By Sameena Safdar, CEO, Amplify Your Voice The Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia hosted their annual Well-Being Conference on January 30, 2026 at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. This year's theme was Thriving Through Connection, Clarity and Care. Culture, Not Willpower, Shapes Well-Being in Law What conversations about trauma, boundaries, [...]
WBA Issue Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Legal Profession The Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia (WBA) was founded to remedy the exclusion of practicing women attorneys from the local professional association, in which attorneys could exchange practical know-how and form lasting professional relationships. Today, WBA envisions a world in [...]
The Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia (WBA) will recognize Skye Perryman, President & CEO of Democracy Forward, as the 2026 WBA Woman Lawyer of the Year. Known for her strategic insight and impact-oriented leadership, Ms. Perryman has a track record of winning tough legal and policy battles, uniting diverse coalitions, inspiring the American [...]
Kendra Wiley is an attorney with a background in public service, energy and sustainability policy, and real-estate-adjacent legal work. She recently launched her own practice focused on helping organizations navigate compliance and strategy in real estate. Born and raised in Texas, she now calls Washington, DC home. After several years in private practice, she pivoted [...]
The Board of Directors approved the following issue statement at its December 11, 2025 meeting. The Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia (WBA) takes seriously its mission to promote the administration of justice, maintain the honor and integrity of the profession, advance and protect the interests of women lawyers, promote our mutual improvement, [...]
By Sameena Safdar, CEO, Amplify Your Voice When the Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia hosted "AI Policy 2025: A Year in Review" as part of its AI Advantage series, a major AI executive order from the Trump Administration was expected at any moment, with draft versions circulating that took very different approaches [...]
Leah P. Levi is Special Counsel in the Office of Chief Counsel within the Division of Trading and Markets at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In her role, she contributes to the Commission’s mission of protecting investors, promoting fair and efficient markets, and facilitating capital formation. Her work is informed by a sophisticated [...]
Oluwaremilekun (Remi) Mehner is a counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. She received her undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University and her law degree from Harvard Law School. As a healthcare and life sciences regulatory counsel, she assists clients on a range of regulatory, enforcement, and policy matters within the healthcare and food and [...]
Victoria Hamscho is a senior associate at K&L Gates LLP. Victoria is a dedicated attorney and government relations professional. She is a Senior Associate in the Public Policy and Law Practice of K&L Gates, where she advocates on behalf of clients before Congress and the Administration. In this role, Victoria works closely with the Congressional [...]
Laura Schwendeman is an associate at Kleinfeld Kaplan & Becker, LLP. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. While in law school, administrative law stood out as her favorite course (shoutout to Professor Miriam Seifter), but, unsure how to translate that [...]
