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![]() A Guide to the Texas Women Lawyers Records, 1994-2005
Historical NoteTexas Women Lawyers is an umbrella group of women's bar associations and organizations created to share ideas and resources, and speak effectively with a common voice on women's issues in the legal profession. The group began discussions in 1992 when Kathryn Tullos contacted leaders of women's legal groups in Texas during the Del Lago Bar Leaders' Conference. These contacts proved useful and allowed women's legal groups within Texas to share ideas. At the same conference a year later, Kelley Rodgers and Liz Zeck of Travis County Women's Lawyers' Association called a more organized meeting for the leaders of women's groups. With no space for this meeting at the conference, the women met in the foyer of the Del Lago Conference Center. It was agreed that the women should have a more formal arrangement for meeting and sharing ideas with one another. At the 1994 Del Lago Bar Leaders' Conference, an official women's bar breakfast was added to the Saturday morning agenda to provide a forum for discussion. Kathryn Tullos, along with Ann Graham, Irene Jackson and Nancye Betherum talked about the need for a statewide network of women's bar associations. Later in 1994, Tullos saw Betherum at another legal conference and decided to call an organizational meeting for a statewide women's legal group. Betherum organized the meeting for October 1994 in Dallas, bringing together female lawyers from all over the state that would help organize what would be named the Texas Women Lawyers. Nancye L. Bethurem served as the organization's first president. Texas Women Lawyers provides assistance and information to other legal women's groups in Texas through networking, mentoring, legislative updates, and a database of member information including areas of practice. The group also sponsors quarterly socials in each region, coupled with informal and informational continuing legal education, to foster new and better relationships among women lawyers for business development, mentoring and friendship. Past Programs and Achievements of Texas Women Lawyers include: Support of successful anti-stalking legislation (1996), support of an alimony bill (1996), presentation of a program entitled "Violence Against Women" (1996), co-sponsorship of a program entitled "Achieving Maximum Success in the Practice of Law" (1997), presentation of a program titled"Women's Healthcare and the Law: Do Money, Power and Politics Compromise Women's Health?" (1997), co-sponsorship of a program titled "Professional Power through Communication and Negotiation" (1998), and presentation of a program titled"So You Want to be a Judge" (1999). Texas Women Lawyers is committed to the empowerment of women lawyers to achieve full rights, privileges and responsibilities in the legal profession. Through their network, they advocate the interests of women in the justice system and society. Texas Women Lawyers was created to coordinate, facilitate and promote women's issues in the law and in the profession. Return to the Table of Contents Scope and Content NoteThe Texas Women Lawyers Records span the years 1994 through 2005 and consist of bylaws, correspondence, financial information, meeting minutes, membership lists, the organizations newsletter (The Women's Link), photographs, publicity, and a copy of the website. These materials primarily reflect the first three years of the organization, and include information about the coming together of Texas women's legal organizations to form Texas Women Lawyers. Of note is the correspondence that chronicles the communications between the women who worked to bring together representatives from women's legal organizations throughout the state. Return to the Table of Contents RestrictionsAccess RestrictionsThis collection is housed at UTSA's Main Campus and must be accessed via the John Peace Library Special Collections reading room. To request access, please use the Collections Request Form. Use RestrictionsThe researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply. Return to the Table of Contents
Return to the Table of Contents Administrative InformationPreferred Citation[Identification of item], Texas Women Lawyer's Records, 1994-2005, MS 41, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections. Acquisition InformationReceived as a gift from Jill Torbert and Texas Women Lawyers in 1997 and 1998 (Acc. 1997-019, 1998-021). Processing InformationProcessed by Traci JoLeigh Drummond, Archivist, June 2005. Return to the Table of Contents Detailed Description of the Collection
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