The Bar Tenders: Taking the Lead
(Perspectives- Journal of the American Bar Association, Spring 2003)

By Hannah Hayes

When Julia Darlow graduated Wayne State University Law School in 1971 she never dreamed she would one day chair a State Supreme Court Task Force. "I had never been active in a public forum at all," says Barlow, who describes her former self as "a very bookish" young lawyer. But after working for the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, she became "very much a person who believed that community involvement was tremendously important." Darlow went on to become president of the women's bar, and eventually the first woman president of the State Bar of Michigan. Crain's Detroit Business named Darlow one of the top 100 influential women several years running.

Like many women, Darlow found the local women's bar association gave her career a supportive leg up. But over the years with more women in the legal profession, state and local bar associations have become enormously important stepping stones for developing leaders like Darlow. Most bar associations have conscious policies to promote gender equality, and participation in the smaller, local bars still provides networking and leadership opportunities for women.

Now a senior member at Detroit-based Dickinson Wright PLLC, Darlow came up through the ranks in the 1970s, when women lawyers wedged their way onto boards and benches. After serving as president of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan she was appointed to the Board of the State Bar where she served for ten years, ultimately becoming its first woman president. During this time she served on a merit selection committee for federal judges, an appointment which came down largely because of her involvement in local bar associations, according to Darlow. "There were a handful of women federal judges in the country at that time," recalls Darlow. "It was a very exciting time to be involved."

A Launching Pad
Darlow's career path is not unlike that of many women. "That's the typical pattern," says Cindy Davis, an lawyer for the city of San Diego and a Vice President of the San Diego Bar Association. "You get involved on the grass roots level and ultimately move towards positions of leadership."

Davis also began with the local women's bar. After doing a federal clerkship for a year after finishing law school, she joined the San Diego firm of Luce, Forward. "One of the partners was then president of the Lawyers Club and she invited me to go with her to some of the luncheons," Davis recalls. "At first it seems like everyone knows everybody and it is very intimidating. But I stuck with it." Davis eventually became president of the Lawyers Club of San Diego, a specialty bar founded in 1972 with the express purpose of advancing the status of women in the legal profession.

Whether starting out in a private firm or branching out as a solo practitioner, women who get involved in local bar associations get ample opportunities to network and expand both personally and professionally, says Davis. "Everyone falls into their own little niche, and for new lawyers this gives you a vehicle to reach out to others and work on things in your common interest," says Davis. Large law firms generally approve of young lawyers who are able to develop good connections, she points out, and Darlow agrees. "I think it gave me a much more developed sense of how government works and how business works. I learned more than I could begin to say."

Not only can involvement in local bars help strengthen a career track, but good business contacts ultimately serve the interests of the client. Participation in a bar association allows individuals to develop a network of lawyers with various expertise. "I did real estate and business litigation, but when my clients had a family law issue I had a network of good practitioners to refer them to," says Davis. "In that way you're providing a service to existing clients as well."

Leadership Skills
As primarily volunteer organizations, local and state bars provide ample opportunity for women to develop a range of leadership skills. Jane Schoenike, Executive Director of the Nebraska State Bar Association, points out that running a bar requires everything from diplomacy to financial savoir-faire.

"You need to have strong interpersonal skills because you're working with people on a very personal level," says Schoenike. "You need good financial skills - money is always an issue. You need to develop analytical skills for looking at policy in any number of areas. Finally, you need to have some project management skills." Boards and officers generally leave the administrative tasks to staff and focus on policies, but it's ultimately up to the administration and staff to bring a project to fruition.

Schoenike also got her feet wet in a specialty bar - the Minnesota Trial Lawyer's Association - and later ran the Hennepin County Bar Association as executive director for 11 years. Her move to the state bar level in Nebraska was "for professional development reasons. There are things here that I was not able to do at Hennepin County, mostly involved with the legislative process."

While Schoenike comes from the unusual position of starting as the executive director in all three organizations, both state and local bars present occasions to hone a variety of skills, says Cindy Davis. "Local bars provide opportunities to get in the trenches, to get on working committees and work your way up." In addition, these positions often provide speaking opportunities or the chance to write for newsletters and journals.

Beyond practical skills, bar associations offer the chance to develop other key leadership components, such as communication and diplomacy skills. "When you practice law you live in a kind of cloistered existence," says Davis. "This gives you an opportunity to have a voice, have an audience and to reach out to other folks that you wouldn't otherwise have contact with. You learn not to step on people's toes."

Not Just for Lawyers
As volunteer nonprofit organizations, local bar associations attract women from many backgrounds who see the position as a challenge both professionally and personally. "I think bar associations have recognized they need to have management that understand the operation of nonprofits," says Sheree Swetin, Executive Director of the San Diego Bar Association. The former insurance underwriter joined the American Bar Association's standing committee on Lawyer's Professional Liability where she worked for 19 years. While she acquired three more committees in her tenure, she saw the position of Executive Director in San Diego as "a wonderful opportunity. Working at a large local bar association - it's very tight knit with the professionalism and collegiality of a small town in a city of 3 million."

Also in San Diego, Marsha Smelkinson came from a background in journalism, marketing and special events. She became the Lawyers Club's Executive Director in September 2000, and while her background in meeting planning and event organization helped, like others she learned the importance of communicating and maintaining good working relationships. "I came with a lot of experience in business management and was able to do the administrative aspect with relative ease," says Smelkinson. "The key components are the ability to multi-task and prioritize." Smelkinson also points to communication skills that must be developed in order to maintain good working relationships with board members and committee chairs.

Management Skills
When running a bar association "management skills are more important than knowing what a statute says," Sheree Swetin points out. While providing ample opportunity to develop leadership skills and professional contacts, many women find their managerial skills get honed as well:

Office Management. Because they're small, local and state bar associations often lack a paid staff for daily tasks. "We're a one woman show sometimes," says Marcia Smelkinson. "You have to be able to multitask and prioritize if you're going to get anything done. You can't add more hours to the day."

Project Management. Turning the vision of Board members into a reality also requires good management skills. "Boards and officers are the ones who determine the policy and give you the broad outlines," says Schoenike. "When it comes time to figuring out how you're going to do all these things, that falls to the staff." Bringing a project to fruition calls for analysis, planning and patience, says Schoenike.

Planning. In addition to managing long term projects, event and meeting planning is often left to the Executive Director. Delegating tasks and maintaining an organized calendar will help ensure you're able to give various committee chairs the logistical support they need.

Interpersonal communication. As volunteer organizations, bar associations draw a diverse membership, and successful management means being able to connect with people on a personal level. "You must be able to be supportive," says Smelkinson. "People don't do volunteer work unless they're enjoying it." Cindy Davis agrees, "Diplomacy skills are critical. You're representing all the legal community, you've got to poll everyone, and you try not to step on people's toes."

Overcoming Obstacles
Today, many local and state bar associations consciously strive for racial and gender balance and include these goals in their bylaws. However, Schoenike points out "there tend to be more firsts" when it comes to women in leadership positions. "I've been the first woman in this position in both the county and state bar."

Many women agree there are still hidden obstacles. Family demands tend to fall on women, who are often primary caregivers. "I think we're getting there but there are still challenges. Women still face obstacles but they're very subtle," says Davis. While the increasing numbers of women leaders show obstacles can be overcome, she points out that law is a profession traditionally dominated by men. "I think it's easier to visualize a man in leadership still, although now it's becoming less traditional and easier for women to become leaders."

Swetin agrees that while women have made great strides, there's still a way to go. "Twenty years ago you didn't see women on boards, or women chairing committees," she says. However, women still lack visibility in corporate positions, and Swetin says more could be done to keep discrimination out of the courtroom. "There's much less of a division then there was 20 years ago, but that's because the organized bar has made a concerted effort. I don't think we're there yet."