The National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations was held in Chicago on August 1, 2024. Maria Brooks had the pleasure of interviewing two Colorado Women’s Bar Association members who attended the summit, Lindsay Pitts and Miko Brown.
Maria: Is this your first time attending this annual event, and do you plan on going again next year?
Lindsay: This was my first time attending this event, in fact it was my first time attending any type of event like this because I was just admitted to practice in Colorado this year. I was invited as a member of the Navy JAG Corps and I do plan on attending again next year!
Miko: Yes, this was my first time and I plan on returning next year if at all possible!
Maria: The conference provides many knowledge-based learning development opportunities, such as dynamic speaker panels, mentoring circles, and interactive member programs. Were there any events that you attended that made an impact on you?
Lindsay: The National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations (NCWBA - a coalition of over 35,000 women lawyers of various women’s bar associations) celebrated its 40th Anniversary. There were approximately 50 attendees, all licensed attorneys who are leaders of bar associations across the country, so the panels, mentorship opportunities, and speakers were really diverse and informative throughout the entirety of the event. I think the mentoring circles had the biggest impact on advancing women as leaders in the legal field. We were given the opportunity to meet in small groups with these amazing women with years of experience and different backgrounds and fire away questions about leadership, family, ethics, etc. and get immediate and thorough answers from them. Having these connections and mentors alone will be so beneficial moving forward with my career, but all the attendees’ careers!
Miko: Sadly, I was only able to stay for the GOOD Guys program because I had to get back to Denver on 8/1. But I will say the GOOD Guys panel discussion with Jason St. Julien (Airbnb), John Sciaccotta (President of the Chicago Bar Association), Gene Commander (Gene Commander, Inc), Greta Weathersby (WEC Energy) and Teresa Beck (Klinedinst) was very informative and inspiring. Virtually every DEI program I attend focusses on what women and diverse lawyers can do to move the needle. And typically, these discussions are an echo chamber and missing the very people we need to create meaningful change - heterosexual white males. GOOD Guys is unique in that its aim is to bring men into the conversation and recruit allies who are arguably in the best position to break down barriers for women. So hearing the male perspective and engaging them in strategy discussions was really powerful and a nice change of pace.
Maria: Chicago has a lot to offer for visitors! Did you do any sight-seeing and eat some tasty treats?
Lindsay: I actually returned to Active Duty as a Navy JAG this summer and am now stationed in Illinois with my husband and two kids. We’re about an hour from Chicago. I took the train to and from the event, so I didn’t have time to hang around and enjoy the food, but my family and I will definitely be heading back down to the city for Cubs games and good food! I’m a big fan of Lou Malnati’s deep dish and Vienna beef hotdogs (although I prefer ketchup… not Chicago style, I know that’s a sin here). I did walk to the conference from Union Station, and it was honestly such a nice walk along the Chicago Riverwalk.
Miko: Sadly, no. But I did have some delicious sliders at a wine bar in the Midway Airport!
Maria L. Brooks is our favorite Denver Broncos fan. She’s a certified paralegal since 2003 and is a CWBA member at the allied professional level. She currently works remotely part-time as an executive assistant for a cannabis attorney in California, and full time as a legal assistant for Icenogle, Seaver, Pogue in the Denver Tech Center where the attorneys on staff serve as general counsel for over 200 cities, towns, districts, and highway authorities across the state of Colorado. Maria is a captain of multitasking, scheduling wizard, and workflow guru with over 20 years of experience in the legal field. When not playing fantasy football, she enjoys spending her time volunteering as a sponsor at local churches in the Aurora area to help young women recover from drug and alcohol addiction.
Comments