DENVER (June 6, 2017) — The Colorado Women’s Bar Association (CWBA), a nonprofit organization focused on advancing and promoting women in the legal profession and the welfare of all women in Colorado, announces its 2017-2018 Board Leadership.

The CWBA 2017-2018 President is Wendy E. Weigler of Denver who was sworn in on May 20, 2017 as President for a one-year term.  She joined the CWBA Board of Directors in 2008 and is a member of the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations.  She also served two terms on the Board of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations, where she was on the Executive Committee and chair of the Awards Committee.

Wendy Weigler is Of Counsel with Winzenburg, Leff, Purvis & Payne, LLP, following a merger with Lansky, Weigler & Porter, P.C., a women-owned law firm Wendy founded in 2006. Wendy’s practice focuses on community association law, including the representation of condominium communities and homeowners associations throughout Colorado. She received her undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Albany in 1991 and her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in 1994.  Wendy is a frequent lecturer on condo and HOA law and has published several articles in industry publications.

Wendy succeeds Sarah Chase-McRorie who remains on the board as Immediate Past President. Sarah is Senior Legal Counsel for Matrix Financial Solutions, Inc. a Broadridge company, and oversees the legal department for the business unit based in Denver.

President-Elect for 2017-2018 is Catherine “Cat” Shea, an Assistant Regulation Counsel for the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel. In that capacity, Cat investigates attorney discipline and disability and magistrate matters.

Other CWBA Executive Committee Members for 2017-2018 include the following:

• Vice President:  Jessica Brown, CWBA 2015-2016 Past President and a partner in Gibson Dunn's Denver Office specializing in employment law and class action litigation.
• Secretary:  Ryann Fogel, who is currently taking a break from the active practice of law to raise her two sons.  Since graduating from the University of Denver College of Law in 2009, Ryann has worked in various legal positions, most recently as an Associate at McConnell Fleischner & Houghtaling, where her law practice consisted of professional liability defense, typically in legal malpractice actions.
•  Treasurer:  Gretchen Moore, a Tax & Accounting Associate at Harper Hofer & Associates, LLC. Gretchen provides tax planning, tax preparation, and litigation support services related to tax and accounting.
• Historian:  Diane Wozniak, an attorney in Baker Hostetler’s litigation group. Diane specializes in family law with a focus on Colorado families with complex financial estates.

Additional members elected to serve on the 2017-2018 Board of Directors are listed on our website at www.cwba.org/board.

ADVANCING WOMEN AS LEADERS IN THE LAW – 
ABOUT THE COLORADO WOMEN’S BAR ASSOCIATION

The Colorado Women’s Bar Association (CWBA) is a nonprofit organization focused on advancing and promoting the welfare of all women in Colorado since 1978. Dedicated to advancing women as leaders in the law, the CWBA brings together lawyers and legal professionals from all levels of experience for networking events, professional education, an annual convention, and community service projects focused on helping women help themselves. With more than 1,600 members, the CWBA is the largest diversity bar association in Colorado and is one of the biggest and most influential women’s bar associations in the country.  To learn more, visit www.cwba.org.

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http://lawweekcolorado.com/2017/03/colorado-womens-bar-association-holds-annual-judicial-reception/

Members of Colorado’s judiciary were honored March 2 during the Colorado Women’s Bar Association Judicial Committee’s Annual Judicial Reception in Denver. The event was hosted by Davis Graham & Stubbs.

Since 1987, the committee has held the annual judicial reception to honor one judge who has conducted extraordinary work on the bench.

This year’s recipient of the bar’s Judicial Excellence Award was 19th District Judge Julie Hoskins. The judge was awarded a plaque during the ceremony where she was recognized for her work on the bench.

CWBA president Sarah Chase-McRorie said Hoskins was the bar’s first choice for the prestigious award due to her mentorship, fairness and extraordinary achievements on the bench.

DENVER (NOV. 23, 2016) – The Colorado Women’s Bar Association (CWBA) is honoring Senator Rollie Heath as its 2016 Legislator of the Year for his leading role on issues supporting women and children, including closing the pay gap for women.

The award will be given at the CWBA’s Annual Legislator Appreciation Breakfast on Dec. 6, 2016 at 7:30 a.m. at the Denver Athletic Club, 1325 Glenarm Place in Denver. Sen. Heath, D-Boulder, will deliver the keynote address.

Throughout his dedicated eight years of legislative service, Senator Heath served as a stalwart champion on issues impacting women and children.  From sponsoring legislation to creating multiple workforce pathways, stimulating job growth and enhancing small business development to his driving efforts to increase state support for K-12 and higher education funding, Senator Heath consistently understood the interrelated value of these components working in tandem to increase every citizen’s ability to reach their individual goals and aspirations.

In 2016, Sen. Heath sponsored legislation to establish a Pay Equity Commission to focus on closing the pay gap. In 2013, the latest year for which data are available, Colorado women working full time earned 80 percent of what men working full time did. Though the pay equity legislation was unsuccessful in 2016, the CWBA and like-minded legislators continue to work to close the pay gap.

Heath has a long history as a public servant and businessman, including serving as an officer in the U.S. Army; co-founding the manufacturing company Ponderosa Industries; and winning election to the Colorado Senate in 2008. Heath’s business experience contributed to his sense that pay equity is important.

“You make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity,” he said. “And once they get into the workforce you would hope that they get paid what they deserve based on merit.”

Heath will leave the Colorado Legislature in January because of term limits but plans to continue his public service in the area of education.

“The most important role of government is educating folks,” he said. 

”Pay equity is not just a women’s issue, it is a community issue that requires a community-wide effort and leaders like Senator Rollie Heath,” said Sarah Chase-McRorie, President of the Colorado Women’s Bar Association. “While there is still so much work ahead to fight gender-based pay discrimination, Senator Heath’s support of pay equity has highlighted women as equal and critical players in Colorado’s economy and gives pay equity advocates like the CWBA stronger footing to continue the fight.”

The Colorado Women’s Bar Association (CWBA) is the largest specialty bar association in Colorado and has the mission of advancing women as leaders in the law.  It not only promotes the rights of women in the legal profession but outside the law and across the entire state of Colorado. The CWBA’s activities include lobbying on behalf of women and children.

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PHOTO ATTACHED: Sen. Rollie Heath

EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Event Details:
Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016
7:30 – 8:45 AM
Denver Athletic Club, 1325 Glenarm Place, Denver
$65 per person | $220 for group of four

All proceeds from this fundraiser support the CWBA Lobbyist Fund, therefore no portion of ticket sales or other donations are tax deductible. 

Register: http://www.cwba.org/event-2358164 

http://www.denverpost.com/2016/08/22/how-high-is-the-glass-ceiling-for-women-in-colorado-politics/

The July/August issue of ColoradoBiz Magazine included a piece about Colorado's persistent pay gap for women. Two of the thought leaders featured in the article include our President Sarah Chase-McRorie and CWBA member Charlotte Sweeney. ‪#‎equalpay‬

Click here to read the article. 

NEWS RELEASE                                                                     

Colorado Women’s Bar Association Announces

2016-2017 Board Leadership

DENVER (June 2, 2016) — The Colorado Women’s Bar Association (CWBA), a nonprofit organization focused on advancing and promoting women in the legal profession and the welfare of all women in Colorado, announces its 2016-2017 Board Leadership.

The CWBA 2016-2017 President is Sarah Chase-McRorie of Golden who was sworn in on May 21, 2016 as President for a one-year term.  She joined the CWBA Board of Directors in 2009 and is also a member of the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations.

Sarah Chase-McRorie is Senior Legal Counsel for Matrix Financial Solutions, Inc. a Broadridge company, and oversees the legal department for the business unit based in Denver.  Matrix is one of the nation’s largest providers of back-office, trust, custody, trading and mutual fund settlement services for financial institutions. Her practice focuses on the financial services industry and the corporate retirement and institutional services business. Sarah is a graduate of Colorado State University and California Western School of Law. Sarah is a member of the Broadridge Women’s Leadership Forum and the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Emerging Leaders Group; and, sits on the planning committee for the Libations for Life fundraising event for the CU Women’s Cancer Clinics.

Sarah succeeds Jessica Brown who remains on the board as Immediate Past President. Jessica is a partner in Gibson Dunn's Denver Office specializing in employment law and class action litigation.

President-Elect for 2017-2018 is Wendy Weigler, who is Of Counsel with Winzenburg, Leff, Purvis & Payne, LLP, following a merger with Lansky, Weigler & Porter, P.C., a women-owned law firm Wendy founded in 2006.  Wendy’s practice focuses on community association law, including the representation of condominium communities and homeowners associations throughout Colorado.

Other CWBA Executive Committee Members for 2016-2017 include the following:

• Vice President:  Alison E. Zinn, CWBA 2014-2015 Past President and a partner at Lindquist & Vennum, LLP.  Alison is a trial attorney who focuses her practice on trust and estate litigation, particularly wills, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, probate fiduciaries, beneficiary disputes, removal proceedings, and pursuit of non-probate assets. 
  
• Secretary:  Catherine (Cat) Shea, an Assistant Regulation Counsel for the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel. In that capacity, Cat investigates and prosecutes attorney discipline and disability, law examiner, magistrate, and judicial matters at trial and in appellate proceedings.
• Treasurer:  Gretchen Moore, a Tax & Accounting associate at Harper Hofer & Associates, LLC. Gretchen provides tax planning, tax preparation, and litigation support services related to tax and accounting.
• Historian:  Janet Drake, CWBA Past President 2005-2006 and a Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Special Prosecutions Unit at the Colorado Attorney General’s office. 

Additional members elected for the 2016-2017 Board of Directors are listed on our website at www.cwba.org/board.

ADVANCING WOMEN AS LEADERS IN THE LAW - 
ABOUT THE COLORADO WOMEN’S BAR ASSOCIATION

The Colorado Women’s Bar Association (CWBA) is a nonprofit organization focused on advancing and promoting the welfare of all women in Colorado since 1978. Dedicated to advancing women as leaders in the law, the CWBA brings together lawyers and legal professionals from all levels of experience for networking events, professional education, an annual convention, and community service projects focused on helping women help themselves. With more than 1,100 members, the CWBA is the largest specialty bar association in Colorado and is one of the biggest and most influential women’s bar associations in the country.  To learn more, visit www.cwba.org.

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Greeley Tribune article: Residents are encouraged to make a “vow against domestic violence” this month in a new fundraiser for A Woman’s Place. The nonprofit agency, which helps battered women and their children in Weld County, will host a fundraising event from 5:30-7 p.m. tonight at Cranford Cove Tea Tavern, 823 10th St. in downtown Greeley. Light appetizers and a cash bar will be available.

Those interested can bring cash donations or make donations through A Woman’s Place gift registries at Amazon.com, Bed Bath and Beyond and Target. Residents can either shop online and have items shipped to the shelter or bring them to Cranford Cove. The gift registries are in the form of wedding registries, through which A Woman’s Place administrators have checked off several needed items for the women’s shelter in Weld.

“We need everything from women’s undergarments to cleaning items,” said Karol Patch, executive director for A Woman’s Place. “We’re a 29-bed shelter and we go through a lot of toilet paper and trash bags. We’re constantly cleaning, and flu season is upon us. “In addition, we provide a full-service kitchen for clients to feed their families and we keep that constantly stocked,” Patch said.

Patch said the shelter is growing with the population. Through September, the shelter provided aid to 404 clients. Through all of last year, the agency provided help to 417 residential and nonresidential clients, Patch said. As of Monday, the 29-bed shelter has 28 full beds. “It ebbs and flows, but we usually get full, then we have some down time to breathe, and we haven’t had that since April,” Patch said.

The event is a part of Domestic Violence Awareness month. If organizers are successful, they plan to continue the gift registry through wedding season next spring to not only seek donations but educate residents about healthy relationships. The event tonight is sponsored by the Weld County chapter of the Colorado Women’s Bar Association.

A Woman’s Place has three “gift” registries through which residents can donate by buying necessary items for the women’s shelter. To access those registries, go to: » www.amazon.com/wedding. Under Find a Registry, enter a last name of “AWP.” » www.bedbathandbeyond.com. Under Find a Registry, enter First Name, “Greeley”; Last Name, “AWP”; or enter registry No. 542681025. » www.target.com/wedding. Under Find a Registry, enter “AWP” as the first name and “A Woman’s Place” as the last name. For more, call (970) 351-0476. 

We are grateful to have the support of the Governor's Office for our "Stand Up For Women: Comedy Night & Benefit Event for CWEE"! Jamie Van Leeuwen, PhD, Senior Advisor to Governor Hickenlooper, attended the event to read the Proclamation declaring Monday, April 13, 2015 as  Colorado Women's Professional Advancement Day! 

Read the proclamation here: 
2015 04-13-15 State of Colorado Proclamation.pdf

By  Caitlin Hendee Digital Producer / Social Engagement Manager- Denver Business Journal

For women in the law industry, there's a key difference between those who are more likely to succeed and those who are likely to fail, says Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell LLP partner Kathryn Reilly.

For the women who want to succeed in such a highly-competitive (and also highly-stressful) career, failure means much more than things not going as expected, Reilly says. Rather, it means accepting failure as a necessity to learn and grow, and not relying solely on innate talent.

Reilly is one of the keynote speakers and panelists at the Colorado Women's Bar Association's upcoming "Grit Project: True Grit and a Growth Mindset" event in Boulder.

The event will take place April 8 at the University of Colorado Boulder Wolf Law Building. Its goal is to help women in law succeed at a time when about 47 percent of associates are female, but make up just 17 percent of leadership positions in the industry.

"Motivation is absolutely critical," Reilly said. "The grit and growth mindset … gives women practical tools to define success in their own way and apply their grit to succeed."

A study published in 2013 in the Women Lawyers Journal found that there is a significant relationship between grit (determination) and success for women in the profession, and it's that research that Reilly said will make a difference for women trying to obtain leadership roles in the industry.

"Women lawyers have a lot of room for improvement when it comes to maintaining a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset," Reilly said, describing a "fixed" mindset as one that believes only innate intelligence and talent determine success.

"[The] growth mindset understands that intelligence and talent are expandable ... and that you can become more talented and much smarter," she added.

Reilly said applying the growth mindset in her own career, such as when she started as a mid-level associate at a large Denver law firm with little experience in the industry, has helped her climb her way to her current position as partner.

"I hadn’t done many depositions ... My colleagues had much more experience and I was really intimidated," Reilly said. "The fixed mindset is really a voice in your head that says you don’t want to do it … but I did it and by the end of the year I was good at it, and that was because I kept trying."

Reilly said the Grit Project event is designed to help young female lawyers learn how to apply the philosophy in their own lives.

"[We want] to provide students with practical tips on how to apply them everyday ... what to do when you get into the nitty gritty of situations you face every day," Reilly said.

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/blog/broadway_17th/2015/04/colorado-womens-bar-touts-grit-growth-as-path-to.html?ana=e_du_pap&s=article_du&ed=2015-04-17&u=K9Fq9B0zfdoQa8TjK0JmTQ090d2c3b&t=1429305643

Law Week Colorado by Tony Flesor 

In the past decade, diversity and inclusiveness have become frequent topics of discussion among law firm leaders, corporate counsel and legal academics, and for good reason. The legal industry lags behind every other profession in creating inclusive environments that invite, promote and retain women and minorities.

Colorado’s legal community has been at the forefront of the discussion about how to change that. Local attorneys suggest  there’s still a long way to go before we’ll see a sea change, but as the leadership of the specialty bar associations can attest, their organizations are helping to make inroads for future generations.

The group of leaders recently met for a discussion of their own experiences as well as the work their organizations do for their communities and Colorado’s legal community as a whole.

Roundtable participants included Karen Hester, executive director for the Center for Legal Inclusiveness; Liz Krupa, vice president of Sections and Committees at Hispanic National Bar Association; Oliver McKinstry, president‑elect of Colorado Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Bar Association; Neeti Pawar, president of South Asian Bar Association of Colorado; Andrea Wang, president of the Asian Pacific Bar Association in Colorado; and Alison Zinn, president of the Colorado Women’s Bar Association.