SUMMER 2021
for increased female participations in the political systems that create regulation. The downward trend of female involvement in Maldives’ Parliament highlights institutional barriers to entry. So Zahir’s work empowers women in political, party and parliamentary leadership through public-speaking and campaign-strategy workshops that have reached over 600 women. Her organization also educates about human rights. This approach is also relevant to the racial equity movement. Zahir noted that expectations are higher when those who are marginalized finally do manage to obtain leadership positions, a view echoed by Judge Brown and Professor Baca. Zahir urged students to nevertheless be relentless in removing the institutional barriers of gender, class, ethnicity, race, educational background and faith traditions that impede positive social change.
Conclusion Leadership in this moment means rejecting complacency and pursuing bold, ambitious action. As both law firms and their clients face increased legal, financial, employee, customer and societal scrutiny, lawyers must seize this moment to lead. From legislation to litigation, organization to education, activism to influence, and as trusted advisors to the business community, lawyers can effect change. “We must help our clients do the right thing,” Leese said. Indeed, Meyerstein believes that lawyers should view themselves as ethical compliance officers. And ethics must have racial equity and human rights at its core. As Zahir noted, ‘we know how far we’ve come, so we can see how much further we have to go.” Many thanks to my co-Chair Mimi Tsankov, who participated in her capacity as Board of Directors Liaison to the D & I Committee, our FBA Advisory Board including Wylie Stecklow, Bryan Branon, Brandi Burris, Lanna Allen, Stephanie Moncada Gomez and Helen Padilla, as well all the distinguished moderators and panelists who participated in this ground-breaking program. 1
Numerous amendments to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act have recently been introduced to Congress.
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Moments from the
Midyear Meeting
NAWJ’s successful Midyear Meeting provided excellent education sessions and the annual Tea and Ethics session with breakout rooms by topics, both were well attended by participants from twenty countries. We hope to continue the conversations started in the breakout sessions throughout the year.
Helping Women Return to the Workplace
By Natalia Heguaburo Research Intern, University of Virginia School of Law
Co-Moderators Judge Maria Salas Mendoza and Nicole Erb, White and Case, LLP Nicole Erb shared several articles and studies including: Mothers Anxious to break out of ‘she-cession’ and get back to work (CNN, Business, April 1, 2021), Pandemic-Struck Law Reviews Face Loss of Women and Diversity (Law360 Pulse, April 1, 2021), How Law Firms Are Supporting Women Lawyers in the Pandemic (National Law Review, March 17, 2021), Creating a postpandemic recovery for women in the workplace (McKinsey & Company, March 8, 2021), Work-Life Imbalance: Pandemic Disruption Places New Stresses on Women Lawyers (ABA, Perspectives, December 18, 2020). Nicole opened the discussion by stating what we all know: that the pandemic was a real hit to women in the workplace. Women had to step out altogether or take leave and these choices have continued even as the pandemic has eased. She asked,
“What does ‘return to work’ mean?” Does this mean back to where we were? How can we ensure access and that ‘return to work’ provides for equal opportunity and options for women? Judge Carmen Velasquez, President of the New York State Supreme Court Judges, shared that she was at the center of the pandemic in Jackson Heights, New York. The situation was especially hard hitting on Latinos and women. After many collaborative efforts at providing basic needs, she formed a non-profit to provide information about ill family members to family, assist in identifying family, providing food (all the while leading, maintaining and enforcing mask-wearing, social distancing and calm among very distraught people) and tending to children. Through this effort she learned and shared that all of our efforts moving forward must be guided by empathy and flexibility.
