Are you as proud of your bar association’s work as Kristen Pursley and Donna MacKenzie are about what they have accomplished with the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan?
Then consider nominating your association or a volunteer of your association for a State Bar of Michigan Kimberly M. Cahill Bar Leadership Award. The Kimberly M. Cahill Bar Leadership Award was established in memory of the 2006-2007 SBM president, who died in January of 2008. This award is presented to a recognized local or affinity bar association, program or leader for excellence in promoting the ideal of professionalism or equal justice for all, or in responding to a compelling legal need within the community during the past year or on an ongoing basis.
In 2018, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan received the award because of its work to advance the interest of women in the legal profession, promote improvements in the administration of justice and promote equality and social justice. It has grown into a statewide organization containing nearly 600 members and seven regional chapters within which more than 350 women have taken on the leadership role of president, including Kimberly M. Cahill. WLAM and its seven regional chapters host over 50 events each year to improve communities across the state by reading to children, collecting donations for soup kitchens and participating in charity fundraisers. WLAM currently works to advance gender pay equity and to end family responsibilities discrimination. It also encourages the professional improvement of members by engaging them in business development seminars, pro bono service, legal education, leadership training, and networking events. In 1983 WLAM formed a charitable arm, the Women Lawyers Association Foundation. To date, the Foundation has awarded over $500,000 in scholarships to 246 law students.
Nominations are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, 2019. For more information, visit State Bar of Michigan Kimberly M. Cahill Bar Leadership Award.