Orange County Women Lawyers Association (OCWLA) started in 1975, with five members, as the Women and Individual Rights section of the Orange County Bar Association. The original goal of the organization was to focus on civil rights, not only of women, but of all individual groups that may have experienced discrimination in our society or before the law.  In 1979, OCWLA became an affiliate organization of the Orange County Bar Association.  Its founding members wanted to stay true to the group’s original goals – the advancement of women in the legal profession and the support of diversity both on the bench and in law firm partnerships.  OCWLA is also an affiliate of California Women Lawyers.

OCWLA holds monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of each month at the City Club in Orange (formerly the Turnip Rose).  Our programs strive to educate our membership, often offering specialty Continuing Legal Education credit, and provide a fun networking forum between judges, attorneys, law students and other professionals.

OCWLA also promotes awareness in the community.  Through our two annual fundraisers – the February Fling and Summer Sizzle – we are able to support law student stipends, the Public Law Center, El Viento, and the Collaborative Courts of the Orange County Superior Court.

In addition, our quarterly newsletter and website offer a glimpse into OCWLA events and member activities.  We encourage all members to get involved with our ongoing projects such as the Orange County Drug Courts and Juvenile Court.  It is through giving back that we are able to give thanks to a profession that has been so good to us.

This year, we are emphasizing providing our membership with access to affordable hard-to-get specialty credits.  In May, to celebrate diversity month, we heard from the executive director of the California Minority Counsel Program, and awarded our diversity bar stipend and bar stipend to two worthwhile law students. We continue our outreach to fellow affiliate bar associations to increase networking and membership opportunities, and continue our community involvement and philanthropy.  We are also launching our new website to make it easier for our members to interact with the organization and provide case referrals to those outside their practice area.

If you would like more information about OCWLA, please contact us at www.ocwla.org, and 949. 440.6700, ext.  259.