Committees

The objective of the Awards & Sponsorships Committee is to nominate members for various awards and sponsor programs in line with our mission to nurture, support and galvanize the power of Black women attorneys, advocate for women and children and empower our communities. We solicit and submit eligible members for local and national awards, evaluate sponsorship requests and make a recommendation to the Executive Board consistent with GABWA’s mission.

GABWA’s Community Service Committee is directly involved with the community by formulating and implementing projects that respond to the immediate and long-term needs of women and children. The Community Service Committee spearheads GABWA’s efforts to sponsor ongoing projects throughout the year with a designated beneficiary, perform other projects throughout the year for the benefit of the community, and partner with local organizations in performing pro bono activities.

The purpose of the Fundraising Committee is to lead the board in efforts that attract sponsorships and funds needed to carry out the mission of the organization.

The Annual Glitter Gala & Auction is GABWA’s signature fundraising event. Proceeds from the event support the important and invaluable work GABWA provides through the GABWA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that provides scholarships, mentoring and pro bono legal services. In addition, at the Gala, GABWA announces the recipients of its Founders Awards. The Founders Awards were established in 2006 to recognize the accomplishments of women and organizations that embody the mission of GABWA and the legacy of its Founders: Former Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears, Judge Bensonetta Tipton Lane, and Judge Barbara A. Harris.

The Inter-Bar Relations Committee shall establish and maintain relationships with various legal organizations. It is the responsibility of the Inter-Bar Relations Committee to foster relationships with other local and national bar associations. Currently, GABWA is a member of the Multi Bar Leadership Council, which is comprised of various local bar associations in the Atlanta area. Also, GABWA is an affiliate member of the National Bar Association, National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations and the National Association of Women Lawyers.

The Judicial Review Committee reviews and ranks municipal and state judicial applicants for vacancies and makes recommendations to the appropriate judicial qualifying committee(s) within the relevant jurisdiction(s). Recommendations are made based on each applicant’s character, temperament, professional aptitude, experience, and demonstrated qualifications for office. The Committee also monitors significant legal decisions and the performance of local judges and informing GABWA’s membership of the same. For more information about Judicial Review, please click here.

With the combined efforts of the committee chairs, GABWA’s president, the committee, and individual and corporate sponsors, GABWA’s Legal Education Committee organizes and implements seminars as a part of GABWA’s 5th Thursday Lunch Series. Additionally, at the behest of GABWA’s President, the Legal Education Committee has also been involved with organizing seminars for the annual State Bar meeting. The seminar topics vary. Past topics range from immigration law, public service and professional development, U.S. Supreme Court Updates to healthcare law, voting rights, and technology. Each seminar allows individuals and legal experts to vocalize, to identify, and to discuss legal trends, topics, and perspectives that may otherwise be ignored. By harnessing technology to further GABWA’s mission, GABWA’s Legal Education Committee utilizes webinars and videoconferencing to educate members and non-members throughout the state. For the 5th Thursday Lunch series, attendees may obtain 1.5 CLE credit hours as a result of attending the 90 minute seminars. Since the Fifth Thursday Lunch’s inception, GABWA’s 5th Thursday Lunch diligently works to identify topics that are timely, relevant, and in accord with GABWA’s mission. Our committee goal is to make programming accessible throughout Georgia and to encourage GABWA members and non-members to learn and to fellowship in a relaxed and welcoming environment. We want to make sure that we balance the knowledge possessed by our young attorneys with the experience and wisdom of our more senior attorneys.

“Legally Speaking” is a television show that provides useful information and education on a broad range of legal topics to the community. The show does not provide “legal advice.” Legally Speaking airs monthly on AIB Network with recent topics such as Juvenile Law, Fathers’ Rights, Family Law, Copyrights and more. GABWA members, who serve as producers of each segment, frame the topic and select the guests for each show.

The Membership Committee plans and promotes activities for the purpose of increasing membership in GABWA, creates and maintains current membership applications, and coordinates the involvement of members and others in the organization’s committees and activities.

The Newsletter Committee creates, edits and publicizes GABWA’s periodic newsletter. The GABWA Newsletter is essentially “the voice” of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys. Committee members assist in the development of story ideas for each issue, coverage of GABWA events across the state and writing feature stories that spotlight the great work that GABWA is doing in our communities.

The Political Action Committee closely follows the proposals, developments, and enactment of all state and local legislative, as well as any and all federal legislation of special interest to GABWA. Where appropriate, the Political Action Committee also analyzes the substance of such legislation and recommends to the body its opinion concerning the same. Upon approval of the membership, the Political Action Committee takes appropriate action to: (1) render any assistance sought by elected officials in lobbying for legislative change; (2) engage in the endorsement of candidates for public office; (3) draft or assist in drafting legislation necessary for the good of the Organization and the public; and/or (4) to encourage passage of such legislation. The majority of PAC members are elected annually to serve staggered two-year terms by GABWA’s members.

The purpose of the GABWA Publicity Committee is to provide public relations support for the organization and its programs. This includes creating a standard procedure for GABWA’s public relations efforts and managing the organization’s media outreach, event marketing, and social media presence.

The Student Programs committee develops programming aimed at enriching, supporting, and advocating for all students, particularly law students. The committee has four signature events every year. The first is the “Demystifying Law School” program which serves to introduce undergraduate students to the entire process of becoming a lawyer from applying to law school through the first few years in the practice. Student Programs also coordinates the award winning Professional Development Academy whose purpose is to provide professional development to GABWA’s law students and new lawyers. The committee has also developed the Bar Buddies Program to serve as an aid and a source of encouragement for those taking the Georgia Bar Exam in February and July. Once per year, the Student Programs committee hosts a PDA alumni mixer to bring all participants together for networking and support. Finally, the annual Blue Jeans Brunch is a pot luck whose purpose is to introduce the membership — particularly law students — to GABWA leadership, especially judges. During the Blue Jeans Brunch, members also donate new and gently-used business attire to gift to students for use during job interviews and internships. Throughout the year, the committee serves as a reference and point of contact for all GABWA’s student members.

The Woman-to-Woman (W2W) Initiative is GABWA’s signature mentoring program. W2W fulfills GABWA’s mission to nurture, support and galvanize the power of Black women attorneys by providing our members with the mentorship, guidance and substantive legal support necessary to maximize their success in the practice of law.