Published Quarterly by Oregon Women Lawyers Volume 21, No. 3 Summer 2010 OWLS Presents Career Development/ Rainmaking Dinner for Young Lawyers By Stacy Owen n May 6 at the assistance from Markowitz Herbold Glade & President Hotel deLuxe Mehlhaf) to support the OWLS Leadership Com- Concetta Schwesinger in Portland, mittee’s goal of helping members develop leader- Vice President, O OWLS presented its ship skills, as well as OWLS’ mission to advance President-Elect Heather L. Weigler first-ever career devel- women and minorities in the legal profession. What follows are comments from three event Secretary opment/rainmaking Cashauna Hill dinner. The event pro- participants. Treasurer vided young lawyers Valerie Athena Tomasi, Keynote Speaker Megan Livermore with the opportunity Val has been a shareholder at Farleigh Wada Historian to network and discuss Witt since 1990. Practicing law for over 25 years, Kathleen J. Hansa Rastetter career development she has focused on real estate law and financial Board Members Valerie Athena Tomasi and rainmaking with transactions. Sally Anderson-Hansell experienced and suc- Hon. Frances Burge For Val, perhaps the biggest benefits of rain- Megan Burgess cessful members of the legal community. making are autonomy and flexibility. She said Bonnie Cafferky Carter After an opening reception, Valerie Athena she feels like the captain of her own ship. Even Dana Forman Tomasi, a shareholder at Farleigh Wada Witt, Gina Hagedorn if her firm dissolved, she believes that she would Heather Hepburn spoke to the group about the importance of be fine, thanks to her steady and persistent ef- Kendra Matthews rainmaking and how to become a rainmaker, forts to maintain her client relationships. The Linda Meng topics the participants and mentors then dis- Elizabeth Tedesco Milesnick Continued on page 4 Hon. Julia Philbrook cussed during dinner. At each of seven tables, six Cassandra SkinnerLopata young lawyers (defined Attending the dinner (left to right): Hon. Katherine Tennyson as practicing six years Shannon Terry Bryana Sack, Heather Bowman, Diana Fedoroff, Janice Kim Jane Yates or less in Oregon) sat Hon. Youlee You with two experienced Past Presidents lawyers. In addition Gwyneth McAlpine to participating as Heather Van Meter Laura Caldera Taylor mentors at the event, Kellie Johnson each experienced law- Norma S. Freitas yer agreed to follow Kate A. Wilkinson Jennifer K. De Wald up with at least two Sarah J. Crooks young lawyers after Elizabeth Schwartz the event. Lori E. Deveny Debra Pilcher Velure OWLS sponsored the Marilyn E. Litzenberger dinner (with significant Teresa M. Kraemer Patricia L. Heatherman Julie Levie Caron Phylis Chadwell Myles OWLS Fall Conference on October 22 Helle Rode Diana Craine Kathryn M. Ricciardelli Women at Work: What Is the Measure of Our Success? Agnes Sowle Katherine H. O’Neil he OWLS Fall CLE and awards reception will take place on Friday, October 22, at the Embassy Executive Director Suites Hotel in downtown Portland. Join the discussion of “Women at Work: What Is the Linda Tomassi, 503.595.7831 Measure of Our Success?” [email protected] T We are pleased to feature Patricia Ireland as our keynote speaker. Ms. Ireland is a lawyer, activ- AdvanceSheet Editor ist, author, and former president of the National Organization for Women (NOW). She will speak Elise Gautier, 503.292.2893 [email protected] at 3 p.m. about career success, what women have accomplished over the last several decades, and the remaining barriers to career fulfillment. www.oregonwomenlawyers.org Continued on page 6 OREGON WOMEN LAWYERS AdvanceSheet 1 SUMMER 2010 President’s Message o para- Remain active. OWLS has numerous phrase committees that work to develop new Tone of ways to help our members in their careers. my favorite These committees include the OWLSNet children’s sto- Committee, which organizes networking ries, “Wow! events, the Judicial Work Group, and the That was just Leadership Committee, which organizes about all any- mentoring circles and professional devel- Olga Salyuk (left) and Maya Crawford at one could say.” opment programs. the annual Federal Courthouse Connection I am tremen- We need to continue to develop new and ice cream social on June 18 in Portland, hosted by Judge Ann Aiken dously hon- programs as needed, such as the recent Concetta Schwesinger ored to be the get-together OWLS helped facilitate for O W L S 2 0 1 0 women opting back into the workforce. Book Drive Begins Soon president. Given the active and excit- OWLS should also continue to co-sponsor he OWLS Coffee Creek Book Drive ing year our board had in 2009 and the events around the state that are con- Twill take place Monday, August 23, dedication of our fabulous co-presidents, sistent with our mission. Over the long through Friday, August 27. Candace I have big shoes to fill! term, we should become more active Hathaway and Heather Vogelsong are co- It’s hard to believe, but over 20 years at the national level, such as with the ordinating the drive, which collects books ago I started my career as a county deputy National Conference of Women’s Bar to donate to the Coffee Creek Correctional district attorney, later growing in private Associations. Facility, located in Wilsonville. If you can firm positions, and assuming my current Promote our members. The OWLS coordinate a drop-off site for books, please role in 2003. During the same time period, Awards Committee continues to focus contact Candace at hathaway.candace@ OWLS was incorporated by a dynamic on highlighting members’ achievements gmail.com or Heather at maitaly28@ group of leaders, grew, and has continued and supporting nominations for various yahoo.com before August 1. to transform itself to meet the needs of awards, both internal and external. Hardcover and softcover books will be our current 1,430 members. OWLS is now Our mission includes a focus on mi- accepted. Books on CD are also accept- the second-largest nonmandatory bar norities as well as women, and so I am able, but NO books on tape. association in Oregon. asking our committees and chapters to Any form of fiction is acceptable. To get where we want to go, we need consider ways to better support minor- Mysteries, romance, and science fiction/ goals. As our 2010 Fall CLE keynote ity lawyers. fantasy are the most popular. The women speaker, former NOW President Patricia Give back. One of OWLS’ core functions at Coffee Creek have a wide range of Ireland, aptly points out in her book What has always been helping others. We need reading abilities, as well as tastes in Women Want, the women’s movement to continue our work with projects such literature. If you read a book and liked has gained a lot of ground since we first as the spring 2010 Habitat for Human- it, chances are that someone at Coffee won the right to vote in 1920. To borrow ity Build and collecting cell phones for Creek will too. Books written for young the phrase Ms. Ireland has used on many shelters. Our chapters are also actively adults are particularly needed. occasions, “We’ve come a long way, but involved in community projects. Nonfiction is also acceptable, but NO we still have a long way to go.” The good Continue to build a great board. We true crime books, books on gambling, news is that every effort we make, no have worked hard to develop an active law books (the facility buys those), or matter how big or little, helps shape us board of directors. The board will contin- textbooks of any kind will be accepted. as individuals and promotes OWLS. ue to spend time fostering relationships Children’s books are also welcome— With that concept in mind, I have sev- with OWLS members who may want to many of the women have children who eral key goals for OWLS in 2010: become future board members. visit them, and reading together is a Know our members. Simply put, OWLS I will admit that these goals are lofty— great bonding experience. But please, is you, our members. We need to further but so was the original OWLS charter, and NO coloring or activity books that have engage the wider membership to help look where we are today! already been used or played with. us provide programs and services that I look forward to meeting many of Books must be in good-to-excellent are important to you. For example, we you at upcoming events. (I’ll probably condition. No books with torn covers. recently surveyed members to better un- be the one wearing the OWLS earrings.) No books that have been written in. No derstand what you want, and we revised I also hope you will reach out to me at books that are water damaged or have our listserve etiquette as a result. [Please [email protected], or to any of the broken spines. The basic rule: Donate see page 13.] other OWLS board members. only books that you would give as gifts to friends. We are giving the women at Coffee Creek gifts—and their high quality will convey the message that we care. Concetta Schwesinger Questions? Please contact Heather or President, Oregon Women Lawyers Candace at the email addresses above. Our mission is to transform the practice of law and ensure justice and equality by advancing women and minorities in the legal profession. OREGON WOMEN LAWYERS AdvanceSheet 2 SUMMER 2010 OWLS Welcomes New Officers and Directors t its annual retreat in May in Salem, the OWLS board selected new of- Aficers, who serve from May 2010 to April 2011. The president is Concetta Schwesinger, who is the Oregon District Attorney Association’s Child Support Program liaison and works in Marion County.