WELCOME FROM THE WBA’S CO-PRESIDENTS
Thank you for visiting our website! The Women’s Bar Association of Western Pennsylvania (“WBA”) is a non-profit professional organization dedicated to promoting opportunities for women in the legal profession and equality in the courts. Our members include attorneys from Western Pennsylvania, including federal and state judges, as well as students from area law schools. The WBA is governed by an Executive Committee, consisting of the officers of the organization and the committee chairs. The Executive Committee meets approximately nine to ten times each year. To contact one of our Executive Committee members, please consult our Executive Committee listing which you will find under the About US tab on this website labelled “Board.” The WBA was established in 1988 by a group of women attorneys in Allegheny County that were looking for an organization to address the unique needs of female practitioners and has served the Western Pennsylvania legal community for over 30 years. Since those humble beginnings, the organization has grown and continues its mission through several events and networking opportunities each year.
The first and most prestigious of these events of the year is the Susan B. Anthony reception usually held in February, at which we pay tribute to an individual who most exemplifies the objectives and goals of the WBA, by promoting equality in the legal profession. At our most recent reception on February 18, 2020 at the River’s Club, we honored Lisette McCormick, Esq., who has dedicated her legal career to ensuring equality in the Courts and practice of law, including through her work on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness. For information on our annual Susan B. Anthony Award, please visit our New and Events Page.
We are looking forward to getting back together in person beginning this summer at our June 30th General Membership Happy Hour. Events during the year, in addition to the Susan B. Anthony Reception, include: the Judicial Reception, networking events, some of which offer the opportunity and training for less-experienced attorneys to network with members that have substantial experience, the Color of Justice Program for high school students, a happy hour we call “Surviving the Bar” for newly graduated students that are awating the results of the Bar Exam, a Holiday Breakfast in December, and various educational and CLE programs, as well as several public service projects. We work cooperatively with other organizations, such as local county bar associations, the Federal Bar Association, and the ACBA’s Women in the Law Division to serve the Western Pennsylvania legal community. Many WBA events are free of charge for WBA Members or provided with discounted rates for members, such as our CLE programs .
If you are not already a member, we encourage you to join the WBA and help make a difference! A membership form or online registration is available on this website under the Membership tab. We hope you will also consider becoming involved in one of our committees. Also under the Membership tab you will find our Member Directory, which is searchable by name and practice area. Please contact us to update your listing. To learn about our committees, please consult the Committees page.
If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, or wish to become involved with a committee, please contact us at: info@wbawpa.com. Thank you for your interest in the WBA and we hope to see you at our next event!
Sincerely,
Melissa Ruggiero, Esq.
Jaclyn Faulds, Esq.
WBA Co-Presidents