Member Spotlight: Ama Romaine
Ama Romaine is the General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer for G6 Hospitality, the parent company for the iconic Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands where she leads the company’s ESG platform, Lighting the Way. She is also responsible for Risk Management and Franchise Administration. In her role, Ama developed and implemented the company’s first compliance program and successfully launched the company’s ESG platform focused on operating responsibly. Immediately prior to joining G6, Ama was the General Counsel & Head [...]
Member Spotlight: Chiara Tondi Resta
Chiara Tondi Resta is an Associate at Wiley, where her practice is focused on insurance coverage litigation and counseling. Chiara went to law school at the University of Virginia, and was President of the Innocence Project there. Although she doesn’t practice criminal law full time, post-conviction issues and work is something that is very important to her, and she dedicates her pro bono work to that. In particular, lately, she has spearheaded Wiley's partnership with the Second Look Project. They [...]
Member Spotlight: Lauren Drake
Lauren Drake is a Partner at Macrae, Inc., a legal recruiting boutique with a focus on the placement of law firm partners. She joined the WBA in 2020 and quickly become involved in the Membership Committee. She also coordinates Macrae’s support of the WBA as a sponsor; the firm has supported our Fall Leadership Series (2020); Spring Career Series (2021), and is a Vendor Sponsor. Lauren describes here career path as “slightly unusual.” She started her career as a telecom [...]
Member Spotlight: Ellen Jakovic
Ellen M. Jakovic is Of Counsel in the antitrust group at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Prior to 2021, Ellen was a partner and headed the Firm’s Hart-Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act (HSR) filing practice. She was recently elected as President-Elect of the DC Bar and has served as President of both the WBA (2002-2003) and WBA Foundation (2006-2008). She has served on the Board of many legal organizations, including the DC Bar Foundation, Bar Association of the District of Columbia, [...]
Member Spotlight: Natasha Sim
Natasha Sim is an attorney and CDFI Program Manager at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC). Since joining NCRC in late 2020, she has led the implementation of a multi-million-dollar lending program and managed the development of an affordable housing initiative aiming to produce 20 million homes by 2030. A native New Zealander, Natasha came to the U.S. about 10 years ago. She lives in Arlington with her partner and amber-eyed cat, Bella. Her main area of interest is financial [...]
Member Spotlight: Nancy Ortmeyer-Kuhn
Nancy Ortmeyer-Kuhn is a Director in Jackson & Campbell, P.C.'s Business Law Practice Group, specializing in a variety of federal and state tax and non-tax matters and litigation in federal and state courts. She is also the Chair of Jackson & Campbell's Tax Law Practice Group. Before private practice she worked for the IRS for ten years. She was named a Super Lawyer in 2020 and 2021 by Washington D.C. Super Lawyers, a supplement of the Washington Lawyer. Nancy is [...]
Member Spotlight: Bayliss Fiddiman
Bayliss is an Associate Director of K-12 Education at the Center for American Progress where she advocates for state and federal policies that increase access to a high-quality education for all children. She is passionate about educational equity, criminal justice reform, civil rights, and the intersections between them. In her spare time she can be found reading, watching a documentary, cooking, crafting, at a good festival/conference/museum (pre-COVID), traveling, volunteering, or enjoying a great winery! She currently serves as President-Elect for [...]
Member Spotlight: Amy Conway-Hatcher
Amy Conway-Hatcher is a Partner with Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears, a boutique law firm in Washington, D.C. whose team of prominent lawyers handle a wide range of high-profile complex legal, business and reputational matters. Amy is the kind of lawyer who solves hard problems (the kind people don’t want you to know about like bribery, fraud and harassment) and keeps your name out of the media headlines. She is the first woman Special Counsel for the Commission on Judicial [...]
Member Spotlight: Sameena Safdar Kluck
Get to know our social media co-chair, Sameena Kluck. She's the Director of Brand Evangelism for LawGeex in her day job but in her spare time amplifies social media (for us!) & The Blue & Black Partnership through her LLC, Amplify Your Voice: Why did you join the WBA? Ama Romaine urged me to join the Women of Color task force in 2019; I moderated a panel at the Dare to Make an Impact conference. In 2020, I live-tweeted a [...]
Member Spotlight: Candace Beck
Counsel & Director of Client Relations, Tanenholz & Associates, PLLC WBA President-Elect (2021-2022) Why did you join the WBA? I joined the WBA because I am very passionate and committed to women's rights and women's leadership. Also, my good friend from American University Washington College of Law and Howrey-LLP, Ferdose al-Taie, was very involved in the WBA and encouraged me to get involved at the perfect time! What benefits has your membership brought you? I love getting to know [...]
Member Spotlight: Meg Inomata
Why did you join the WBA? I learned about the WBA through two colleagues who have been involved with and held various leadership positions in the organization over the years. What benefits has your membership brought you? Since in-person networking events essentially stopped during the pandemic, the WBADC has been one of the best avenues for meeting new attorneys in the DC area in the past year. Why do you think others should join? I have met many intelligent, inspiring [...]
Member Spotlight: Janine Herring
Why did you join the WBA? I credit my longtime friend and fellow WBA member Jennifer Mika with bringing me into the fold at the close of law school. I was excited about the prospect of finding community with fellow women lawyers. I only wish I would have joined sooner! What benefits have you seen from your membership? I have had the opportunity to work with incredibly talented lawyers, and in the process, I've gained a support network of friends, [...]
Member Spotlight: Jenny Bi
Why did you join the WBA? I have been an active member of Women in Ediscovery DC and through WiE DC I learned great things about WBADC. I look forward to becoming part of the community with WBADC! What benefits have you seen from your membership? I have been paired up with my mentor, Amy Conway-Hatcher, through WBA. She has always been there whenever I had a question about career or building professional relationships. I also attended WBA virtual events [...]
Member Spotlight: Natalie Roisman
Why did you join the WBA? I initially got involved with the WBA by attending the Holiday Tea, which was organized by the WBA Communications Law Forum. I was seven years out of law school and had just left the government to return to a firm. I looked around the room at this amazing group of strong women lawyers from government and the private sector, and I knew I needed to be part of the organization. What benefits has your [...]
Member Spotlight: Ashley Bouchez
Why did you join the WBA? I joined the WBA to meet other young women lawyers outside my firm. I joined the WBADC during the height of the pandemic, when so many of us were struggling to connect with each other and advance in our careers when the divide between work and home life was not only blurred but basically obliterated. I hoped that joining would help me to overcome the inherent social and professional struggles that came along with [...]
Member Spotlight: Bridget Bailey Lipscomb
Why did you join the WBA? I admired the strong bond amongst the WBA members. I was a member of the DC Bar Board of Governors along with Paulette Chapman, Laura Possessky, and Amy Bess, and often saw them leaving DC Bar Board Meetings together to attend WBA events. I wanted to join them in their excitement around the WBA. What benefits have you seen from your membership? I have gained friendships and sisters that I never would have obtained [...]
Member Spotlight: Gaffar Chowdhury
Why did you join the WBA? I was introduced to the WBA through my board service with the sister organization, Women's Bar Association Foundation. Shortly after joining the WBAF in 2012, I learned about the WBA and have been involved with both organizations, ever since. What benefits have you seen from your membership? I have learned a lot about the legal field from my sisters in the WBA. As a non-lawyer member, the programming that the Association has hosted over [...]
Member Spotlight: Funmi Owolabi
Why did you join the WBA? I went to a WBA event with a friend at the time and they encouraged me to join. The president was friendly, and I really felt at home with the other women attorneys who had come to the event. What benefits have you seen? I have met a number of women attorneys in a variety of fields. It’s so encouraging to converse with women who have similar experiences to me Why do you think [...]
Member Spotlight: Mary Ellen Kleiman
Why did you join the WBA? After many years of in-house practice, I decided to join the WBA because I wanted to become more connected to my female legal peers in DC, for the comradery and community I felt was lacking in my professional life. The diversity and dynamism of the WBA membership, across practice areas, age, and race, along with its impressive history and robust programing, all drew me to the WBA. What benefits has membership brought you? I [...]
Member Spotlight: Renée-Lauren Ellis
When do you join the WBA? I joined the WBA in 2011 or 2012, shortly after beginning my first post-law school job. I'd shared with someone my uncertainty about my career; no longer did I have the linear, predictable path of schooling. The person (another Black woman lawyer) suggested checking out local voluntary bar organizations and among them was the WBA; she specifically recommended the Holiday Tea. I was too late to get a ticket to the Tea -- don't [...]
Member Spotlight: Sadina Montani
What inspired you to join during law school? I joined the WBA after attending Stars of the Bar as a 3L. I was invited to attend by former WBA and WBAF Board member Amy Bess, who was a partner at the firm at which I was a summer associate. Everyone I met at the event was so welcoming and encouraging – I knew I had to be part of the organization! What did you get out of it then? I [...]