News

On Sunday, August 8, 2010, CWL Life-Member Elizabeth Cabraser accepted the ABA's 's highest honor for a woman attorney-The Margaret Brent Award.  

Her speech (which can be viewed here) was gracious, insightful, penetrating, intelligent, spirited, motivational, balanced, thoughtful, analytical and powerful with all the appropriate well-timed punches.  CWL was grateful to have our organization acknowledged in her speech. 

Mireille Guiliano, former President & CEO of Clicquot Inc. and LVMH executive has been hailed as "a true marketing innovator" and "a barrier breaking pioneer."

In 1984, Guiliano was tapped to re-launch the 225-year-old flagship brand Veuve Clicquot in the U.S. In two decades under her leadership, it grew from less than one percent to about 25% of the U.S. champagne market.  Ms. Guiliano, through her lively stories drawn from her experience in the highest ranks of the business world, gives practical advice on topics including: passions and talents, coping with stress and turning yourself into a winning brand.

CWL President Nancy O'Malley calls all CWL members to attend the National Conference of Women Bar Associations' Summit on August 6, 2010 in San Francisco:

“The National Conference of Women Bar Associations is hosting a spectacular Summit for women lawyers on August 6 in San Francisco.  This Annual Summit occurs at the same time and in the same city as the ABA Conference.  We are excited about this year’s Summit Theme  “Transforming Law, Transforming Lives.” 

The 2010 agenda for CWL continues to recognize that the legal profession, especially for women, is at a crossroads – the way we were is not necessarily the way of the future.   CWL’s agenda coincides with this year’s Summit and the Summit agenda is attached.  You can see, it will be an exciting program and an exciting day.  In addition to the speakers, of which I have the honor of being one, the NCWBA Summit is a packed room of women lawyers and women bar association representatives from across the country.  Everyone participates at some point.  The discussions are rich and inspirational – women talking to women about our profession.  NCWBA presents its Annual Awards to those Women Bar Associations that have created programs which are changing communities.  As you recall, last year CWL received a NCWBA Award for the “So You Want To Be A Judge” program.

CWL encourages all of its members to attend the NCWBA Annual Summit.  You too, can be inspired and in turn, can inspire other women lawyers from around the country.

Questions?  Contact co-chairs Karen Goodman (kgoodman@goodman-law.com)  or Belynda Reck (breck@hunton.com), both former Presidents of CWL.  

I hope to see you there.

Judge Deborah Andrews was selected to receive CWL’s 2010 Joan Dempsey Klein award.  Elected to the Superior Court in June 1994, Judge Andrews directed the specialized criminal Domestic Violence Court in the Long Beach Superior Courthouse for over a decade.  During her time with the Domestic Violence Court, Judge Andrews initiated an innovative Protective Order Committee which brought together stakeholders from law enforcement, prosecutors, defense counsel, Legal Aid, victim advocates, judicial officers and records personnel charged with entering data into CLETS.  The committee, which promotes better communication among various entities concerned with protective orders, was hailed as a “Promising Practice” by the Attorney General’s 2005 Task Force Report and has been modeled by other courts.   

Judge Andrews instituted a program to provide in-courtroom assistance to the victims of domestic violence.  Using volunteers from California State University Long Beach, students were trained and supervised by WomenShelter of Long Beach to provide these services and ensuring that victims always had support. 

Judge Andrews also established the first Drug Court Program in the South District of Los Angeles County, working in a collaborative effort to provide intensive treatment and supervision for long-term hardcore addicts.  

She has served on numerous local and statewide committees regarding issues of violence, including the Domestic Violence Practice and Procedure Task Force convened by California Chief Justice Ron George.  Judge Andrews has been recognized for her efforts by a long list of organizations, including: the Long Beach Area Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Council (End Abuse), the Long Beach Bar Association, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe and the Los Angeles County Commission for Women, Rainbow Services, and Soroptimist International of Long Beach.            

Known for taking on the most challenging assignments, Judge Andrews was reassigned last year, at her request, to the Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Court, where she now hears Juvenile Dependency cases, which includes a caseload of more than 1000 children under her supervision. 

Judge Deborah Andrews has taken on some of the most challenging issues facing our courts: domestic violence, drugs and now juvenile dependency and has continuously worked to improve the services the courts provide.  She exemplifies the qualities recognized by the Joan Dempsey Klein award—a long history of dedicated service on the bench, working tirelessly on issues of importance while raising a family of her own.