Women Attorneys' Network

The Women Attorneys' Network ("WAN") is an initiative for women attorneys at Crowell & Moring that focuses on improving retention, professional development, advancement and leadership opportunities for women attorneys; internal networking; and furthering the firm's relationship with its female clients, prospective clients and alumnae.

WAN is led by Partner Kirsten Nathanson and a steering committee of over twenty women from across the firm who represent at all stages of professional development ranging from first-year associate to managing partner. The steering committee meets monthly to lead and coordinate activities sponsored by the initiative.

Representative WAN Programs
WAN's activities range from small informal mentoring luncheons within the firm to substantive presentations to partners relating to the retention advancement of women, CLE-offerings to women attorneys, and client-networking events.

For example, WAN has given and is planning upcoming presentations to firm management on issues relating to the retention and advancement of women attorneys by experts from entities such as Deloitte, the Project for Attorney Retention (PAR), and Catalyst. PAR, of which Crowell & Moring became a founding firm member through WAN-members and other firm attorneys, is an initiative of the Center for WorkLife at the University of California Hastings College of Law to study and stem unwanted attrition among women lawyers. Catalyst is a nonprofit membership organization that works with businesses and the professions to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women and business.

Representative past and upcoming WAN events include:

• Presentations to firm management on the retention and advancement of women and other attorneys by experts from entities such as PAR, Catalyst, and Deloitte.
• Monthly in-house networking lunches featuring CLE programming or other presentations by firm practice groups or outside speakers.
• Communication workshops led by the head of the "Women, Leadership and Equality" program at the University of Maryland School of Law, for women attorneys in all three U.S. offices, practice group leaders, summer associates, and individual practice groups.
• "An Evening at Nationals Park" baseball outing for women clients and their school-age children.
• "An Evening with Helen Thomas" featuring remarks by Ms. Thomas and a private book signing with C&M attorneys and women clients.
• Monthly "working mothers" lunches during which women attorneys who are also mothers meet to discuss various topics of interest.
• Wine & Cheese Networking Event presented by Cowgirl Creamery and co-sponsored by Huron Consulting's women professionals' group.
• "Wine and Wisdom," a mentorship event focusing on issues facing women attorneys.

Women in Leadership Positions at Crowell & Moring
WAN is proud of the many women in leadership positions throughout the firm, and strives to continue increasing the number of women leaders at the firm. WAN member Kathleen Sooy is a member of the firm's management board and chair of the firm's Litigation Group, and WAN member Ellen Dwyer is the firm's managing partner, in addition to serving as chair of the Professional Development Committee and past chair of the Lawyer Development Committee. Other WAN firm leaders include:

• Monique Almy, Chair of the Lawyer Development Committee;
• Shauna Alonge, Steering Committee Member, Government Contracts Group;
• Ellen Dwyer, Managing Partner;
• Susan Hoffman, Co-Chair, Public Service Committee;
• Kathryn Kirmayer, DC Chair of the Litigation Group;
• Janet Levine, Chair of the White Collar And Regulatory Enforcement Group, Management Board;
• Laurel Pyke Malson, Vice-Chair in Charge of Law Clerk Hiring, Recruiting Committee;
• Kathleen Sooy, Management Board;
• Angela Styles, Chair of the Government Contracts Group, Management Board;
• Jeane Thomas, Co-Chair of the E-Discovery and Information Management Group;
• Jennifer Waters, Co-Chair, Diversity Council and Chair, Recruiting Committee;

WAN Members in the Community
In addition to holding numerous leadership positions within the firm, WAN members also hold a number of leadership posts outside the firm and in the community, including:

• Co-Chair of the White Collar Crime Committee, Criminal Justice Section of the American Bar Association;
• Vice-Chair of the Agricultural Management Committee of the Section of Environment, Energy and Resources of the American Bar Association Section;
• Vice Chair of the Legislative Matters Subcommittee of the Banking and Savings Institutions Committee, Tax Section of the American Bar Association;
• Membership Officer of the International Law Section of the American Bar Association Section;
• Co-Chair of the Steering Committee, Criminal Law and Individual Rights Section of the DC Bar;
• Board of Directors of the Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia;
• Co-Chair of the Litigation Forum of the Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia;
• Chair of the Board for the Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project;
• Co-Chair of the DC Circuit Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services; President of the American Intellectual Property Law Association;
• President of the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation;
• Member of the Panel of Arbitrators of the Dubai International Arbitration Center;
• Member of the National Panel of Distinguished Neutrals for the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution;
• Founding member and former President of the International Aviation Women's Association;
• Board of Directors for the Public Law Center, Orange County California's public interest law firm;
• Member of the Advisory Board and Faculty of the Georgetown University Law Center Advanced Institute for E-Discovery;
• Member of the Advisory Board of BNA's Pharmaceutical Law and Industry Report
• Associate Editor of Transnational Dispute Management;
• Member of the Law Committee of the AIDA Reinsurance and Insurance Arbitration Society;
• Director of the International Committee for TechAmerica.
• Member of the Board of Trustees of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund;
• General Counsel of the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Corcoran College of Art & Design;
• Board of Directors of Cultural Tourism DC;
• Member of the Budget Advisory Committee of the Arlington (Virginia) Public Schools;
• Member of the Board of Directors of the African Child Fund;
• Co-Author of the book "Presumed Equal: What America's Top Women Lawyers Think About their Firms."

WAN members and others at the firm have also participated in the firm's pro bono program, which has a long history of service to charitable organizations focusing on issues affecting women and girls. These organizations include the Women's Sports Foundation, the Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project, National Women's Law Center, Ayuda, Inc., the Tahirih Justice Center, Women Empowered Against Domestic Violence, and Legal Momentum (formerly known as the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund). Indeed, in 2008, Susan Hoffman, a WAN-member and the firm's pro bono partner, was recognized by the Legal Times as one of "the 90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the Past 30 Years."

Contacts for Further Information
For more information about WAN, please feel free to contact any of the Steering Committee Members listed below.

Kirsten Nathanson (Washington, DC office)
knathanson@crowell.com

Amanda Paracuellos (Orange County, California office)
aparacuellos@crowell.com

M. Kay Martin (San Francisco office)
kmartin@crowell.com