Shaping Tomorrow: Accelerating Change Today

May 21-22, 2025

Background

As we are now in an era where the number of women law school graduates exceeds the number of men, there is a need for employers to hire the best available talent and create a workplace culture in which both women and men have excellent opportunities to advance and succeed. Yet longstanding disparities persist in leadership representation, compensation, and attrition. Added to these, are the new opportunities and challenges created by remote work and the rise of artificial intelligence. What can the profession do to address these and other issues to ensure women lawyers will remain and thrive in the legal profession?

Goal

The Summit will bring together thought leaders and decision makers from business and law in an intimate setting to examine and provide solutions that address this critical question.

Objectives

• Create a knowledge-sharing platform for participants to examine cutting-edge research and engage in meaningful discussions about gender disparities in the legal profession.
• Support participants in devising actionable strategies, measures, benchmarks, and solutions.
• Facilitate synergies and development of networks among senior decision makers, who are responsible for the culture and values of their workplace, and the careers of more junior lawyers.

The Summit is by invitation-only.

Location

Both days of the Summit will take place at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in downtown Chicago at 375 E Chicago Ave.

See Biographies

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Wednesday, May 21

12:00 pm – Registration

12:45 pm – Welcome

Hari Osofsky, Dean and Myra and James Bradwell Professor of Law, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
Karol Corbin-Walker, Partner, Kaufman Dolowich & Chair, ABA’s Commission on Women in the Profession
Alpha Brady, Executive Director, COO of the American Bar Association
Faith Gay, Founding Partner, Selendy Gay PLLC 

1:00 pm – Keynote Fireside Chat

Keynote Speaker
Hon. Sharon Bowen, Chair of NYSE & Director of Intercontinental Exchange

Moderator
Alpha Brady, Executive Director and COO of the American Bar Association

Introduction
Nancy Gerrie, Retired Partner and Co-Chair, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice, Winston & Strawn

1:55 pm – Unearthing the Truth: Findings on Gender and the Legal Profession

Panelists will highlight the findings from the current research on gender representation in the law.

Paulette Brown, Former President of the American Bar Association
Tracey E George, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Education, Vanderbilt University
Stephanie Scharf, Partner, Scharf Banks Marmor LLC  & Principal, The Red Bee Group, LLC
Lauren Rivera, Peter G. Peterson Professor of Corporate Ethics, Professor of Management & Organizations, Northwestern University's  Kellogg School of Management 

Moderator
Michelle Speller-Thurman, Divisional Vice President & Associate General Counsel, Licensing & Acquisitions, Abbott Laboratories

2:50 pm – Coffee Break

3:15 pm – Views from the Top: Grappling with the Challenges and Opportunities for Women in the Legal Profession 

This session features the leaders of law firms discussing the challenges and opportunities for women in Big Law.

Faith Gay, Founding Partner, Selendy Gay PLLC 
Terri Mascherin, Partner, Jenner & Block, LLP
Amy Graham Doehring, Deputy Co-Chair, Litigation Practice Group, Akerman LLP

Moderator
Maria Doughty, President & Chief Executive Officer, The Chicago Network & Special Advisor, ABA Commission on Women in the Profession

4:15 pm – Breakout Sessions

5:45 pm – Stretch Break

6:30 pm – Networking Dinner & Keynote 

Keynote Speaker
Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO, Feeding America

Introduction
Anika Gray, Director, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

Thursday, May 22

8:00 am – Breakfast & Registration

9:15 am – Breakout Sessions

11:00 am - Coffee Break

11:20 am - Breakout Sessions

12:50 pm - Lunch

1:55 pm - Leveraging the Power of the General Counsel   

This session will focus on ways to leverage the general counsel's position to support gender representation and other forms of inclusion.

Deborah Solmor, General Counsel, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation & Founder, Ready Set GC
Kelly McNamara Corley, Principal, The Red Bee Group
Lauren Schwartz, Global general Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Cleverbridge

Moderator
Reena Bajowala, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig

2:50 pm - Moving Forward: Key Takeaways and Actions

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Attendees to the Summit can secure special Northwestern rates if they book with the following hotels: 

1. The Wade
2. Hyatt Centric
3. Omni Chicago
4. DoubleTree Magnificent Mile
5. Loews Hotel
6. Peninsula Hotel
7. Hotel Saint Clair
8. Warwick Allerton

Please ask for Northwestern rates when booking your accommodation.

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For inquiries or information, contact anika.gray@law.northwestern.edu.

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