A Message from the President:

 Dear members of the Rhode Island Women's Bar Association and interested community members,

I am honored to serve as your President for the 2023-2024 year. I am particularly grateful for the legacy left by our past president Cassandra Feeney. Through her leadership, we begin our year with a three-year Strategic Plan in place. I encourage all members to review the Strategic Plan and hold me, and the members of our Board of Directors, accountable to our goals.

Despite making great strides over the past century in the advancement of women in our profession and in our communities, we are, as always, fighting an uphill battle. Recent United States Supreme Court rulings demolishing our bodily autonomy and the ability of our institutions of higher learning to foster diversity have forced us into a significant backslide. Fortunately, as attorneys, we are not easily pushed around nor are we unfamiliar with overcoming challenges. Although the work of our organization is not keyed toward national change, we can ensure that the values of our State and our membership are reflected in our work.

To that end, I would like to focus on a few items that resonate throughout our Strategic Plan. First, the necessary work of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion throughout our membership and for the Bar Association generally. This work is not easy and I admit that there exists an equal possibility of faltering as persevering. However, when confronted with important work that feels insurmountable, I am comforted by the words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Second, I would like all members to understand that this organization is made better by membership participation. To that end, I sincerely hope that each member joins one of our sub-committees--even if just to connect with other members of our community. That sense of community is something that I find particularly powerful as a member of the RIWBA and one of the reasons I return as a member year after year.

Third, I hope that all members recognize the power of membership in promoting themselves and in promoting other women or allies. There are countless studies and articles that reflect on some pretty grim facts about how work performed by women is often discounted, devalued, or dismissed. This has to stop. I hope that we can lift each other up by sharing our accomplishments and the accomplishments of others through our Newsletter and Social Media channels.

We have a lot of work to do this year and I look forward to fighting the challenges we face with such a committed community.

Your servant,

Etie-Lee Z. Schaub

President, RIWBA