A group of about 30 WLA members arrived in DC on Thursday March 24, 2011 to attend the First Annual WLA DC Summit. Upon arriving we went straight to Jenner & Block for a reception full of amazing HLS alumnae sharing stories about where their careers have brought them over the years, and of all the opportunities DC has to offer.
The next day we got off to an early start, with a varied and interesting panel of women in the private sector, followed by those in public/government jobs. The best part was seeing how all of the women had an opportunity to work in both fields over the years, which is truly an experience unique to living in DC. I know we all left with the feeling that this was the place to be both to serve our government and to have successful careers in the private sector.
After the morning panels we rushed off to the Senate to have lunch with a panel from the HELP (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions) committee. It was interesting to see the variety of backgrounds of staffers, one of whom had gotten a PHD at Harvard studying science, and decided to apply that background to drafting legislation. It’s amazing just how many talented, young people are helping to run our country behind closed doors.
And for our last stop of the day we had a private tour of the Supreme Court, followed by a meeting with the newest Supreme Court Justice, and former law school dean Elena Kagan. She was down to earth, candid, and I think shocked us all by saying she had just canceled hunting plans with her new friend Justice Scalia! Apparently she has been hunting with him a number of times! After she left to attend to her work, two of her clerks came out to speak with us. It was really amazing, as many, if not all of us, aspire to clerk for the Court after graduation, and now we all feel one step closer to realizing that dream.
As a new co-chair of the Alumni Committee, I am excited for the chance to work on our trip next year, and hope to make it as great, if not better, as it was this past March.
