Women and Law Division Executive Committee Meeting

March 12, 2014 Meeting Minutes

In attendance: Tina Clark, Liz Polleys, Jackie Gessner, Lucy Dollens, Kate Urdle (Roxana Bell’s Proxy), Meg Christensen, Marta Paul, Elizabeth Timme, Sarah McClammer, Anna Kirkman, Patricia Erdmann. IBA rep Mary Kay Price also attended.

I. Welcome and Introduction: all in attendance introduced themselves. Elizabeth Timme shared the exciting news that she is expecting in late summer 2014!

II. Old Business a. Liz Polleys made a motion to approve February minutes. The motion was seconded, and the committee approved the February minutes unanimously (11-0) b. Jackie Gessner reported on the IU McKinney School of Law Women’s Caucus auction. It successfully raised $18,500. The WLD brunch sold for $200. The WLD will take 4 students to lunch/brunch in the next few weeks. Tina will send a request for participation via email. Jackie will help coordinate with the student winners. c. Website Posting Follow Up: Mary Kay introduced the new communication initiative; it’s intended to increase content that is tailored to membership of IBA Sections. If you go into the WLD Section Page, you can access articles. Tina circulated a calendar assigning each WLD executive member to a month. Options for posts: articles, event previews, Q&A with a speaker, recap of CLE, profile a committee member. (Political content/information may be appropriate if it allows for counterpoints and does not take a political stance/position on behalf of the IBA.) This is the best alternative to blogs and Facebook pages. Tina already posted some articles to get us started.

III. New Business a. Mentorship Committee: 65 people are registered for the Mentorship program; at least 5 were not previously registered WLD members, but have joined the WLD to participate in the mentorship program. It is acceptable to attend the lunch (with speaker) even if you’re not participating in the Mentorship Program. Event reminder went out on 3/12. b. Summer Reception: Elizabeth Timme confirmed that the Summer Reception will be held on Tuesday, June 10 at the Indiana Historical Society. The committee is working on sponsorships now. If you think your firm or another firm/ organization would like to be a sponsor, let Elizabeth know. Goal to raise $2000 in sponsorships. The committee is planning to invite Kerry Blomquist to speak at the Reception. The Save the Date will be sent out in the last week of March. 1. The Professionalism Committee is interested in partnering with the WLD to have a platform for discussing professionalism. Tina queried the group about whether the Summer Reception would be the right venue for that. The group expressed some concern about getting bogged down in professionalism topics during an otherwise light and upbeat social event. Tina will find out more information before we commit; maybe consider other event opportunities. c. Networking and Social: 1. Sarah McClammer talked about Symphony on the Prairie. The committee reviewed the problems we encountered last year and why we lost money on the event. Part of the problem was the timing, not necessarily the cost of tickets. The group suggested looking at July dates after the 4th. We should stick to the ticket price; no need to subsidize the cost if we choose a good date. Sarah will come back in April with an update. 2. Sarah inquired about the group's interest in resurrecting the morning coffee conversations. Marta suggested checking with the Networking Committee, as they have quarterly coffee meetings. Tina noted that monthly was a bit too often. Patricia suggested tying into our philanthropic goals and when we meet, we can collect an item or donation (dress for success, back to school, etc.). We can consider cross-marketing with other IBA sections that collect and donate items to particular organizations. 3. Tina and Sarah talked about quarterly get-togethers that have a social and professional element. Discussed the idea of having an after work event to bring in a style blogger who focuses on professional attire. d. Philanthropy: Tina reported on behalf of Jan Michelson. We raised $310 for Dream Dinners at ADL in 2013. Tina would like us to obtain additional funding. e. CLE: Patricia indicated that the committee would meet soon to start planning and asked Mary Kay for a report of the past 2 years of CLE content so we don't duplicate content. We can look for CLE opportunities to incorporate professionalism materials. f. Strategic Planning/ADL: Marta spoke briefly. ADL submissions will be solicited in June. ADL lunch will be held in October/November. This committee will focus on strategic sponsorship opportunities. g. Membership Outreach: Jackie - newsletter to go out in April. Tina will do a letter from the Chair. We will include recent events and summarize the mentor lunch. Jackie asked about awards/recognitions. Rori Goldman (current WLD member and previous WLD executive committee chair) was named as a Super Lawyer. Meg Christensen and Elizabeth Timme were names as Rising Stars. h. Miscellaneous: The committee asked Kate Urdle about the Young Lawyers Division and the potential for overlap between YLD and WLD.

IV. Mark your calendar: a. The next meeting is April 9, 2014. Note change in location: It will be held in the 2nd Floor IBA offices, not the 15th floor. b. March 25, 2014 - Mentorship Kickoff Lunch c. June 10, 2014 - Summer Reception d. July 8, 2014 - Legal Lines