing number of women in the antitrust field, at any one firm the number is still quite small," said Ms. Gifford. "So we have a forum now for women to encourage one another and compare experiences."

From her own experience, Ms. Robinson, who grew up in a largely black and prosperous Maryland community, sees mentorship as the most important issue for her members.

Until she came to the legal world of New York, she said, "I was always in the majority. Finding myself as the only woman of color was quite a challenge."

Accordingly, a major project under way at Corporate Counsel Women of Color is the Top Executive Partnership Program, whereby younger members are matched with older ones.

"Basically, we're going to mentor each other," said Ms. Robinson, "and not depend on the corporate structure."

The Women's Bar Association — in its 25th year as a coalition of 16 chapters throughout the state, ranging from a women's group established in Brooklyn in 1918 to an upstate affiliate in Glens Falls formed in 2003 — also sees mentorship as a prime draw for younger lawyers.

"We want to make sure our members are comfortable throughout their careers," said Mindy R. Zlotogura, an associate at Rockland County's Barr & Haas and current president of the group. "But we also have a number of other components. We're the only bar group whose purpose is to promote the status of women not only in the courts, but in society as well. We have [non-governmental organization] status at the United Nations."

While Ms. Robinson was successful in finding mentors, she said other women of color are not always as lucky.

"When mentors aren't readily available," she said, "you can slip through the cracks."

Accordingly, a major project under way at Corporate Counsel Women of Color is the Top Executive Partnership Program, whereby younger members are matched with older ones.

"Basically, we're going to mentor each other," said Ms. Robinson, "and not depend on the corporate structure."

The Women's Bar Association — in its 25th year as a coalition of 16 chapters throughout the state, ranging from a women's group established in Brooklyn in 1918 to an upstate affiliate in Glens Falls formed in 2003 — also sees mentorship as a prime draw for younger lawyers.

"We want to make sure our members are comfortable throughout their careers," said Mindy R. Zlotogura, an associate at Rockland County's Barr & Haas and current president of the group. "But we also have a number of other components. We're the only bar group whose purpose is to promote the status of women not only in the courts, but in society as well. We have [non-governmental organization] status at the United Nations."

Ms. Gifford appreciates not only the creation of women lawyer groups, but the converse as well: the condition that makes some organizations disappear. Case in point, she said, was an informal group of female white-collar defense attorneys that used to exist in New York.

Over time, she said, the lawyers achieved a high level of seniority in their respective firms and decided there was little need to meet on a regular basis.

"Now, isn't that nice?", she asked.

For more information about Corporate Counsel Women of Color, call Ms. Robinson at 212-846-3904. For the New York Women Antitrust Lawyers Group, call Ms. Albert at 212-728-2200.