Dear Members, Friends, and Allies,

In the grand celebration of WLALA’s 104th year, we welcomed a dynamic Board of Women Warriors! Thank you to all who joined us for an incredible night of festivities – including raising a record-breaking $8,000 for WLALA scholarships (quadrupling prior records), WLALA’s launching its first virtual silent auction (which raised another $5,000), and dancing the night away with New Orleans inspired Hurricane cocktails in hand….

Our Mardi Gras themed Awards and Installation Gala spotlighted two organizations committed to the fight for equity and justice in healthcare: Black Women for Wellness (BWW) and St. John’s Community Health (SJCH). BWW is the first organization in the country dedicated to raising the awareness of disparities in access to reproductive services for under resourced communities. St. John’s aligns with these efforts, by serving a population of patients where 83% live below the Federal Poverty Level ($30,000 for a family of 4) and offering these patients access to critical healthcare services. During this month of Breast Cancer Awareness, let’s prioritize our own breast screenings and rally behind St. John’s Community Health as they work tirelessly to provide breast and cervical screenings to those who might otherwise go without. We urge our members to visit BWW and SJCH’s sites and consider contributing time or financial support towards ensuring that the most vulnerable among us are not left without access to basic healthcare and reproductive services.

We also honored and found inspiration in icons like the Honorable Connie Quinones and the dynamic Wilma Pinder. Judge Quiñones shared how a true “Chingona” pays it forward as she reflected on the transformative power of mentorship, while Wilma brought down the house while dancing to Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best” and culminated the evening with moving remarks on living a life of S.E.R.V.I.C.E. We challenge our membership to emulate their commitment to mentorship and service through a simple ask: reach out to a student, colleague, or acquaintance and inquire how you can be of service – through extending invitations to networking events, preparing recommendation letters, or encouraging contributions to publications. Together, through sponsorship and mentorship, we can pay homage to these icons and use our acts of service to shape a more equitable, inclusive world.

In your service,

Jeannine Taylor
President, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles