Virginia Law Women
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n 1971, a conference at Duke University, “Woman In and Under the Law,” sparked a turning point for women’s activism at UVA Law and inspired the founding of Virginia Law Women (VLW). A handful of UVA Law students attended the conference, including Diane Hermann ’72, Elizabeth Trimble ’73, Ellen Bass Brantley ’73, and Mary Jane McFadden ’74. At Duke, they observed that other law schools had more female faculty members and more female students. Some law schools even had women’s organizations. The group returned to the Law School energized to form a women’s organization. Ideas for starting such a group had already been percolating in Clark Hall. Shortly after McFadden arrived as a 1L in 1971, she ran into Hermann in the women’s lounge in the Clark Hall basement, and the two talked organizing. Hermann loved the idea of a women’s group. They suggested the idea to Dean Monrad Paulsen, who was equally supportive. In October 1971, fliers went up around Clark Hall calling interested students to the first meeting of the Law School’s new women’s organization. Ten students attended. After some debate on the group name, they agreed on Virginia Law Women. Trimble was elected as the first president with Brantley as vice president. The founding members got to work on an agenda with three main goals: address sex discrimination in the admissions process, eliminate discriminatory interview practices among visiting job recruiters, and increase 18
the number of women on the full-time faculty (at the time, Frances Farmer was the only woman). Professor Gail Marshall had made Trimble and others feel welcome as women at the Law School, and VLW took the lead in advocating for more women on the faculty. In Spring 1972, VLW organized a student meeting with Dean Monrad Paulsen to call for a change in hiring practices. In the job recruitment process, VLW members reckoned with the issue that some firms refused to interview women at all. Others would announce during an interview that the firm did not hire women. Interviewers might ask questions of women never asked of men such as, “Do you intend to get married?” VLW’s outspoken activism against this treatment encouraged the administration to ban certain firms from recruiting at UVA Law, although the issue persisted. To increase the number of women law students, VLW members wrote welcoming letters to admitted students and recruited students at nearby women’s colleges, such as Hollins University and Randolph-Macon College. These efforts proved successful. While Trimble and Brantley’s incoming class had 22 female law students, the founding cohort of Virginia Law Women were delighted to learn that the class starting in fall 1973 would have 62 female students.
THEN AND
Now
Top row, left to right: Diane Hermann ’72 and Elizabeth Trimble ’73. Bottom row, left to right: Ellen Bass Brantley ’73 and Mary Jane McFadden ’74.
encountered: Should VLW take stances on What began as ten students at a women’s political issues? Cheema decided that the group interest meeting in 1971 has grown answer should be determined by the VLW into an organization with 300 dues-paying board at the beginning of each year, a process members. Moving beyond its origins still in place today. advocating for critical change within the Recent VLW presidents have focused Law School, Virginia Law Women now hosts on diversity in the group’s structure and programs that prepare women for all stages of programming. Cheema was nervous about their legal careers. Current cornerstone events even running for president, since Virginia Law include Women in Big Law, Women in Public Women was known by some law students Service, and Diversity in Clerkships. Manal at the time as a “white Cheema ’20, who served woman’s organization.” as VLW president from “We have about three Nicole Banton ’21, who 2019-2020, explained hundred dues‑paying proceeded Cheema as that VLW’s mission is members….which is really VLW president in 2020, to “advance women exciting because that created two Diversity, in the legal profession Equity, and Inclusion professionally, socially, tells me that many women feel like this is a place chairs on the VLW and confidently.” for them.” executive board. Sujaya Members of Virginia Rajguru ’22 served as Law Women have long Sujaya Rajguru ’22 VLW president from 2021debated what constitutes 2022 and credits VLW’s sense of a women’s rights issue and when community in attracting her to the organization to take action as an organization. The group and sustaining VLW through a year of virtual has spoken out on issues of sexism in the events during the COVID-19 pandemic. The workplace, abortion access, and the Equal diversity of the board is an asset to VLW that Rights Amendment. But VLW is no longer Rajguru relied on to make co-sponsorship the only voice for women at the Law School, decisions, plan inclusive programming, and sparking new questions about intersectionality grow membership by relaying to non-white and the political versus professional mission women that VLW is also “a place for them.” of VLW. During Cheema’s tenure, she faced the question previous presidents also
MANAL CHEEMA ’20
SUJAYA RAJGURU ’22
Virginia Law Women Executive Board, 2021. Front row, left to right: Camille Boler, Heream Yang, Sabrina Palazzolo, Sujaya Rajguru, Aspen Ono, Sujata Bajracharya, Megan Phansalkar, Emily Bucholtz. Back row, left to right: Chanel Holmes, Biruktawit “Birdy” Assefa, Sabrina Mato, Crystal Zeng, Mita Ramani, Ashley Reed, Erin Magoffie, Cydney Swain, Ashley Campfield, Brecken Petty. Not pictured: Daniella Roselló, Madison Lazarek, Raelissa Glennon-Zukoff
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