Work-Life Balance Study (by Eve Furse)

      Over the years attendees of WLU events can inevitably be heard wondering how to find a work/life balance. For many, finding that balance has involved leaving law firms. Women across the country have similarly turned to this solution. Law firms, despite efforts over the last ten years to provide better maternity leave, part-time schedules, and the like, are increasingly frustrated by the constant departure of their women associates. The women’s Bar Association of Washington D.C. spent four months last year studying the issue of how to retain women in law firms. In doing so, they created a template for bars and firms across the country to follow in trying to find solutions for this problem. WLU is currently planning and preparing to conduct its initiative regarding retention with the help of the legal community.

      The study consists of four half-day symposia. The first meeting looks at the current state of affairs. Experts will present the demographics both locally and nationally. The second session will consider what firms and women perceive to be the stumbling blocks to advancing and keeping women in firms.

      A record is made of each symposium and given to the next group of attendees, so information does not need to be repeated or rehashed and the group can continue to build on the information gleaned from one symposium to the next.

      The third symposium looks at what steps law firms took over the last 10 years to retain and promote women -– which approaches worked and which did not. The fourth symposia takes the information from the first three symposiums and considers whether new and better ways may exist to accomplish the shared goal of retaining and promoting women in law firms.

      To allow for the greatest responsiveness and to avoid predetermining the outcome of our initiative, different members of the legal community are invited to each of the symposiums. The attendees are not invited to the symposium until the prior symposium has closed. To best address the problems and develop solutions that will help law firms retain and promote women we will draw on the support of much of the legal community – the law firms, the law schools, the Bar, and of course, the women lawyers of Utah. Over the next few months we will contact many of you, seeking support in a variety of ways. The most important key to the success of this initiative is the honest sharing of ideas, experiences, and beliefs. If you would like to participate in this initiative, please contact Evelyn Furse at evefurse@yahoo.com.

Click on the following links for the D.C. initiative on advancement and retention of women and the executive summary:
http://www.wbadc.org/associations/1556/files/Creating%20Pathways%20Report%20PDF.pdf.  http://www.wbadc.org/associations/1556/files/Summary[2].pdf.

2006 Woman Lawyer of the Year
On April 5, Women Lawyers of Utah named Jane Reister Conard the 2006 Christine M. Durham Woman Lawyer of the Year.  Ms. Conard is Senior Counsel in Intermountain Healthcare's legal department and has practiced there since 1982.  She was also a founder of WLU's annual Spring Fireside where the Woman Lawyer of the Year award is given each year.  Read more about Jane Reister Conard and the Woman Lawyer of the Year Award >>

WLU Grapevine

Melanie Vartabedian has left Anderson & Karrenberg and taken a position with Howrey, LLP.

Margaret Plane has left the ACLU of Utah and taken a position as Assistant City Attorney in the Salt Lake City Attorney's Office

The attorney’s at Clawson & Falk, LLC are moving in different directions . . . . On January 8, 2007, Carol Clawson took an of counsel position with Kruse, Landa, Maycock & Ricks, located at 136 E. South Temple, Ste 2100, SLC. Jennifer L. Falk is now a partner at Winder & Haslam, 175 West 200 South, Ste 4000, SLC. WLU Board Member Tracey Watson will commence her solo practice at 261 S 300 E, Ste 300, SLC

WLU Board Member Adria M. Swindle has taken the position of Executive Director of the Utah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers as of September 2006.

WLU Board Member Evelyn Furse has taken a position as Senior City Attorney with Salt Lake City.

Note: Have you or someone you know changed jobs, been promoted, moved into or out of town, received an award, or done something else you'd like posted here? If you're a member, send an email to wlu@utahwomenlawyers.org with the information and we'll post it here and in our newsletter. If you're not a member, click here to join.