December's Blog

​President's Message
​- by Marilee Cate
​
​It is hard to believe 2018 is coming to a close.  It is a bittersweet feeling to be ending my time on the NNWLA Board.  The past five years have been both rewarding and slightly exhausting.  However, I would not change a thing because I have met some of my closet friends through this organization and have had the opportunity to work with extraordinary members of our legal community while on the Board.  I am leaving the Board with the greatest respect for our founding mothers, past presidents, and membership. 

As I reflect over the past year, I am extremely proud of what the 2018 Board has accomplished.  This Board and its committee members have worked hard to put together a mix of interesting CLEs, volunteer opportunities, and social and networking events.  In January, we held a spinning (or cycling) social at Full Pedal.  In February, we hosted a panel discussion regarding sexual harassment in the work place with a prominent group of women from our legal community—Judge Valerie Cooke, Ann Morgan, Mary Dugan, and Boyd Professor Ann McGinley.  In March, Judge Connie Steinheimer spent two hours with us discussing effective trial techniques.   In April, we hosted Boyd Professor Mary Beth Beazley for a seminar focused on the impact that digital platforms have on the cognitive aspects of legal writing and reading.  In May, we served 80 members of our community at the largest lawyer in the library event yet.  We took June and July off from events, but ended the summer with a bang.  In August, we held our Summer Garden Party Celebrating 40 Years of NNWLA and our past presidents at Judge Lynne Simons’ home.  In September, we co-sponsored an event with the Washoe County Bar Association, where Judge Kathleen Drakulich discussed her path to the bench and recent filing trends at the Second Judicial District Court.  In October, we hosted a mix and mingle event with Justice Lidia Stiglich, Judge Dixie Grossman, Judge Lynne Simons, and Judge Miranda Du, where our members met with each judge in a small group format to address practice tips in each respective court.  Lastly, in November, we hosted an attorney wellness and substance abuse CLE with Justice Michael Cherry. 

However, the year is not over!  Two of our biggest events are still to come.  If you are looking for a way to give back to the community this holiday season, please join us for our Annual Holiday Shopping Event with students from Veterans Memorial Elementary School on December 15th.  Every year our membership has been extremely generous with their donations and time.  We hope to make this year even more successful than in years past.  We are still in need of donations and shoppers for this event.  If you can do either or both, we would greatly appreciate it.  Family and friends are welcome to join us for the event as well.  If you have shopped with one of the students in the past, you know how grateful the students are and how wonderful you feel when you leave the event because you just made a student’s holiday season special.  This is my favorite event every year.  I hope you are able to participate in this heartwarming event in some capacity.

Finally, please plan to join us for our Annual Holiday Party on December 13th at Judge Lynne Simons’ home.  Our Holiday Party is a great time to catch up with friends and colleagues during the busy holiday season.  We will also be welcoming the incoming 2019 Board.  I know I am leaving this organization in great hands with President-Elect Katherine Hoffman and I look forward to the exciting things she has planned for 2019.

​Annual Holiday Party: December 13th
Please join us on Thursday, December 13th at 5:30 p.m. for our annual NNWLA Holiday Party. Judge Lynne Simons has graciously opened her home to us again this year so come celebrate the holidays and the upcoming New Year with us as we welcome the new 2019 NNWLA Board of Directors. Please RSVP to [email protected] by December 6th. After we receive your RSVP, we will reply with the party address. We look forward to seeing you at this festive event!

The Holiday Shopping Event from the Volunteer’s Perspective
- By Marilee Cate

As many of you know, volunteering at the Holiday Shopping Event is a heartwarming experience. You are paired up with a child and given $100.00 (from the donations made for the event) to buy the child warm winter clothes and maybe a toy or other trinket. For those of you who have not been, it is well worth giving up part of your Saturday morning. My first year I half expected the children to focus on toys, but I was completely wrong. The children are in desperate need of warm clothes that fit them and that is all they want. I am so impressed with the children every time I have shopped with them. The children are also incredibly generous. Almost every year I have had children ask if we can use some of their money to buy their little brother or little sister winter shoes, a jacket, or a toy. I have heard similar stories from other volunteers. The winter clothes we buy are in many cases the only winter clothes these children will get, yet the children are willing to give up some of their own money to make sure their younger siblings get something special. It melts your heart to see how generous and caring the children are. The children (and parents) are extremely grateful for what we do for them. I cannot count the number of “thank yous” and hugs I received from the children and parents each year. If you can join us to volunteer on December 15th at 7:45 a.m. you will not be disappointed. 

​Annual Shopping Event
We are seeking additional volunteers and donations for our Annual Holiday Shopping Event on Saturday, December 15th, at 7:45 a.m. at the J.C. Penney store in the Meadowood Mall. The event is a wonderful opportunity to provide underprivileged children attending Veterans Memorial Elementary School with warm clothes and presents for the holidays.
 
Each $100.00 we raise allows us to shop for an additional child. In previous years we have been able to shop for 50 or more children. This year, we are about halfway to our goal of shopping for 55 children. Please donate and help us achieve our goal!  NNWLA has to notify the school regarding how many students we are able to help the week before the event, so please send us your donations as soon as possible.
 
As a thank you, we will publish a list of our volunteers and donors in the January NNWLA blog. The donors will be acknowledged in the following categories: Gold ($200 and above); Silver ($100- $199); and Bronze ($1- $99). Any amount, no matter how small, is greatly appreciated and will ensure that more children can participate!  Donations can be made through our website at nnwla.com/events or by sending a check to Jenna Garcia, P.O. Box 40953, Reno, NV 89504.
 
We also hope you will consider joining us that morning as a volunteer shopper. Our volunteers are paired with a Veterans Memorial Elementary student and help the child pick out their warm clothes. Most volunteer shoppers are finished in about one hour.  Every year we receive heartwarming feedback from our volunteers about how much they enjoyed their experience. Please email us at [email protected] if you are able to volunteer.
 ​

Save the Date for Our January 8th Social Event
Please help us kick off the new year by joining us for a social event on January 8th.  Join us at 5:30 p.m. for appetizers at Liberty Food & Wine Exchange before the early evening movie showing at Riverside Movie Theater of On the Basis of Sex. This is a movie celebrating the career and achievements of Justice Ginsburg.
 
Friends and family are welcome! (movie is PG-13).  The cost of the event is $10 per person, which includes one movie ticket and appetizers at Liberty Food & Wine Exchange.  To RSVP, please purchase a ticket through NNWLA at nnwla.com/events by January 4th.

Photo from: https://www.washoecounty.us/rjc/judges.php#judge_dept1

Sustaining Member Spotlight: Judge Patricia Lynch
- by Amanda Sage and Samantha Reviglio
​
When Judge Patricia Lynch walked through the doors of McGeorge School of Law, she wanted the power to effectuate change – a power she has pushed to its limits in her impressive career.

Elected Reno City Attorney in 1987, Judge Lynch was a pioneer for other aspiring female politicians in Nevada.  Knowing she could reach further, Judge Lynch made time to work with the American Bar Association, and the International Municipal Lawyers Association, even serving as President for the latter.  As a judge, she is active with both the National Association of Women Judges and the International Association of Women Judges, which she finds a “pretty powerful” experience.  Despite this international influence, Judge Lynch takes pride in the local work she does with individuals who appear in her court each day.

Reflecting on her time on the bench, Judge Lynch said, “Your words as a judge can be very impactful.” People generally hold judges in a position of respect and more often than not defendants are ready to hear what the judge has to say.”  Understanding peoples’ capacity for change, Judge Lynch does what she can to encourage better choices and behaviors in defendants’ lives. 

That change includes ensuring offenders comply with their sentences and avoid repeat criminal behavior.  Judge Lynch has been a pioneer in the field of domestic violence prevention.  She runs the domestic violence specialty court which is the first and only problem-solving focused domestic violence court in Northern Nevada.  The program mandates close monitoring of domestic violence offenders, ensuring they complete Batterer Intervention programs, comply with no-contact orders, and obtain treatment for underlying substance abuse and mental health issues.  Acknowledging modern changes to domestic violence laws, Judge Lynch believes domestic violence court “is really helping to make a difference.”

​“I always believed I could make a difference,” Judge Lynch said.  From co-founding the Northern Nevada Women Lawyer’s Association in 1978, to establishing the first victim advocate program in a prosecutor’s office in Nevada, to co-founding Reno’s Rape Crisis Center, Judge Lynch’s self-confidence has forever changed the legal field and community for the better.  As the Honorable Dorothy Nash Holmes previously recognized, “[Judge Lynch is] one of the most accomplished and dedicated public servants in Nevada.”  Specialty Courts: The Consummate Problem Solver, The Writ, Oct. 2018, Vol. 40, No. 9, 6. 
Not surprisingly, Judge Lynch encourages new attorneys to appreciate the power they possess and believe in their own abilities.  NNWLA wishes her the best with her upcoming retirement.

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​Join the NNWLA Evening Mentoring Circle
NNWLA is seeking members for the evening mentoring circle.  This mentoring circle meets at either the 3rd or 4th Monday of the month.  In the mentoring circle, NNWLA members will have the opportunity to give advice, get advice, share experiences, and referrals in a friendly environment.  This is a fantastic opportunity aimed at building stronger connections among our members and fostering professional development.  If you are interested in joining, please contact Marilee Cate at [email protected].

Thank you Supreme Court Justice Cherry!
NNWLA would like to thank Supreme Court Justice Cherry for speaking at our substance abuse CLE last month.  We thank Justice Cherry for providing us with his unique perspective on attorney wellness and substance abuse. 

State Bar of Nevada is Seeking Tip Mentors
The State Bar of Nevada is looking for volunteers to help young attorneys learn how to be attorneys. While all mentors are welcome, they have a specific need for female mentors from Northern Nevada.  The minimum requirements to be a TIP mentor and the application can be found on our website at: www.nvbar.org/tip.  Additionally, please see the below documents for more information.  If you or potential TIP mentors have any questions, please contact Programs Manager Theresa Freeman via email at [email protected] or call her at 702-317-1426.

WCBA Substance Abuse CLE: The Resilient Lawyer
The WCBA is hosting a one of a kind CLE on Friday, December 14, 2018 from 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m at the State Bar of Nevada office (9446 Double R. Blvd.).  Please join Margaret Crowley and Amy Tirre for 2 hours of CLE satisfying the new "Substance Abuse, Addiction and Mental Health Affecting Professional Competence".

• This is an "Outside the Box" CLE
• Come Prepared:
  * Wear comfortable clothing
  * Bring an Open Mind
  * Cultivate Mindfulness
  * Be ready to Move
  * Learn Simple Techniques to Reduce Stress through Movement and Sensory Integration 
• Create your Own Customized Plan for Stress Reduction and Resilience
  
  

The cost of the CLE is: WCBA Attorney Members $129; Attorney Non-members $159; WCBA Paralegal Members $75; Paralegal Non-members $95.  To register, please click here to be redirected to their RSVP page. 

​2019 Membership Renewal
As 2018 comes to an end, please take a moment to renew your NNWLA membership for 2019. Dues will remain at last year’s levels. In particular, NNWLA would like to encourage our members to consider renewing their membership at the Sustaining Member level. We greatly appreciate the generous support our Sustaining Members provide and we thank all of the sustaining members in our January publication each year.  Please click on this link to be directed to our membership page or print the attached form by clicking on this link.  The form is also located below.  You can email the form to [email protected] or mail it to Jenna Garcia, P.O. Box 40953, Reno, NV 89504.  Please make sure to send us your membership form so that you can be added to our members referral page!