How to Start a WIL Committee

The Women in the Law Committee of the International JRCLS Board encourages women members of each Chapter to form a Women in the Law (WIL) section within their Chapter. If you are interested in forming a WIL section, please contact your Chapter Chair, explain your intentions, and arrange to either join the Chapter Board or to have a liaison on the Chapter Board to help coordinate the activities of the WIL section. Once your WIL section is formed, please have your Chapter Chair provide the International Board Women in the Law Committee information regarding the formation of your section and the leadership of your WIL section so that we can post it on our webpage to assist you with membership and with exchange of information with other WIL section leaders. Please feel free to communicate directly with the International JRCLS WIL Committee via email: WIL@jrcls.org

The JRCLS Membership Directory is searchable by gender and by location. In order to form a WIL section in your Chapter, you will probably want to start by searching for women on the JRCLS database in your area. As many women's issues are universal, you might also consider including women who are not members of the JRCLS to participate in your WIL section activities.

Ideally, each WIL section within a Chapter should be headed by one to three section leaders, who can work together to plan events. We would suggest that each WIL section plan two to four events a year. While at least one or two annual event(s) should include a speaker, panel discussion, or a formal discussion topic, not every event needs to include a formal program. Networking events are also important. Each WIL section should work with the Chapter Board to co-sponsor an annual program for the entire Chapter membership that either highlights a woman speaker or focuses on a topic of importance for women in the law.

In order to assist each WIL section within a Chapter to plan meetings, a variety of helpful information is posted on this website. For specific examples, forms, and guidelines go to: http://www.jrcls.org/leaders/resources/handbook/women_in_law.php. Click the buttons at the bottom of that WIL Handbook page for detailed information. Among the items included are 1) articles or materials with subjects of interest to women along with suggested discussion topics 2) “best practices” gathered from various WIL sections, including ideas for speakers and panels, and 3) leadership and historical information. Please email us articles or materials of interest that could be posted on our website as well as speakers of interest in your area. We also refer you to the WIL blog for news of WIL people and events: www.jrclswomen.blogspot.com.

Feel free to contact any member of the JRCLS International Board's WIL Committee and let us know how we can be of assistance in either getting a WIL section within your Chapter started or in supporting your existing WIL section.

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Page last updated 10 Jun 2011
Please send changes or corrections to WIL@jrcls.org.