Women Lawyers on Guard was an Advocate level sponsor of the Women’s Bar Association Foundation and Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia 2017 Annual Dinner and Centennial Celebration. Together with hundreds of members of the legal community, WLOG attorneys came together to celebrate 100 years of the Women’s Bar Association!
From the WBA’s website (https://www.wbadc.org/centennial):
May 17, 2017, marks the Centennial of the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia (WBA). Join us in celebrating 100 years of the WBA advocating for equality, advancement and social justice.
In 1917, as the twentieth century moved through its second decade, women still:
- Could not vote;
- Could not serve on a jury;
- Were largely denied entry into law schools and the practice of law; and
- Were excluded from what was then the only bar association in the District of Columbia.
Faced with these restrictions, and against the backdrop of the women’s suffrage movement, on May 17, 1917, 31 women lawyers, led by Ellen Spencer Mussey and Emma Gillett, established the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia. At that time, the Bar Association of the District of Columbia did not admit women.
The WBA has fought for almost 100 years to open doors. In the early 1960s, with the leadership and courage of Dovey Johnson Roundtree and then-President Joyce Hens Green the WBA “broke the color line” that had segregated bar associations in DC by race.
The WBA celebrates its Centennial by honoring the legacy of these trailblazers in the continuing fight for equality and access. During 2016 and 2017, the WBA will mark its Centennial through special events, programming, and the pursuit of a historic preservation project.
On May 17, 2017, we will mark the WBA’s significant milestones with a Centennial Celebration at our Annual Dinner. Leading up to the Centennial Celebration, the WBA will present programming and other opportunities to learn more about our history and the women who made an impact on the profession, while laying the groundwork and looking ahead to the next 100 years.
