IWL would like to congratulate Leslie Goddard, the 2009 recipient of the Kate Feltham Award. This award is intended to honor individuals who have made extraordinary efforts to promote equal rights and opportunities for women and minorities within the legal profession and legal justice system in Idaho. Past recipients include Cecil Andrus, Mary Smith, Susan Graham, Cathy Silak, Debora Kristensen, Betty Richardson, Kelly Miller and Deb Nelson.

The namesake of this award, Kate Feltham, has a remarkable place in Idaho’s history. Kate E. Neville was born in Adams, New York on December 20, 1859, just before the Civil War began. She was one of the first graduates of the Iowa State Normal School in Cedar Rapids. She taught school in Ackley, Iowa before moving to Idaho in 1893.

On September 21, 1893, Kate Neville married Lot Feltham in Nampa. Lot served as city attorney for Caldwell from 1893 until 1895. While living in Caldwell, Kate was active in her community and a leader for women’s rights.

* She founded the first free public reading room in Caldwell.
* She was the founding president of the Progress Club, a forerunner of the Future Club in Caldwell.
* She was one of the leaders in the drive to give Idaho women the vote and served as the president of the Caldwell branch of the Idaho Equal Suffrage Association and first vice president of the state organization.
* She taught English and public speaking at the College of Idaho (Albertson College).

By 1910, Kate and Lot were living in the Weiser area. In the 1910 census Kate is listed as a fruit farmer. She was admitted to the practice of law on September 22, 1914, the fifth woman admitted to practice law in Idaho. In 1926 she was appointed the prosecuting attorney for Washington County in Weiser, becoming the first female county prosecutor in Idaho. She remained in the Weiser area after she and her husband divorced. She continued to practice law into the early thirties and died in 1936.

Kate Feltham was an early pioneer for women’s rights and women in the legal profession.

The award will be presented at IWL’s annual board meeting on (date to be announced) at Yen Ching restaurant in Boise for a cocktail hour, dinner and presentation of the award.

Congratulations Leslie!

Welcome to the re-designed Idaho Women Lawyers website! Our goal for this website is to make it your first resource. IWL has over 90 members and is growing every month. Our members include prominent attorneys practicing in all areas of the law, State Bar and government leaders, and educators. This is a great opportunity to connect with the talent of our membership and gain invaluable professional contacts and friendships across the state.

IWL offers many opportunities to get involved in statewide activities like our 2009 Annual Bar presentation on Title IX. Board member Wendy Olson is leading the project and she welcomes your contribution to the effort. Check out Wendy’s summary of the last meeting under the Events tab for details on how to get involved. Our past President, Deb Nelson, is also leading the yearly Legislative reception - an informal after work gathering to meet and talk with the women serving Idaho in the legislature - which we hope to schedule in February or March. This is a unique and enjoyable evening, offering you the opportunity to get to know these remarkable women. Stay tuned for the date and details which will be posted under the Events tab. IWL also holds a monthly luncheon presentation on a variety of topics. In February we’re planning to have a legislator from each political party join us and in April a financial specialist is coming to talk about planning in this troublesome economic environment. When the dates are set we’ll post them so check back.

Over the last couple of years, thanks to the hard work of Mary Huneycutt, the first IWL chapter was formed for those who live and practice on the eastern side of the state. Mary motivated and organized several women to form the chapter. Eastern IWL is putting together a curriculum for junior high and high school students encouraging young women to pursue legal careers. If you want to get involved with that effort, contact Mary whose email address can be found under the Leadership tab.

Please take advantage of this website. With your participation, we can make this an ongoing community conversation about life, work, and everything in between. We want you to share your wisdom, your stories, and your reflections. Post your articles and ideas. Express your opinions. Where the conversation goes is really up to each of us.

All the best,
Peg Dougherty
IWL President

Women, whether subtly or vociferously, have always been a tremendous power in the destiny of the world.
~Eleanor Roosevelt

I.                   Meeting was called to order at 12:05 pm.  Those present included: Peg Dougherty, Jane Hochberg, Laura Burri, Wendy Olson, Deb Ferguson, Deb Nelson, Jennifer Schrack-Dempsey, Mary Huneycutt, Syrena Case Hargrove, and Valerie Charles.

II.                Minutes. Wendy Olson moved to approve the December minutes. Syrena Hargrove seconded the motion, and the motion passed unanimously.

III.             Eastern Idaho IWL Chapter

a.       The Chapter has been alternating meeting locations between Idaho Falls and Pocatello. They are looking into using teleconferencing equipment to connect the region for future meetings.

b.      The Chapter is planning on volunteering for Law Day, through the Idaho State Bar.

IV.             Website Update

a.       The new website is up and running.

b.      Emile Loza is reviewing the terms of use and privacy policy and will meet with the Board to discuss her findings at the February meeting.

V.                Luncheon Committee Update

a.       December’s luncheon on stress management and nutrition was well attended and fun. Attendees were pleased with the presenters and topics.

b.      The Board will organize its annual legislator luncheon for February or early March. Wendy Olson volunteered to contact Diane Bilyeau, and Peg Dougherty will contact Nicole LaFavour. Other possible presenters would be Donna Boe, Kate Kelly, Wendy Jaquet, and Elaine Smith.

c.       The Board would like to organize a financial planning luncheon for April. Laura Burri volunteered to contact a financial planner to present at that luncheon.

VI.             Legislative Reception      

a.       Deb Nelson is organizing the reception. She is working on setting a date.

VII.          Membership Committee

a.       The Board discussed the need for a flyer detailing IWL and its goals, leadership, etc. for distribution at the new admittees reception and other bar functions.

VIII.       Kate Feltham Award       

a.       The Board will make a final decision at the February meeting.

b.      As of this date, nominees include:

                                                              i.      Maureen Laflin

                                                            ii.      Candy Dale

                                                          iii.      Linda Copple Trout

                                                          iv.      Linda Judd

                                                            v.      Leslie Goddard

                                                          vi.      Wendy Olson

                                                        vii.      Kate Kelly

c.       The Board is taking additional nominations and comments from members until February 6^th.

IX.             Annual ISB Meeting/ Title IX Presentation        

a.       The Committee will organize another meeting for the end of January.

X.                Judiciary Committee

a.       Two women are running for the District Judge position in the Third Judicial District: Virginia Bond and Cynthia Jordan.  IWL has contacted Cynthia Jordan and remains ready to giver her support if she requests it.

b.      One woman has applied for the 7^th Judicial District Judge Position:  Magistrate Judge Penny Stanford.  IWL has contacted Judge Stanford and remains ready to give her support if she requests it.

c.       The Board discussed ways to increase women and minorities on the judicial selection committees.

XI.             The next Board meeting is Monday, February 9. Board meetings have been rescheduled to the 2^nd Monday of each month.

XII.          Meeting adjourned at 1:10 p.m.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Jane Hochberg

Secretary

On January 9, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two key fair pay bills we’ve been fighting for. What a way to start off the new year!

The bills passed by the House — the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act — provide women with critical tools to challenge pay discrimination.

But the fight isn’t over yet. President-Elect Obama is ready to sign both bills into law during his first few days in office. But before that can happen, the Senate needs to pass pay equity legislation, too.

Please contact your Senators now and tell them that women can’t wait! Our economy is crumbling, and we need fair pay legislation now more than ever.

You can e-mail your Senators, or call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Ask the operator to connect you to your Senators. When you’re connected to their offices, tell the person who answers the phone:

1. I am a constituent. My name is ____________.
2. I urge you to vote in favor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act, to invoke cloture on both bills, and to oppose any weakening amendments.
3. Thank you for supporting fair pay for women.

It feels wonderful to be so close to victory! Thank you again for your support at this historic moment.

Sincerely,

Jocelyn Samuels
Vice President for Education and Employment
National Women’s Law Center

1. Meeting was called to order at 12:10 pm. Those present included: Peg Dougherty, Jane Hochberg, Nicole Hancock, Kathleen McRoberts, Nicole Snyder, Laura Burri, and Mary Huneycutt.
2. Minutes. A motion to approve the July minutes was postponed until the September board meeting.
3. Eastern Idaho IWL Chapter
   1. A petition was received to allow the formation of an Eastern Idaho Chapter of the Idaho Women Lawyers. Laura Burri moved to accept this petition, and Nicole Hancock seconded the motion. The motion passed.
   2. Laura Burri moved to accept the nomination of Peggy Hinman as the Eastern Idaho Chapter representative on the Board of Directors. Kathleen McRoberts seconded the motion, and the motion passed.
   3. IWL will send the Eastern Idaho Chapter an EIN number as soon as its received by the Board, to assist the Chapter in setting up its finances.
4. Website Update
   1. Peg Dougherty reported that she met with Rizen Creatives to discuss the creation of a new website for IWL. They provided her information about the set-up, use, and security of the web-blog format. The estimated cost is $1,000. Other companies would charge approximately $2,500 - $3,000 for this product.
   2. The Board reviewed a proposed chart of information to be included on the website.
   3. It was disclosed that Tom Dempsey, who works for Rizen Creative, is IWL Board Member Jennifer Schrack Dempsey’s husband.
5. Maternity Leave Survey
   1. Nicole Snyder presented a revised draft survey regarding maternity leave policies.
   2. The Board approved the survey, and it will be sent to the membership via “Survey Monkey.”
6. Luncheon Committee Update
   1. The Board hosted a second “Bring Your Intern To Lunch” luncheon on July 31st discussing Career Options. The luncheon was well attended.
   2. Deborah Ferguson has stepped down from her position as committee co-chair due to the time commitment of her new position as State Bar Commissioner. She will continue to serve on the Board of Directors of IWL, and will be a liaison between IWL and the Bar.
   3. The Committee (Jane Hochberg and Nicole Hancock) is seeking new members or input from the membership.
   4. Possible future topics include:
      1. “The Four-Year Itch” – why attorneys feel a desire to change positions, or reflect on their professional careers, every four years; how the Itch can be reviewed; and what to do about it.
      2. A presentation from the Northwest Women’s Law Center
      3. “Alternative” work schedules – part-time, job-sharing, etc.
7. Membership Committee
   1. The next networking event is Thursday, August 7th at Red Feather Lounge.
8. Idaho State Bar Annual Meeting Presentation
   1. The Board has reserved a place at the 2009 annual meeting for a CLE. The topic is Title IX and will address compliance issues, pros and cons, etc. Possible speakers or panelists include athletic directors, coaches, attorneys that benefited from Title IX, and a compliance specialist.
9. Judiciary Committee
   1. There was a new district judge appointed to the district court bench in Soda Springs.
   2. There is a vacancy in the district court in Pocatello, 6th Judicial District. One woman, Cynthia Jordan, has applied for that position.
   3. There are two women running for the Idaho Court of Appeals position: Cynthia Jordan and Rebekah Cude.
10. Eastern Idaho Chapter Report
    1. The Chapter is working with the Idaho State Bar’s education program to create a curriculum for the 2009 Law Day.
11. The September Board meeting is Monday, September 8th. (The 1st is Labor Day)
12. Meeting adjourned at 12:45.

 

Respectfully submitted,
Jane Hochberg
Secretary