California Women Lawyers

California Women Lawyers

California Women Lawyers
Abbreviation	CWL
Formation	1974
Type	Statewide bar association
Headquarters	Sacramento, CA
Website	www.cwl.org

California Women Lawyers (CWL) is the statewide bar association for women in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Sacramento, CWL was founded in 1974 to seek the professional advancement of women lawyers, to promote gender equity in the legal profession and judiciary, and to advance women’s rights generally.

CWL’s program, "So You Want to Be a Judge?" aims to demystify the judicial application process and to encourage women in California to seek judicial appointment. Panelists have included the judicial appointments advisor of the Governor of California, members of the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (JNE), and sitting judges and justices from throughout the state. Panelists teach lawyers how to build the strongest résumé and gather support for appointment or election. Another program, "Elect to Run", encourages women to run for office, and it attempts to clarify the process.

CWL promotes state and national policy initiatives meant to improve women’s lives. CWL has voiced support for the Violence Against Women Act, bills that protect women’s reproductive rights, and a resolution urging California corporations to include more women on their boards of directors.

CWL’s legislative priorities have included work in the following areas: 1) reproductive justice (choice, maternity care, access and privacy), 2) violence against women and children (human trafficking, domestic violence, gun violence and sex crimes), 3) human rights and equality, 4) court funding and access to justice, and 5) economics.

CWL has advocated for many bills on its legislative agenda, such as:

AB 1517 which sought to expedite the processing of DNA rape kits. CWL drafted a letter in support of this bill, and wrote directly to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) urging it to increase the speed in which DNA is tested and uploaded into the FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

SB 477 which protected documented foreign workers from abuse and human trafficking by banning labor contractors from charging recruitment fees and requiring full disclosure of employment conditions. CWL drafted a letter in support of this bill.