Women in the Profession

WIP’s general membership includes hundreds of women attorneys throughout the Americas and in a growing number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Over more than 15 years, these attorneys have built national-level structures and an international network to facilitate sharing of best practices, professional development programming, enhanced networking opportunities, and much more.  

WIP’s International Steering Committee, which includes two representatives from each local chapter and members of the Vance Center Committee, coordinates WIP programming at the international level. Through organizing conferences, hosting meetings and training opportunities, providing mentorship, and more, the ISC seeks to enable women lawyers to share best practices and collaborate on solutions to narrow the gender gap in compensation and leadership. 

The Vance Center actively promotes diversity in the legal profession, and the WIP program is one example of a highly successful initiative that has yielded enormous impact throughout the Americas. Our programming encourages pro bono work, professional development, and greater inclusion in the global legal community.  For many participants, WIP is their first local opportunity to meet a committed network of women attorneys who are as intent on changing the legal profession as they are about succeeding within it.

Local Chapters
Through its 19 local chapters throughout Latin America, WIP promotes its mission of enhancing diversity and inclusion at all levels in the legal profession, with an emphasis on promoting leadership among its members. Each chapter commits to organizing at least two events each year that will provide women lawyers in each of their countries with a platform to share ideas and create initiatives. Consistent with the Vance Center’s effort to build global engagement among lawyers to contribute to social change, each chapter carries out one pro bono project each year that advances the status of women who face vulnerable circumstances.

International Conferences
Since 2007, with its local partners, WIP has convened conferences in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay.   Law firm partners and associates, in-house lawyers, government lawyers, members of the judiciary, and law students from across the region have collaborated to promote diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. The conferences have led to new initiatives in the region to improve opportunities and conditions for women in the legal profession, and more specifically to promote the hiring, retention, and career advancement of women lawyers.

Hear about the benefits of getting involved with WIP from Valeria Chapa, Vice President & General Counsel for Latin America, Honeywell International Inc., and co-founder of Abogadas MX, the national WIP chapter of Mexico.

Learn about WIP’s leadership training and mentoring opportunities from Fátima De Romaña, partner at Lazo, De Romaña & CMB Abogados in Peru, and Margarita Zambrano Albuja, partner at Meythaler & Zambrano Abogados in Ecuador.

WIP’s local chapter leaders are the core drivers of our programming.  Each chapter commits to organizing pro bono projects and local professional development events. These leaders bring industry expertise and dedication to women’s issues to their local groups and ensure the continued growth of WIP throughout the region.

For more information about the Women in the Profession Program, please contact Karina Benzaquen, Senior Manager of International Diversity and Pro Bono Programs, at kbenzaquen@nycbar.org.