ASSOCIATION FOCUS CONTINUED


continued from page 43 “I read blogs by my fellow writers-in-residence and am


blown away by the gutsy women writing about California’s Proposition 8, (a ballot measure that defi nes marriage to one man and one woman), marketing yourself, tips for fi nancial success, and innovative takes on balancing life and family,” Ramos says. Several notable con-


tributors have graced the home page of Ms. JD’s blog,


including: 44


former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and current Justice Elena Kagan,


Slate.com’s Ms. JD maintains a digital library that boasts the most


comprehensive collection of resources about women in the law, and a global fund that enables women in developing countries to pursue legal educations who otherwise would not have access to further education. It currently sponsors four Ugandan students at Makerere University in Uganda. “It’s so rewarding


“I WRITE FROM THE FRANK PERSPECTIVE OF A LATINA, BUT THE COLUMN CROSSES ALL RACIAL AND


Dahlia Lithwick, and Herma Hill Kay, law professor at the University of California at Berkeley Law. Ramos says, “T e diverse viewpoints nurtured by


ETHNIC BARRIERS.” — S. CAROLYN RAMOS


Ms. JD empower each of us making our way in this profession in ways that go from courtroom to boardroom to rec room.” Anyone can submit a blog entry to Ms. JD, and anyone


can also leave a comment on the organization’s blog site. T e free fl ow of information creates a platform for nitty-


gritty uncensored advice, Pederson says. Pederson insists that her organization is not composed


of a bunch of whining women. “We didn’t want a group of women sitting around complaining about how things are,” she says. “What we wanted was a supportive way to interact with each other and to move forward together.” Since becoming a 501(c)(3) nonprofi t organization,


Ms. JD has launched a fellowship program that matches high-achieving female law students with mentors. Female law students entering their second or third year


at an accredited U.S. law school and working the summer of 2012 at least 35 hours per week for a minimum of six weeks at a government agency or nonprofi t organization qualify for $500 scholarships by submitting an application via Ms. JD’s website.


DIVERSITY & THE BAR® MAY/JUNE 2012


to be able to support women who’ve worked so hard to have an education in a country ravaged by civil war like Uganda has,” says Pederson. “I fi nd it humbling that we play a role in helping other women’s educational dreams come true.”


In 2008, the organization formed the National Women


Law Students’ Organization, bringing together women from 70 law schools across the country for a founding conference in New York City. T e volunteer-run Ms. JD hosts an annual conference.


Past speakers include former New York Court of Appeals Chief Judge Judith Kaye, Allstate General Counsel Michele Mayes, former Shell Oil General Counsel Catherine Lamboley, and District Judge Joan Lefkow. Pederson is now clerking for a federal court judge in San


Francisco but she remains committed to the mission of Ms. JD. With each empowered female law student, with each new


fellow and each new class of writers-in-residence, Pederson is inspired. A global contingency of female law students that didn’t exist to her liking six years ago, now does. D&B


Michelle J. Nealy is the assistant director of T e H.O.P.E. Scholarship Initiative, a nonprofi t organization designed to empower fi nancially challenged students with need-based scholarships. She is also a freelance writer and videographer in the Chicago metropolitan area.


MCCA.COM


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52