Helping WBA Members Build Connections Early in Their Careers
The early years of a legal career can be exciting, demanding, and sometimes isolating. The Young Lawyers Committee (YLC) of the Women’s Bar Association creates space for early-career members to connect, learn from one another, and see a broader range of experiences reflected in the legal community.
“A strong network of peers and mentors can make a meaningful difference in the early years of a legal career. The more united we are, the stronger we become.” – YLC Co-Chairs
This year, the forum is led by co-chairs Maria Segura (associate at Miles & Stockbridge); Oluwaremilekun (Remi) Mehner (counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP); Zuka Chuka Obah (attorney at Battino & Sokolow PLLC); Jessica Killeen (former law clerk for the United States District Court for the District of Maryland); and Kelechi Eke (associate at Kiernan Trebach LLP ).
Together, they are focused on strengthening community, increasing engagement, and developing programs that reflect the diverse interests and experiences of young women in the D.C. legal community.
What’s Ahead
One of the YLC’s priorities this year is to create programming that inspires young lawyers and reflects the experiences of those who may not always have seen their backgrounds or paths represented in the profession. In that spirit, the forum will begin the bar year with the panel discussion First of Her Kind: First-Generation Women Lawyers on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at Steptoe LLP.
The program will feature a panel of women who were the first in their families to become attorneys and will examine the opportunities and challenges of entering and navigating the legal profession without a roadmap. Panelists will also share practical guidance on mentorship, networking, career development, and building confidence and community. Register here to join us.
Members can also expect clerkship programs, career-development and practical-skills sessions, happy hours, picnics, and other social events throughout the year.
Guidance from the Co-Chairs
The co-chairs encourage young women attorneys and law students to seek out mentors and invest in relationships with their peers. They also emphasize that success takes time. Goals are not achieved overnight, and young lawyers should be patient with the process, put in the work, and give themselves and others grace along the way.
Because career paths are rarely linear, the co-chairs advise attorneys and law students to remain open to opportunities and paths they may not have anticipated and to remember that they do not need to map out every step today to keep moving in the right direction.
How to Get Involved
Interested in joining the Young Lawyers Committee? We’d be glad to welcome you. Contact the co-chairs at younglawyers@wbadc.org to learn about upcoming meetings, events, and other ways to participate.