Texas Archival Resources Online

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Descriptive Summary

Historical Note

Scope and Content Note

Restrictions

Index Terms

Administrative Information

Description of Series

Texas Women Lawyers Records

University of Texas San Antonio

A Guide to the Texas Women Lawyers Records, 1994-2005



Descriptive Summary

Creator:Texas Women Lawyers
Title:Texas Women Lawyers Records
Dates:1994-2005
Creator Abstract:Texas Women Lawyers, formally established in 1994, 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 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.
Content Abstract:The collection spans the years 1994 through 2005 and includes bylaws, correspondence, financial information, meeting minutes, membership lists, the organization's newsletter 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 states.
Identification:MS 41
Extent:1.3 linear feet (about 900 items)
Language:Materials are in English.
RepositoryArchives and Special Collections Department, The University of Texas at San Antonio Library.

Historical Note

Texas 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.

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Scope and Content Note

The 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.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions on these materials.

Usage Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Texas Women Lawyers Records must be obtained from the UTSA Library, Archives and Special Collections department.

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Index Terms

Organizations
Texas Women Lawyers.
Subjects
Sex discrimination against women--Texas.
Women--Texas--Societies and clubs--History.
Women lawyers--Texas.
Women's rights--Texas.
Genres/Formats
Minutes.
Photographs.
Correspondence.
Newsletters.
Bylaws.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Texas Women Lawyer's Records, 1994-2005, MS 41, Archives and Special Collections, University of Texas at San Antonio Library.

Acquisition Information

Received as a gift from Jill Torbert and Texas Women Lawyers in 1997 and 1998 (Acc. 1997-019, 1998-021).

Processing Information

Processed by Traci JoLeigh Drummond, Archivist, June 2005.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 

Texas Women Lawyers Records

BoxFolder
1Administrative
1Articles of Incorporation, 1995
2Bylaws, 1995
3History and Mission, [1994-1995]
4Resolutions, undated
Correspondence
51994
6January-July 1995
7August-December 1995
8January-April 1996
BoxFolder
21May 1996-March 1997 and undated
2Rejected Contributions Letters, 1995, 1996
3Letterhead, undated.
Financial Information
4Budget (Notes and Information), 1995
5Banking and Account Reports, 1995-1996
Legislative Issues
6Legislation of Interest to Texas Women Lawyers, 1996
7Legislative Agenda for TWL, 1994-1996 and undated
Meetings
8First Annual Meeting, undated
9Meeting Agendas and Minutes, 1994-1996
10TWL Retreat-Guadalupe River Ranch, October 1995
Member Lists
11Directories Including TWL & TWL Members, 1995-1997
12TWL Membership Lists, 1994-1995 and undated
13Unidentified Directory/Member List, undated
Membership
14Affiliate Members, undated
15Membership Forms, 1995-1996 and undated
Newsletters
16Advertising Rates and Policies for the Women's Link, 1995
17Newsletters with Information about TWL, 1995-1996
18Newsletter Reports, 1995 and undated
19The Women's Link Newsletter, 1995-1997
Notes and Other Information
20End of Year Report, Women and the Law Section, State Bar of Texas, June 3, 1995
21Job Description and Applicant Information, 1996 and undated
BoxFolder
31Notes and Miscellaneous, 1995-1996 and undated
Participation & Outreach
2Outreach to Other Legal Groups, 1995-1996
3State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting and CLE Seminars, 1995
4Women and the Law Section, State Bar of Texas Professional Development Meeting, April 28, 1995
5Women and the Law Section, State Bar of Texas Professional Development Meeting, March 22-23, 1996
Photographs
6Events and Meetings, 1994-1996 and undated
7TWL Scrapbook Photographs, 1994-1995 and undated
Publicity
8Pamphlets & Flyers, 1996 and undated
9Press, 1995-1996 and undated
Recognition
10Certificates for Steering Committee Members, 1995-1996
11Stars of Texas Bars-Local Bar Association Awards Program, 1995
Website
12Texas Women Lawyers Website (print-out), 2005

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