Reaching Out

Reaching Out

The Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers (HAWL) has started a mentoring program for the benefit of female students at the Stetson University College of Law.

As part of the program, the association sponsored a networking reception March 11 at the Tampa Club library and invited student members from the Stetson chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWLS).

This was the first meeting of the two chapters, says Tampa solo practitioner Deborah Werner, who chairs HAWL's publicity and mentoring committees.

She attributed the reception's success to the volunteer work of Allen Dell PA attorney Amy Singer, HAWL's vice president of programs, and Kate Egelston, FAWLS' student president.

Around 40 students, lawyers and judges attended the March 11 event.

Students had the opportunity to network with legal professionals such as U.S. District Judge Virginia Covington, Hillsborough Circuit judges Susan Sexton and E. Lamar Battles and Stewart & Twine PA law partner Barbara Twine-Thomas, HAWL's 2004-05 president.

The mentoring program is evolving, Werner says. Members are working on ways to provide the student chapter members with more one-on-one mentoring opportunities.

- David R. Corder