DelcoReviewSpring2017 - 14

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MARCH TO THE BEAT OF A WOMAN...
The Origins of Women's History Month
March, 2017. Women's History Month in the United States
grew out of a weeklong celebration of women's contributions to
culture, history and society organized by the school district of
Sonoma, California, in 1978. Presentations were given at dozens
of schools, hundreds of students participated in a "Real Woman"
essay contest and a parade was held in downtown Santa Rosa.
A few years later, the idea had caught on within communities,
school districts and organizations across the country. In 1980,
President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women's History
Week. The U.S. Congress followed suit the next year, passing a
resolution establishing a national celebration. Six years later, the
National Women's History Project successfully petitioned Congress to expand the event to the entire month of March.

DCBA WOMEN IN THE LAW COMMITTEE
Submitted by Stephanie Klein, Esq., Lisanne Mikula, Esq., and
Pamela Lee, Esq.

On October 19, 2016, the Delaware County Bar Association
Board of Directors approved the Women in the Law Committee
("WILC"), joining the ranks of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and numerous other county
bar associations, all of which maintain committees or sections for
women.
Before the Bar Association gave its seal of approval, we, as
the founding members, tested the waters to determine whether
the bar membership had any interest in a women's committee.
After our first three meetings in April, June and July 2016, the
answer was a resounding yes.
The WILC presented its first CLE seminar in December,
2016, and has plans to present one more in the series entitled,
"The Business of Law." Our first CLE, "The Business of Law:
The Environment for the Practice of Law for Women," sponsored by Delaware County Bar Foundation, featured a roundtable
discussion by distinguished attorneys and business owners Colleen M. Neary, Esq.; Nancy C. DeMis, Esq.; Linda M. Anderson,
Esq.; and Kristine F. Hughey., Esq. Pamela A. Lee, Esq. (far left)
moderated.

14 | Spring 2017

WILC's CLE planning committee-spearheaded by Pamela
A. Lee, Mary V.Z. Wachterhauser and Mary Jo Gilsdorf-is
planning the next CLE seminar in "The Business of Law" series
which will focus on the nuts and bolts of practice for what you
need to know to hang your own shingle. The "Hanging Your
Shingle" CLE seminar will be held at the 45th Annual Bench Bar
Conference at Skytop Lodge in the Poconos on June 8th at 8:15
a.m. Our panelists include attorneys Michael A. Burns, Susan
J. Cherner, Marlo Pagano-Kelleher and the Honorable Barry C.
Dozor as our Judicial guest. Our panel speakers will share their
knowledge and experiences with hanging their own shingle including the elements of success, entity formation and finance and
economic issues. If you have ever thought about hanging your
own shingle, please join us at the Bench Bar Conference to learn
more before starting your own business.
WILC's networking happy hour at Sligo-our first event-
was so successful and well-received that WILC intends to have a
second networking happy hour in the spring. We thank co-sponsors ADR Options, Karasch & Associates, and WSFS Bank. If
you would like to sponsor our next networking happy hour event,
please reach out to one of WILC's co-chairs.
Besides presenting events, the WILC also conducts bi-monthly bring-your-own-lunch meetings at the Delco Bar Association's
building to discuss committee news, events and round-table topic
discussions. Past discussion include balancing work/home life
and stemming the tide of women leaving the practice of law.
WILC welcomes all members of the Delaware County Bar
Association to attend our CLE's, events, and lunch meetings.
Anyone who is interested in joining the WILC or adding your
name to our email list to learn of future events should contact
Bill Baldwin at bill@delcobar.com or Nancy Ravert Ward at
nancy@delcobar.com. For additional information, contact
co-chairs Pamela Lee and Stephanie Klein.

Signature Event...
THE IMPACT OF MODERN HUMAN SLAVERY
AND THE JUDICIAL AND LEGAL RESPONSE
March, 2017. The Women's History event-our signature event
this year-held on March 31, 2017, focused on the fight against
Human Trafficking and the efforts to combat it in Pennsylvania
at both the state and federal levels. Notwithstanding the
Thirteenth Amendment and the Civil Rights Movement,
laypeople are astonished to learn that people are currently
subjected to involuntary servitude and trafficking in the United
States and even in Delaware County. This problem is complex

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