Phoenix WIL Section Mix-and-Mentor Soiree

 (Written by Tisha Huish, the Phoenix Chapter Women in Law Section Chair.)

The first WIL JRCLS Mix and Mentor Soiree was a complete success! Attorneys from all practice areas, backgrounds and faiths came together to meet with students in hopes to help build a network of friendship and open communication. Students were able to liaise with attorneys in various practice areas as well as build relationships with students from other law schools.

Upon arriving at the Marshall Gallery of Fine Art, guests were treated to an incredible spread of gourmet food and treats. Guests then migrated to designated areas of the Gallery that represented different areas of law. This way attorneys who practice those specific areas and students who were interested in those areas could easily find each other.  

We then kicked the night off with an acapella parody on law school performed by attorneys and law students. The performance made everyone laugh and left us in awe of their sheer talent! To top it all off, the performance was followed by an amazing piano duel!

The most moving part of the evening was when we awarded the first ever, WIL Scholarship, to recipients from both ASU and ASLS. The WIL scholarship committee read nearly 50 applications in hopes to find recipients who embodied the essence of determination to overcome any obstacle to realize their dream of attending law school. 

So many women were deserving, having overcome or currently fighting cancer, poverty, and domestic abuse. The committee could only choose one recipient from each law school to receive the $500 award. Ultimately, Adna Zelijkovic from ASLS and Amanda Green from ASU were unanimously chosen as the 2014 WIL Scholarship recipients!

All who attended left uplifted, energized and happy to have made new friends. It was suggested that the soiree become an annual event and many wanted to be on the scholarship committee for 2015. We are always looking for new ways to serve the Phoenix area women in the law and love this community of friendship we are building.