Join us for the next RIWBA Book Club Meeting on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 5:30 PM for a discussion of Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America by Dahlia Lithwick. Dahlia Lithwick, one of the nation’s foremost legal commentators, tells the gripping and heroic story of the women lawyers who fought the racism, sexism, and xenophobia of Donald Trump’s presidency—and won.

Location: The Alcove, 189 Broadway, Providence, RI*

*Note the new location for our Book Club events!

Celebrate the start of fall with us at Track 15! Enjoy complimentary food, cash bar, the opportunity to connect with colleagues and friends, and learn how you can participate with RIWBA. (Sign up here for a 2026-2027 RIWBA Committee.)

2026-2027 Community Partner: This year, we’re proud to spotlight Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island (LCRI), a nonprofit public-interest organization that mobilizes Rhode Island attorneys to protect people, communities, nonprofits, and public institutions facing unlawful government action. Through advocacy, litigation, legal guidance, and training, LCRI works to safeguard civil rights, critical funding and services, and the rule of law throughout Rhode Island. Its growing network of volunteer lawyers responds to emerging legal challenges and provides vital support to organizations and communities across the state. We’re proud to highlight LCRI’s important work! Come learn more about its mission and how Rhode Island’s legal community can support it.

RIWBA will be matching donations to LCRI, up to $500. Donate to LCRI here! To have your donation counted toward the RIWBA match, please email a screenshot or receipt confirming your donation to jessica@jessicariderlaw.com.

📅 Tuesday, September 15 from 5:30-7:30 PM
📍 Track 15, Providence (discounted parking available)

Join us for the next RIWBA Book Club Meeting on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 5:30 PM for a discussion of The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah. A #1 New York Times bestseller, Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year, and soon to be a major motion picture, this unforgettable novel of love and strength in the face of war has enthralled a generation.

Location: The Alcove, 189 Broadway, Providence, RI*

*Note the new location for our Book Club events!

Please join us for the annual dinner on June 17, 2026, where the RIWBA will celebrate the accomplishments of the past year, vote for the 2026 Executive Board, discuss exciting plans for next year, and honor this year’s Ada Sawyer recipient, Krystle Guillory Tadesse!

The price of your ticket will include a full sit-down dinner

The Details:

When: June 17, 2026, at 5:30 PM

Where: Cafe Nuovo (One Citizens Plaza)
Cost: $85 for a member ticket; $95 for a non-member ticket

Complimentary valet parking will be available for all guests.
A cash bar will be available

Menu selections do not need to be made in advance

Menu:

Salad Choice:

Chopped: Seasonal vegetables, imported Greek feta, fresh herbs, sherry vinaigrette

Boston Bibb: Golden delicious apples, cider dressing spiced walnuts, gorgonzola dolce

Entree Choice:

Filet Medallions - whipped potatoes, broccoli, organic carrots, red wine bordelaise

Salmon - sautéed spinach, preserved lemon & parsley risotto, brown butter, beurre blanc

Roasted Chicken - roasted baby potatoes, button mushrooms, brussel spouts, baby carrots, lemon-thyme pan sauce

Mushroom linguini - marinated mushrooms, blistered tomatoes, chive and dill agile olio, paprika dusted parmeasan chips

Dessert Choice:

Pot of Mousse

Creme Brûlée

Fresh Fruit with Sorbet

The Cardigan Connection - Book Club Adjacent

Please join your RIWBA friends on May 28th at Alchemy!

Featured authors include: Emily Franklin, Bindu Bansinath, Shannon Garvey, and Bobuq Sayed.

There is a full bar serving soft drinks, mocktails, cocktails, beer, and wine. You can bring any other food that you’d like.

Tickets are $15 until 3/16 and will be $20 the day before and day-of (online and at the door). They are not refundable but are transferrable. If you are giving your ticket to a friend, please let us know who will be coming in your place.

The Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association is happy to host a fun interactive make your own ice cream experience!

When: Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 5:30 pm

Where: Gather Cafe & Ice Cream Bar , 519 Atwells Avenue, Providence

Join us for a fun, social way to experience the magic of Gather’s liquid-nitrogen ice cream. Gather’s chefs host live demonstrations while guests help choose flavors, watch each batch come together, and enjoy tastings as they’re made. It’s a lively, interactive experience that combines creativity, conversation, and really delicious ice cream.

Real People. Real Stories. Real Connections.

Gather with us for Beyond the Bio on Thursday, May 14 , co-sponsored by the Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association!

We're sending Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg, who has been a Judge for 36 years and a Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court for 29 years, off into retirement as a community celebrating her remarkable career!

Beyond the Bio is a ticketed event. Suggested donations of $5-10 per ticket help support free public programs for women and gender expansive people.

Register Here: Beyond the Bio - Speaker Series: Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg — The Alcove

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO APRIL 30TH

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Erin Kunkel, double-board certified in OBGYN and obesity medicine, as well as a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, about the intersection of women's hormonal changes across the lifespan and how they affect our health. Midlife women's health is having a much needed cultural moment. After a 2002 study effectively halted all prescribing of hormone therapy, women have been suffering unnecessarily and largely in silence, their concerns about perimenopause, weight gain, and a shifting sense of wellbeing and health being minimized or ignored entirely. We are now finally rising up out of the rubble of this decades long embargo on menopause medicine and hormone therapy, but the information out there is boundless and confusing to say the least. Frenetic, urgent, and at times catastrophic declarations about your hormonal health in midlife abound on social media, and it's hard to know where to turn. Join us for some of the answers to your questions.

When: Thursday, April 30 from 5:30-7:30 PM
Where:  517 Atwells Avenue, Providence
Parking is available in the D’Amico & Burchfield lot across the street (536 Atwells Avenue) as well as on Atwells and Harris Avenue.

Join us for the next RIWBA Book Club Meeting on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 5:30 PM for a discussion of The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs. Much has been written about Berdis Baldwin's son James, about Alberta King's son Martin Luther, and Louise Little's son Malcolm. But virtually nothing has been said about the extraordinary women who raised them. In her groundbreaking and essential debut The Three Mothers, scholar Anna Malaika Tubbs celebrates Black motherhood by telling the story of the three women who raised and shaped some of America's most pivotal heroes.

Location: The Alcove, 189 Broadway, Providence, RI*

*Note the new location for our Book Club events!

Together, the Rhode Island Women's Bar Association and the Rhode Island Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers proudly present a 2-credit CLE featuring AURA SUNADA NEWLIN from the Heart Mountain Foundation (located on the former site of a WWII Japanese-American Internment camp):

Lawyers in Justice, Lawyers' Injustice:
Lessons from Heart Mountain

When: April 15, 3-5 PM
Where: CIC Providence, 225 Dyer Street, Providence
Price: $20 for RIWBA/RIACDL Members; $30 for all others

This program will provide one DEI and one Ethics CLE credit.
Refreshments will be provided.

Developed by law professor Eric Muller of UNC-Chapel Hill, and presented by Aura Sunada Newlin, Lawyers in Justice, Lawyers’ Injustice is a 2-hour workshop where lawyers will consider the factors that led decent and talented lawyers to orchestrate, support, and defend a system of mass oppression - and the lessons that the mass incarceration of Japanese-American citizens during WWII still has for today's members of the legal profession.

Sign up here!

The Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association invites you to a truly unique April Open House you won’t want to miss ✨

📅 Wednesday, April 8
⏰ 5:30 – 7:30 PM
📍 Providence Drum Troupe*
(517 Atwells Ave., Providence) 

Join us for an evening of connection, community, and a little bit of the unexpected 💫

 We’re excited to welcome psychic medium Jodi-Lynn, a New England–based practitioner known for her warm, down-to-earth approach and her ability to provide comfort, guidance, and validation through spirit communication. With over 15 years of experience, she has helped many navigate healing—and her presence will make this an unforgettable night 🔮

✨ This event is free to attend, but registration is required.

Limited seats available.
Register here.

Refreshments will be served.
Parking is available at the D’Amico & Burchfield lot across the street (536 Atwells Avenue)

Today’s children are growing up in a digital environment very different from the one most parents experienced. From social media pressures to AI-generated images and online predators, the risks facing kids online are evolving rapidly.

In this virtual program, attorney Lindsay Lieberman—who represents victims of cyber abuse and technology-facilitated exploitation—will break down the biggest online threats children face today and offer practical strategies parents can use to protect their kids. The discussion will cover topics including sextortion, non-consensual image sharing, AI-generated exploitation, and how families can respond when digital harm occurs.

This virtual session will equip attendees with actionable tools and insights to help children navigate technology safely while fostering healthy digital habits.

Earn 1 CLE

REGISTER HERE: https://www.riwba.com/store/ethicscle-23srf-w2cfl

This program explores how attorneys can effectively and ethically represent clients who have experienced domestic violence by using a trauma-informed approach to legal services. The session will provide an overview of the dynamics of domestic violence and how trauma can influence a client’s engagement in the legal process. Participants will learn practical strategies for building trust, conducting trauma-sensitive client interviews, managing expectations, and avoiding re-traumatization during the legal process. The program will also address ethical considerations, boundaries, and collaboration with support professionals to better serve survivors while maintaining effective legal representation (Yulyana Torres, Staff Attorney, Sojourner House)

 Earn 1 Ethics CLE

REGISTER HERE: https://www.riwba.com/store/ethicscle-23srf-w2cfl-7ggt3  

Join the RI Women's Bar Association in partnership with Hinckley Allen for an In Person CLE featuring Hannah Vitello

The Case for Visibility: Engagement as a Tool for Lawyers

This program examines how lawyers can use content to build a public professional identity that generates referrals, speaking invitations, leadership roles, and institutional credibility. It addresses how LinkedIn and similar platforms fit into the existing ecosystem of CLEs, bar participation, and publications, and explains what types of content are credible, useful, and consistent with professional norms. Attendees will learn how to create content that reflects their practice, expertise, and point of view without drifting into marketing, self-promotion, or legal advice.

Join the RI Women's Bar Association in partnership with Hinckley Allen for an In Person Ethics CLE featuring Maria R. Lenz from the RI Supreme Court Office of Disciplinary Counsel.

You Know It When You See It: Civility in Legal Practice.

Civility is often considered the “cornerstone” of the legal profession, but let’s face it: we are all human, and sometimes, we find it hard to be civil, especially when faced with difficult clients or overly “zealous” opposing counsel. This in person Ethics CLE will discuss what civility is, the advantages of civility to your legal practice, and tips for how to exercise civility when faced with challenging relationships. The CLE will also examine the relationship of civility to the Rules of Professional Conduct and provide real-life examples of disciplinary consequences of being uncivil.  

 Earn CLE credit (including 1 Ethics credit!)
🔹Network with fellow attorneys
🔹Lunch provided

AUTHOR EVENT

For our February Open House, we are excited to welcome author Michelle Cully, who will join us to speak about her book, High Heels in the Laundry Room.

This event is free and open to the public—✨ registration is required ✨—and we warmly welcome attorneys, non-attorneys, and students to attend.

📅 Date: Thursday, February 12, 2026
🕔 Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 Location: 517 Atwells Avenue

Parking is available in the D’Amico & Burchfield lot across the street (536 Atwells Avenue) as well as on Atwells and Harris Avenue.

Purchase a copy of the book HERE!

This virtual 1 hour CLE program will be held on Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at noon and will be presented by Zachary K. Lyons, an experienced immigration attorney at from Lyons Legal Group

Zachary will provide a practical overview of key immigration policies, recent updates, and common legal issues that may impact noncitizen clients. Attendees will gain the tools to identify immigration concerns early, assess how legal actions may affect a client’s status, and determine when collaboration with an immigration attorney is necessary.

This CLE is free, but signup is required.

Join us for the next RIWBA Book Club Meeting on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 5:30 PM for a discussion of The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O'Neill, a Today Show #ReadwithJenna Book Club Pick. In this emotionally resonant and gripping novel, three adult sisters grapple with a shared tragedy over a Thanksgiving weekend spent in their childhood home, navigating complex relationships and old tensions.

Location: The Alcove, 189 Broadway, Providence, RI*

*Note the new location for our Book Club events!

The Cardigan Connection - Book Club Adjacent

Please join your RIWBA friends on January 21st at Alchemy!

The Cardigan Connection is Rhode Island’s own author series which features four diverse authors and their latest books. We’ll be joined by four amazing authors: Jenna Blum (Murder Your Darlings), Nicky Gonzalez (Mayra), Anthony Amore (The Rembrandt Heist), and Wendy Walker (Blade).

Tickets are $15 in advance (save the fee and Venmo @emily-homonoff and let her know you are a part of RIWBA) or $20 at the door. Please email Angela at ayingling@ripd.org if you plan to attend so we can reserve a RIWBA table. Tickets are not refundable but are transferable,

Come join the Legislation and Policy Committee with an overview of the laws passed in the last legislative session that women and lawyers should know.  The session will be presented by Christy Durant, Esq. and Misty Delgado, Esq.   It will be held on January 15th at 4:30pm in the RI Statehouse Library.  This is a great way to review the past session and get excited for the next legislative session. This event is free, but registration required.

EMPOWERED FINANCE:

Building Habits That Grow Your Wealth

Join us for our first Open House of the New Year with an inspiring evening focused on building smart financial habits. This event is open to all so feel free to bring a friend! This event is entirely free, but registration is required.

📅 Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2026
🕔 Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 Location: 517 Atwells Avenue

Enjoy the perfect January libations, expertly served by Hi Lo Bar

Parking is available in the D’Amico & Burchfield lot across the street (536 Atwells Avenue)

as well as on Atwells and Harris Avenue.

Sponsored by Gather Wealth Investment Management

Check out Gather Wealth Investment Management’s website HERE!

It is almost that time of year: to toast to all things winter!

Join your fellow RIWBA members as we celebrate the winter season with a cozy lunch at Mills Tavern!

When: December 11, 2025
Time: 12PM*
Cost: $20
Where: Mill’s Tavern

We will be collecting donations for the Children’s Friend Gift Drive at this event. The sign-up sheet for the drive can be found here.

*Lunch will be concluded by 1PM for those who need to return to the office (or other duties!), but we will have some extra time for those who would like to linger over dessert, coffee, and wine.

We encourage all members to attend this special full-day educational event. Some of our own members helped plan the program, which will feature world-renowned constitutional scholars, legal historians, judicial officers, and thought-provoking discussions on the 13th Amendment’s continued impact on our judicial system and the ongoing struggle for racial justice. This event is open to judges, attorneys, law clerks, legal scholars, law students, and the public.

Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025 at 6:30 PM to Thursday, Dec 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM EST

Salve Regina University, Bazarsky Auditorium, 100, Newport, RI

CLE: 6.5 CLE credits available 

Join us for an evening of networking with the Rhode Island legal community in partnership with the Rhode Island Lawyer’s Weekly honoring our 2025 Newsmaker, Tara Allen, federal public defender.

Tara I. Allen has focused on criminal defense litigation and education for the majority of her career. She earned a B.A. from Wesleyan University in 1991 and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law in 1998. She began her career working as a trial attorney for federal defender offices in Pennsylvania and California, as well as serving as staff counsel for two federal appeals courts. She then moved to Rhode Island and became an Assistant Federal Defender for the District of Rhode Island, where she continued to focus on federal criminal defense trial work. Ms. Allen became Professor Allen in 2018 when she joined the faculty at the Roger Williams University School of Law, where she taught Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and Evidence. She also held the honorary title of Bruce I. Kogan Distinguished Service Professor of Law and was named Professor of the Year in 2020. On June 4th, 2025, Ms.  Allen was appointed to serve as the Federal Public Defender for the Districts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

Light appetizers will be provided, and a cash bar will be available.

Use code "RIWBAFREE25" below to register for your free ticket as a RIWBA member.

The Cardigan Connection - Book Club with a Twist!

Please join your friends of the RIWBA on November 19th at Alchemy ! We will be reading The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O’Neill and meeting the author at the next installment of The Cardigan Connection.

The Cardigan Connection is Rhode Island’s own author series which features four diverse authors and their latest books. We’ll be joined by four amazing authors: Heather Aimee O’Neill (The Irish Goodbye), Anna North (Bog Queen), Charlene Wang (I’ll Follow You), and Janet Rich Edwards (Canticle).

Light snacks from “Charcut by Richie” and refreshments compliments of RIWBA.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the Cardigan Connection will also be collecting food pantry items for the East Greenwich Interfaith Food Cupboard at Saint Luke's.

Tickets are $15 in advance (save the fee and Venmo @emily-homonoff and let her know you are a part of RIWBA) or $20 at the door. Please email Angela at ayingling@ripd.org if you plan to attend so we can plan for enough snacks. Tickets are not refundable but are transferable,

The Basics of Estate Planning

Join us for an insightful evening on the fundamentals of estate planning with Attorney Liz Facey—tailored for Rhode Island attorneys looking to expand their knowledge or better serve their clients. Network with peers and gain valuable legal insights.

Thursday, November 13, 2025

• 5:30 PM 7:00 PM

• Leadership Rhode Island
  188 Valley Street, BLDG 3L, Suite 131Providence, RI

*CLE credit pending

🌟 Join Us for a Stylish Evening! 🌟

Get ready for a night where fashion meets fun! 💃✨

📅 When: November 12th at 5:30 pm-7:30 pm
📍 Where: 517 Atwells Avenue

We’re excited to welcome back Carrie Humphreys, a wardrobe stylist with 19 years of experience, who will introduce cabi—a fashion brand known for empowering women through personalized styling and versatile, comfy pieces. Carry visited us last year for an Open House that was a huge hit!

Come discover how cabi can elevate your style! Connect, learn, and get inspired with us. 💫

Don’t miss it—see you there! 💗 RSVP Below. 

CLE: RI’s New Menopause Accommodation Law

Join us for this 1 hour in person CLE program as we explore Rhode Island’s new menopause accommodation law and what employers and HR professionals need to know.

Led by attorney Gregory Tumolo, our session will cover the following topics:

• What is a reasonable accommodation under the Rhode Island Fair Employment Practices Act

• The interactive process for identifying accommodations for menopause or related medical conditions.

• Examples of menopause-related accomodations

• Notice and workplace posting requirements

• Penalties for non-compliance

  Lunch will be provided compliments of Hinckley Allen - thank you!

Join us for the next RIWBA Book Club Meeting on Thursday, September 25, at 5:30 PM for a discussion of The Husbands.  The Husbands is an exuberant debut novel by Holly Gramazio that delights in how we navigate life, love, and choice in a world of never-ending options.

Location: 517 Atwells Avenue, Providence

(Community Space Two Doors Down From Gathered Glass)**

Complimentary Refreshments Provided!

**Free street parking on Atwells Avenue, behind the building on Harris Ave, and across the street at 536 Atwells Ave (D'Amico Burchfield). 

Celebrate the start of fall with us at Narragansett Brewery! Enjoy free food, a drink ticket, and the opportunity to connect with colleagues and friends.

This year, we’re proud to spotlight Gather RI, a feminist cultural center celebrating women and gender expansive people. Gather RI provides dedicated space for meaningful connection and community building through book clubs, speaker series, and special events. Their private member space, the Haven, offers environments for conversation and gathering, while the Portrait Gallery and Biographical Library showcase inspiring art and biographies. We’re thrilled to highlight their important work—come learn more and show your support.

📅 Tuesday, September 16 from 5:30-7:30 PM
📍 Narragansett Brewery, Providence (free parking lot available)