ABA Law Practice Management Section | Section Meetings
ABA Women Rainmakers Mid-Career Workshop
Westin La Paloma
Tucson, Arizona
October 17-19, 2008
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Luncheon Keynote Speakers
Roxana Bacon
Distinguished Fellow
Western Progress
Luncheon Keynote Speaker –"Closing the Deal"
Saturday, 10/18/08 - 12:30pm - 2:00pm
Roxana C. Bacon’s legal career has spanned over three decades, punctuated by groundbreaking achievement for women lawyers in Arizona. Ms. Bacon was the:
- First woman partner at Jennings, Strouss & Salmon
- First woman visiting professor at Arizona State University College of Law
- First woman to serve as chair of the State Bar of Arizona’s Admissions Committee on Character and Fitness
- First woman selected as Arizona’s lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit
- First woman elected President of the State Bar of Arizona
- First woman general counsel to the American Immigration Lawyers Association
- One of the premier immigration attorneys in the United States
- Received Distinguished Career awards from law schools at Arizona State University and University of Arizona and from the Arizona State Bar
- Selected as one of 100 Distinguished Minority and Women lawyers
- Received the Sarah Herring Sorin Award from the Arizona Women Lawyers Association
- Received the Margaret Brent Award from the ABA
- One of the founders of the Arizona Women Lawyers Association
- Founding partner of Bacon & Dear, woman-owned firm; grew business to $25 million with over 100 employees and offices in China and India
- Executive director of Western Progress, nonprofit think tank devoted to issues of the American Southwest
Roxie currently serves on the Ninth Circuit Advisory Board, is a member of the Board of Editors of Bender’s Immigration Treatie, is active in The Giving Circle, assisting a women’s weaving cooperative in Nicaragua, sponsors 4 young women in Tanzania attending Safari Guide school, is helping build a primary sschool in Laos. She is a Distinguished Fellow for Western Progress, and volunteers as a mentor for a number of young women establishing their own legal practices and businesses.
Lauren Stiller Rikleen
Executive Director/Senior Partner
Bowditch & Dewey LLP
Luncheon Keynote Speaker – "Removing Barriers for Women in Law"
Sunday, 10/19/08 - 12:30pm - 2:00pm
Lauren Stiller Rikleen , the Executive Dir ector of the Bowditch Institute for Women’s Success, is also a senior partner in the Real Estate and Environmental Law Group of Bowditch & Dewey, LLP. Through the Bowditch Institute for Women’s Success, Lauren combines her unique qualifi cations and expertise to help law firms and other business organizations create an environment where women can succeed.
Lauren is the author of Ending the Gauntlet: Removing Barriers to Women’s Success in the Law, a book which is highly acclaimed for its thoughtful insights about the management of today’s law firms and the related institutional impediments to women’s success in the practice of law.
Lauren’s background includes extraordinary focus on issues relating to the advancement of women in the profession. As the former President of the Boston Bar Association, Lauren established the Task-Force on Professional Challenges and Family Needs, which produced a report entitled: Facing the Grail – Confronting the Costs of Work/Family Imbalance, a report which received national attention for its in-depth analysis of the cost of attrition in law firms. Following her BBA presidency, Lauren helped establish and served as co-chair of the Boston Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Work/Family, where she continues to be actively involved.
Lauren is a founding member of the Equality Commission, created in 2004, to analyze the link between the relative lack of women in leadership positions in the law, the growing rate of attrition, and the demands of law firm practice. The founding members worked closely with the MIT Workplace Center to create a survey which would track the movement of women and men in Massachusetts law firms between 2001 and 2005. The resulting path-breaking study was conducted and issued by the MIT Workplace Center: Women Lawyers and Obstacles to Leadership. Lauren’s prior work with the MIT Workplace Center included a presentation addressing the inters ection of law firm workplace demands and their i mpact on the lives of families. This presentation, From Here to Flexibility in Law Firms: Can It Be Done, was developed into a Working Paper for the MIT Workplace Center website. Lauren has also worked with the MIT Workplace Center in their efforts to pass legislation to create the Massachusetts Work-Family Council.
In 2005, Lauren was appointed by the president of the Ameri can Bar Association to serve as one of the twelve members of the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession. She serves as a member of the Board of Dir ectors of the Massachusetts Women’s Politi cal Caucus and is also a founding member of the Council for Women of Boston College, an organization dedi cated to furthering the role of women as active leaders and participants at Boston College.
Among her many honors, Lauren is the recipient of the 2007 Barbara Gray Humanitarian Award from Voices Against Violence, the Boston College 2004 Alumni Award for Excellence in Law, the Boston College Law School 75 th Anniversary Alumni Award medal, and the 2005 Lelia J. Robinson Award from the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts.
Within her community, Lauren chairs the Women’s Leadership Council of the United Way of Tri-County. She is the first woman to have served as Chair of the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce. In 1997, the Chamber named her “Business Leader of the Year” and also granted her the 2001 Athena Award for professional excellence.
Other community and professional involvements include serving as a member of the Board of Trustees of Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, and as a member of the Board of Dir ectors of the Environmental League of Massachusetts, which she chaired for six years. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Boston Bar Foundation, and is a fellow of the Ameri can Bar Foundation. Lauren also serves as a Trustee of the Middlesex Savings Bank.
Lauren is frequently requested to appear as a keynote speaker or participant in regional and national programs addressing women, workplace issues, and the Millennial Generation.
Plenary Speakers
Karen Kahn
Principal
KM Advisors
Plenary Session – "LSSO Survey Update"
Saturday, 10/18/08 - 9:00am - 10:00am
Karen B. Kahn is a certified coach consultant and psychologist who’s passion
and expertise is dedicated to helping lawyers succeed in whatever way each
defines it. She is known as an innovative and practical “thought partner” who has
coached and consulted with hundreds of lawyers and many law firms throughout
the United States and Canada to position them for the challenges and
opportunities of the 21st century world. She has worked closely with lawyers to
develop their skills in a wide range of areas including business development,
leadership, strategic thinking, communication, personal effectiveness and teambuilding.
Her doctorate in psychology, obtained from the University of Virginia
thirty years ago, contributes to her being known as a “gender expert.” She utilizes
this knowledge to create and strengthen Women’s Initiatives, develop strong men
and women leaders, and contribute new insights to organizations seeking to attract and retain talented professionals.
Catherine MacDonagh
President
Legal Sales and Service Organization (LSSO)
Plenary Session – "LSSO Survey Update"
Saturday, 10/18/08 - 9:00am - 10:00am
Catherine Alman MacDonagh, J.D. develops and launches innovative law firm sales and service training and coaching programs as well as revolutionary client development and process improvement initiatives. She is an effective change agent, with more than fifteen years of successful professional services strategic, marketing, sales and services experience with both small and large firms.
Catherine is the co-author of The Law Firm Associate’s Guide to Personal Marketing and Selling Skills book and training manual, which were published by the ABA’s Law Practice Management Section this year.
She is the Chief Operating Officer and co-Founder of the Legal Sales and Service Organization. LSSO is exclusively focused on sales, service excellence and quality issues facing the legal industry and presents LSSO’s RainDance Conference™ annually. She directed LSSO’s groundbreaking study, Women Lawyers: Sales and Business Development Issues in 2004 and a newer survey that enables firms to benchmark against the results of the original women lawyers’ study.
A certified six sigma green belt and a self-described “recovering lawyer,” Catherine is a former corporate counsel. As such, she always brings the client experience and perspective to her work.
She is a member of the New Jersey and New York bars and the American Bar Association (Law Practice Management Section, Women Rainmakers, Strategic Marketing Group), and a recognized leader within the Legal Marketing Association, having served as a two term chapter President in New England, as well as many years on that board as well as national committee positions. Some of the honors and awards Catherine has received include: Boston Business Journal ’s 40 Under 40, two MLF 50 (Marketing the Law Firm Top 50) List, and several Legal Marketing Association Your Honor Awards.
Catherine enjoys speaking, writing, and her volunteer work with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Self Esteem Boston as well as in her children’s schools and her community, where she serves on the town’s Re-engineering Committee.
Large Track Speakers
Anne Bothwell
President
Bothwell Marketing
Saturday, 10/18/08 - 10:15am - 11:15am
As the President of Bothwell Marketing, Anne provides clients with an expansive range of marketing consulting, from the creation of comprehensive business development plans to the execution of strategic marketing initiatives. Anne's more than 20 years of experience in law firm marketing provides professional services clients with a tried and true perspective, ensuring that marketing plans become action plans.
To fulfill the marketing objectives of clients, Anne offers a global approach, providing strategic analysis and sound positioning advice, while at the same time offering ongoing support and guidance to ensure creative programs are effectively implemented. Anne's marketing experience encompasses a large number of industries including law, financial services, information technology, executive recruiting, professional associations and education. Anne has significant experience in the development of print, video and electronic media, and has provided guidance in marketing information management and public relations. She also conducts research projects on client satisfaction, name recognition and reputation, and industry analysis. She has provided marketing skills training to hundreds of lawyers, developed institutional and individual marketing plans, and produced numerous branding and identity programs including award-winning national advertising.
Anne is a frequent speaker and author on business development for law firms, and has been a regular columnist for The Daily Journal.
Prior to the launching of Bothwell Marketing, Anne served as the Marketing Director for three prominent California law firms: Crosby, Heafey, Roach and May, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, and Rosen, Wachtell & Gilbert.
Silvia Coulter
Vice President Chair, Client Development and Growth Practice
Hildebrandt International
Session – "Client Relationship: Developing and Nurturing Your Best Asset"
Saturday, 10/18/08 - 11:30am - 12:30pm
Ms. Coulter is a Vice President in Hildebrandt's Client Development and Growth Practice. For more than twenty-five years, law firms have relied on Silvia’s expert advice on business development, strategic account management, and service initiative strategies. Silvia has substantial experience in collaborating with firms on their key client retention and growth strategies, business development education, coaching and training programs, client service strategies and women lawyers’ initiatives. Silvia is a Six Sigma Green Belt, and has certifications in facilitation, Myers Briggs and Human Synergistics team and leadership development.
Prior to joining Hildebrandt, Ms. Coulter co-founded CoulterCranston, a consulting firm focused on assisting law firms with all facets of business development. Prior to co-founding Coulter-Cranston, Silvia was chief marketing and business development officer at two Global 50 law firms from 1998 to 2005, where she built the marketing and sales functions. Since 1987 she was a principal at an international law firm marketing and business development consulting firm. Prior to her law firm business development career, Silvia spent 7 years as a key account sales specialist with a Fortune 200 company where she provided law firms with practice management technology tools. She was recognized for several years as one of the top sales leaders in the company.
Ms. Coulter has authored numerous publications and is a frequent panelist and speaker at bar associations, specialty bars, CLE programs and legal marketing and business development seminars.
Christy T. Crider
Shareholder
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
Session – "Putting Your Plan in Place"
Sunday, 10/19/08 - 11:30am - 12:30pm
Christy Tosh Crider, shareholder in the Nashville office, concentrates her practice in civil litigation. She has extensive experience in long-term care litigation, managing the litigation of numerous long-term care facilities around the country, health care litigation and many areas of tort and commercial litigation. She works with health care companies on quality assurance and litigation avoidance.
Recent Representative Transactions
- Presented oral argument before the Tennessee Supreme Court, on an issue of first impression for health care providers: whether the existence of a Durable Power of Attorney lifts the tolling of the statute of limitations for an incompetent resident.
- Presented oral argument before the Tennessee Court of Appeals and won an issue of first impression for long term care providers: whether the Tennessee Adult Protection Act applies to negligent care lawsuits filed against long term care providers which should fall within the scope of the Medical Malpractice Act.
- Tried to a successful jury verdict the first long term care wrongful death case to go to verdict in more than a decade for one of the largest privately owned nursing home chains in the country.
- Successfully compelled to Arbitration and dismissed from Court several long term care wrongful death cases.
- Won Summary Judgment on an apartment fire case.
- Obtained dismissal of all counts against long term care providers except Medical Malpractice in many wrongful death cases.
- Successfully defended a wrongful death Dram Shop Act Case.
- Drafted Arbitration Agreements for more than a dozen long term care facilities and trained the facilities how to use them.
Donna Fraiche
Chair of the Women's Initiative
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
Session – "Putting Your Plan in Place
Sunday, 10/19/08 - 11:30am - 12:30pm
Donna D. Fraiche is currently a shareholder and member of the health care and public policy departments of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz (“BDBCB”), one of the 100 largest firms in the U.S. She serves on its governance and nominating committees chairs the Firm’s Women’s Initiative. BDBCB has been recognized as having one of the top two health law practices in the nation. She was past managing partner of the New Orleans office and past chair of the health law practice group of the firm Locke, Liddell & Sapp. She was on the Council of the American Bar Association, Law Practice Management Section and has served as Chair of the Women Rainmaker Division.
Ms. Fraiche was recently appointed Honorary Consul-General of Japan in New Orleans. She serves as a Board Member of the Louisiana Recovery Authority and as chair of its Long Term Community Planning. She testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery as to the status of recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita during a hearing entitled, “GAO’s Analysis of the Gulf Coast Recovery: A Dialogue on Removing Obstacles to the Recovery Effort.” She serves as Chair of the Louisiana Office of State Planning Task Force.
In 2007, Ms. Fraiche was recognized by The Baton Rouge Business Report as one of its Influential Women in Business; received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Louisiana Chapter of the American Planners Association; received the Louisiana Association of Non-profit Organizations’ Heroine Award; and was inducted into the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame. In 2006, Loyola University New Orleans presented her with its Integritas Vitae award, the University's highest honor. Ms. Fraiche was honored by Family Service of Greater New Orleans as one of the City’s 10 Most Outstanding People, and was the 2002 recipient of the New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce’s highest honor, the Joseph W. Simon, Jr. Memorial Award. She received the Gillis Long Public Service Award from Loyola University School of Law in 2003. In 2003, the World Trade Center of New Orleans conferred upon her the prestigious Order of the Mark. In 2004, she received the President's Award from the New Orleans Bar Association. Ms. Fraiche served as a founder of the Women’s Leadership Initiative and on the nominating committee of the United Way. She is a member of the International Woman’s Forum and is on the Board of Directors of the Academy of the Sacred Heart. She was chosen as 2005 Volunteer Activist by the St. Elizabeth Guild and is one of the first Role Model recipients of the Dress for Success Program. Nightingale’s Healthcare News named her as one of ten Outstanding Hospital Lawyers in the United States for 2005.
She chairs the Louisiana Health Care Commission and is Treasurer of the Louisiana Supreme Court Historical Society. Ms. Fraiche served as President of the Louisiana Bar Foundation. She recently served as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Loyola University and delivered the commencement address at the Law School graduation in 2001. She served as President and Chair of the World Trade Center. She is a former Chair and President of the New Orleans Regional Medical Center. She was chosen for the first class of Fellows of the American Health Lawyers Association (“AHLA”). She served as the first woman president of AHLA and has chaired its national program on medical staff legal issues and is certified by the AHLA Masters Program. She has appeared before the Joint Economic Committee of Congress testifying at a hearing entitled “Structure of the Hospital Industry in the 21st Century.” She often serves as a faculty member of the Joint Commission and served on its Leadership Accountabilities Task Force.
Ms. Fraiche has been appointed by the Louisiana Supreme Court to the Committee to Review Requests for the Creation of Appellate Judgeships and the Judicial Campaign Oversight Committee. In 2003, Ms. Fraiche, an Elliot Fellow, served as a delegate to the Conference, “Governing in the Global Age” at George Washington University, The Elliot School.
Her biography is included in The Best Lawyers in America and Who's Who in Americain each annual edition from 1993 to present., Chambers, 2004 edition, health law. Married to a physician/CEO and coroner, the Fraiche’s have a daughter at UVA, a physician son and two grandsons.
Kathleen Bender Patton
Director of Professional Development
Brown Rudnick LLP
Session – "Expanding Your Internal/External Networks to Increase Business"
Sunday, 10/19/08 - 9:00am - 10:00am
Kathleen B. Patton is the Director of Professional Development at Brown Rudnick LLP, an international law firm with more than 200 attorneys in six offices.
In her Professional Development role at Brown Rudnick, Kathleen is responsible for the design and implementation of the Firm's training, mentoring and work allocation programs for attorneys and paralegals. Kathleen also develops core competencies for the Firm's billing professionals and evaluates those professionals against those competencies
She enjoys an active role in Brown Rudnick's Women Initiative and Diversity Committee. She is also a member of the Firm's Summer Associate Committee and the Brown Rudnick Associate Integration Committee.
Kathleen practiced law for more than a decade in law firms in New York in the area of mergers and acquisitions, most recently as a corporate partner in a multi-national law firm. She also has experience in-house as Senior Counsel in a regional warehouse-club retailer.
Kathleen is a highly rated speaker. She has presented on topics ranging from associate business development, evaluation processes, mentoring and work allocation for organizations including Legal Marketing Association, the Boston Lawyers Group, and the Lawyers' Collaborative on Diversity.
Small Track Speakers
Beth Kaufman
Partner
Shoeman, Updike & Kaufman LLP
Session – "Making Yourself Heard--How to Effectively Reach Your Audience"
Saturday, 10/18/08 - 10:15am - 11:15am
Beth L. Kaufman, a partner at Schoeman Updike & Kaufman, LLP, concentrates her practice in the defense of complex litigation including product liability and toxic tort, employment and commercial matters and chairs the firm’s Product Liability and Mass Torts practice. She was elected by her peers as a New York SuperLawyer and a Best Lawyer in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Ms. Kaufman chaired the ABA Section of Litigation’s Product Liability Committee from 1999-2002. In August 2006 she became a member of the Section of Litigation Council. She served on the Executive Committee of The Association of the Bar of the City of New York from 2000 to 2004 and chaired its Committee on the Judiciary from 2004-2007.
Ms. Kaufman was appointed by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to serve on the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary and currently serves on that Committee.
Michele Ballard Miller
Managing Shareholder
Miller Law Group
Session – "Putting it all Together - How to Develop a Personal Business Development Plan"
Sunday, 10/19/08 - 11:30am - 12:30pm
With more than 25 years of experience practicing exclusively in the area of labor and employment law, Ms. Miller provides strategic advice to companies on a wide range of employment issues. She also defends companies in litigation involving claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation and other employment-related disputes.
Named a "Super Lawyer" by Super Lawyers - Northern California magazine each year since 2004, Ms. Miller is a frequent lecturer on employment issues both for firm clients and outside groups. Her articles on employment issues affecting employers and HR professionals have appeared in numerous publications, on sites and in training materials.
Ms. Miller is on the board of directors of the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) and is a member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel as well as the employment law sections of a variety of bar associations.
Ms. Miller received her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, in 1982 and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1978.
Linda A. Monica
President
Monica & Associates, PC
Session – "So Many Choices, So Little Time: Focusing Your Efforts and Leveraging Your Time"
Saturday, 10/18/08 - 11:30am - 12:30pm
Throughout her thirty year legal career, Linda Monica has gained extensive experience in practice management though chairing Litigation and Technology Departments, serving on Executive and Management Committees, heading up Recruitment, Hiring, and Training Committees, and implementing Business Development strategies for Practice Groups and individuals. She presently works with women lawyers on business development strategies and the implementation of “Women Initiatives.” Linda also collaborates with law firms interested in incorporating effective and often innovative practice management techniques to meet the challenges of a changing market environment and a shifting and less traditional work force.
In 1999, Linda founded "Partners in Professional Development, Inc." and developed and chaired what were among the first national conferences devoted solely to the topic of "Business Development for Women Attorneys."In that venue, she presented her “Niche Marketing” approach which has helped to successfully launch many women attorneys in their business development efforts. Her strategies on focusing, refining, and leveraging time and efforts enable women attorneys to become more strategic and deliberate as they maintain and sustain these efforts.
In her work with law firms, Linda includes career customization as among the new techniques they need to consider to remain competitive. “Career Customization” provides law firms with a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining today’s most talented attorneys by offering an on-going collaboration to design customized career paths. This model facilitates the creation of tailored career paths by exploding the traditional “lock step” career advancement in favor of a new paradigm for the long-term benefit of both firms and individuals. The implementation of customized career paths not only increases profitability and loyalty, but also recognizes the fundamental changes in the key characteristics of today’s work force.
In her legal practice , Linda has focused her practice in the areas of products liability, mass tort litigation, and technology-related matters. She has been involved in products liability cases around the country and has represented several Fortune 500 companies involved in mass tort litigation. She taught “Electronic Commerce & The Law” at the University of Maine School of Law, and served on the State’s Blue Ribbon Commission to Study Maine’s Internet policy. She presently is the principal of Monica & Associates, PC, a law firm she founded in 2004 to serve her niche products liability practice.
She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of New Hampshire and a 1977 graduate of Northeastern University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.
She is AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
Jody Newman
Managing Partner
Dwyer & Collora LLP
Session – "Nurturing Your Client Base While Running a Small Business"
Sunday, 10/19/08 - 9:00am - 10:00am
Jody L. Newman is the managing partner at the litigation firm Dwyer & Collora LLP in Boston. With 24 years of civil litigation experience, Ms. Newman currently runs the employment practice at the firm and focuses her practices on employment disputes, primarily representing plaintiffs. She handles employment-related contract, tort, discrimination and wrongful discharge cases, with a particular specialty in sexual harassment and sex discrimination cases. Ms. Newman has successfully tried many employment cases before state and federal arbitrators and juries. She is also experienced in alternative dispute resolution and is on the forefront of the practice of collaborative law, a client-centered, solution-oriented process for resolving disputes without going to court.
Ms. Newman is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School(J.D., cum laude, 1983) and the University of Delaware (B.A., cum laude, 1980). She began her career at Dwyer & Collora LLP and became a partner in 1993. She serves on the Board of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and the Board of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council and is the 2007-2008 Co-Chair of the steering committee of the Boston Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section. She publishes and lectures frequently on employment law and trial advocacy issues.
Moderators
Martha Fay Africa
Managing Director
Major, Lindsey & Africa
Plenary Session Moderator – "Making Your Case: Winning the Business (Panel) "
Sunday, 10/19/08 - 10:15am - 11:15am
Martha Fay Africa is a Partner with Hodge/Niederer/Cariani. She brings strategic industry and functional expertise across business sectors throughout the United States. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Africa was a founding member of Major, Hagen & Africa (now, Major, Lindsey & Africa) where she placed experienced attorneys worldwide in partner level and in]house positions in law firms, corporations, and universities. Some of Ms. Africa’s clients included: The Nature Conservancy, Texas Pacific Group, Silicon Valley Bank, Stanford Research Institute, The California Independent System Operator (The California ISO), the University of California, Blue Shield of California, Levi Strauss, Southern California Edison and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Technology. Ms. Africa is a member of the Blue Ribbon No Glass Ceiling Task Force and the Committee on Employment of Minorities; both groups are affiliated with the Bar Association of San Francisco and address concerns relating to minority and female lawyer advancement. She sits on the editorial board of Law Technology News a publication of The American Lawyer Ms Africa served as liaison to the News, Lawyer. Ms. American Bar Association’s ( ABA) Commission on Women from the Law Practice Management Section and founded Women Rainmakers, an ABA organization devoted to training women lawyers in the art of networking and practice Building.
Ms. Africa is a member of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Council, and serves on a number of non]profit boards. She has authored many articles and is a public speaker on issues of interest to business and legal professionals. She has been the recipient of the Cornerstone Award at Chatham College, the Golden Hammer Award for contributions enabling women and minorities to break the glass ceiling, the Award of Merit from the San Francisco Bar Association, and is a College of Law Practice Management Fellow of the American Bar Association.
Prior to entering the search profession, Ms. Africa’s earlier career was in service to educational institutions including Boalt Hall School of Law, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Duke University Medical Center. Ms. Africa, also known as “Marty,” graduated from the University of California with a B.A. in English/Art History.
Rachelle J. Canter
President
RJC Associates
Luncheon Session Moderator – "Removing Barriers for Women in Law"
Sunday, 10/19/08 - 12:30pm - 2:00pm
Rachelle J. Canter is President of RJC Associates which provides leadership, career, team development, selection, and outplacement services to law firms and corporations. Working from the level of Chairman and CEO to junior associate, Shelley’s clients come from virtually every function and industry and include some of the best known and most respected companies in the world, such as American Express, Apple, BP Amoco, Bank of America, Barnes & Noble, Catholic Healthcare West, Charles Schwab, Deloitte & Touche, Genentech, Latham & Watkins, Morrison & Foerster, PG&E, Pillsbury Winthrop, Planned Parenthood, SAP, Saks, Watson Wyatt, Wells Fargo, Westin, WilmerHale, and University of California.
Shelley was among the first to provide career transition and coaching assistance to lawyers in over 20 firms in the San Francisco Bay Area alone and works with lawyers and executives around the country. She has helped lawyers in corporations, law firms, and other settings make successful career transitions within their organizations as well as into other firms, corporations, government, academia, legal corporations and non-profits, solo practice, and outside the law.
She is adjunct faculty and lead coach for the Women Senior Leaders Program at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management’s Center for Executive Women, a program designed to help women executives and attorneys attain top positions in the Fortune 1000. She also serves on the Executive Committee of ABA’s Women Rainmakers and is active in the leadership of the ABA’s Law Practice Management Section.
Shelley is a frequent speaker and author on leadership, career, and organizational development issues and has written over 20 articles for legal publications. She was one of three coaches featured in the ABA Journal’s June 2007 cover story. She has also authored a career guide for attorneys, executives, and professionals, Make the Right Career Move, that published by Wiley in 2007.
Shelley earned her Ph.D. in Social-Personality Psychology with a specialty in achievement and productivity from the University of Colorado, and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University with a B.A. in Psychology.
Complete information on the firm, its approach and philosophy, services, clients, and publications is available on the RJC website at www.rjcassociates.net. Shelley can be reached at (415) 956-8438 or rjc@rjcassociates.net .
Barrie Drum
Forensic Accounting Consultant
Welcome Address
Ms. Drum is a consultant specializing in forensic accounting and investigations. She has over twenty years of investigative, auditing and banking experience in both the private and public sectors. Ms. Drum has directed and conducted numerous forensic accounting investigations including but not limited to employee dishonesty, financial statement misrepresentation, ethical breaches and violations of standards of integrity, and professional malpractice for “Big Four” accounting firms. In addition, she has conducted and directed litigation support engagements, developed anti-fraud programs, and performed fraud vulnerability and business controls assessments for companies over a wide range of industries.
Ms. Drum served on the Villa Julie College Advisory Committee, Master’s Program for Forensic Accounting. She is a member of the Certified Fraud Examiners Association and the American Bar Association and is an appointed member of the Executive Committee for ABA Women Rainmakers’ special interest group of the Law Practice Management Section.
She received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University in 1983.

