President Christina Roberson

I am honored and privileged to serve as the President of Fresno County Women Lawyers for the 2015 year. Although my time with the organization has been relatively short, my involvement has made an impact both personally and professionally. The networking opportunities and the comradery have inspired me throughout this past year while serving on the Board as Secretary, and I look forward to the exciting year to come.

The mission of FCWL always has been to promote the interests of the legal community at large and women in particular. In fulfillment of that mission, FCWL members are dedicated to ending all types of discrimination, eliminating hostile work environments, promoting the appointment of female judicial officers, supporting outstanding female law students, and recognizing outstanding female high school mock trial participants. With advances in diversity awareness, we also are committed to supporting lawyers of both genders in balancing work obligations with family interests, acknowledging gender differences as sources of strength, and fostering respect for diversity in our bench, bar, and community.

The 2015 year will be a time of growth and innovation for the organization. As one example of innovation, it is now possible to pay your yearly dues through our website, a very convenient change. Additional changes to our website will come throughout the year, so please continue to check back for an updated calendar of events. As we move into 2015, our goal is to reach more potential members from all areas of the law to expand the networking and mentoring functions of the organization. We intend for our luncheons to be as relevant as possible to all types of legal professionals as we will aim to focus on issues that are important in the Central Valley, specifically to women.  To ensure we meet the educational needs of our members, we ask for your input about topics of interest. As always, our luncheons will provide MCLE credit.

FCWL hosts a number of social and networking events throughout the year. As in years past, we are delighted to plan our judicial reception this year honoring newly appointed female judicial officers. The yearly Hanson dinner will once again honor an outstanding female lawyer and a deserving female law student. We will also present the Elizabeth O’Neill Scholarship to an outstanding female high school student who is interested in the law and participating in mock trial. Throughout the year, committees will be formed for each event and for other purposes. On your application, please note any specific committee in which you are interested in participating.

The Board of FCWL is committed to expanding the value of this organization throughout this area. Please feel free to email myself or any other Board members with questions or ideas regarding the organization. We are dedicated to our members and to ensuring that the time you spend with FCWL is valuable to you. The Board is also looking to expand our presence with the California Women Lawyers Organization, and we are encouraging our members to join that group as well. We look forward to your participation in the coming year, and the building of new relationships for many years to come.