by WomenLawyersOnGuard | Oct 10, 2017 | Issues
When federal officials announced in August 2017 that they were freezing a rule that would have required companies to file data on what they pay workers broken down by race, ethnicity and gender, a coalition of more than 90 civil and women’s rights groups launched into gear. These groups plan to challenge the government’s decision on the grounds that the applicable legal standards and processes were not fulfilled by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. With the National Women’s Law Center and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law leading the charge, we applaud the efforts to challenge workplace discrimination against women and minorities and bring greater transparency to the pay gap.
Read more here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/10/02/trumps-white-house-froze-an-equal-pay-rule-women-are-fighting-to-save-it/?utm_term=.dfcc8ee9ba33
by WomenLawyersOnGuard | Sep 27, 2017 | Issues
The Kaiser Family Foundation helpfully articulated the impact that the latest ObamaCare repeal effort would have on women. The Graham-Cassidy plan, opposed by all major health groups across a range of industries, would:
1. Permit states to exclude maternity care and preventive services under the block grant.
2. Ban all Marketplace plans and issuers receiving block grant funds from covering abortion, and bar small employers from receiving tax credits if their plans cover abortion.
3. Prohibit Planned Parenthood clinics from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursements for one year.
4. Allow states to permit insurers to charge higher premiums to people with pre-existing conditions.
5. Eliminate the ACA’s Medicaid expansion and restructure the program from an entitlement to a capped program with limited federal financing.
These actions would dangerously impact women and jeopardize their access to safe, affordable healthcare. Read more at http://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/fact-sheet/five-ways-the-graham-cassidy-proposal-would-affect-women/.
Senators Graham and Cassidy (photo courtesy of CNN)
by WomenLawyersOnGuard | Sep 20, 2017 | Issues
The American Bar Association has compiled a great list of resources for survivors of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. In addition to hotline information, the list covers everything from legal forms (waivers and affidavits for SNAP benefits) to guidance sheets (renters’ rights, school rights, insurance and repairs, and FEMA benefits). More information is available here: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/young_lawyers/disaster_legal_services/hurricane-harvey.html
by WomenLawyersOnGuard | Sep 20, 2017 | Issues
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.
