Lawyers e-Journal
Thursday, Jul. 14, 2011
Top: MBA President Denise Squillante, third from left, at the Massachusetts Association of Women Lawyers' Annual Banquet.
Bottom: MBA President Denise Squillante, left, and Kimberly E. Winter, right, at the banquet.
Photos courtesy of MAWL.
Squillante delivers keynote at MAWL's annual banquet
June 28 program honored SJC Associate Justice Margot Botsford
Massachusetts Bar Association President Denise Squillante gave
the keynote speech at the Massachusetts Association of Women
Lawyers' Annual Banquet on June 28 at the University of
Massachusetts Club, Boston. The event honored Supreme Judicial
Court Associate Justice Margot Botsford and included a presentation
of scholarship awards to law students.
Squillante, who is the MBA's eighth female president and has led
the association through its centennial year, spoke to banquet
attendees about the role of female leadership in the legal
community.
"I am troubled by my observations of what I will refer to as
'the demise of women in our profession,'" said Squillante, who
noted that at many meetings she attends as a representative of the
MBA, women are noticeably absent from leadership positions.
Squillante established the MBA's Lawyers in Transition Committee,
in part to add lifelines to women attorneys who may feel they
'can't have it all,' while juggling a family and career.
"Women have differing challenges facing them in the practice of
law, and do not let anyone tell you any differently," said
Squillante, who encouraged attendees to mentor young, female
attorneys and set good leadership examples. "We have a
responsibility to see what is happening and make a conscious effort
to stem the tide [of women leaving profession and absent in
leadership positions]."