To Our Alumnae Community:
I am honored to serve the Harvard Law School Association Women’s Alliance, committed to the professional advancement of HLS alumnae. We organized in 2013 as our community of women lawyers and leaders prepared to celebrate the 60th anniversary of our first class of women graduates at a special reunion event. Our alumnae found such great value in connecting with each other, across multiple international and US-based regional chapters, that we decided to maintain our structure.
As the fourth president, I follow the pathway set with vision and dedication by our past presidents, Dorothy DeWitt ('94), Maria Stearns ('02), and Founding President Stacey Austin (‘04). Through their efforts, the largest HLS alumni group emerged, with 13,000 alumnae comprising 38% of the alumni population. We have multiple international and U.S. chapters, with new chapters being formed continually.
Our formal mission tasks us with increasing the presence of women HLS alumnae in positions of leadership and distinction in the legal industry and business community by offering a forum for professional activities and mentorship. From small-scale coffee events, to formal educational panel events with diverse speakers, to collaborative programs with other Harvard University-wide organizations, our members have enjoyed a connection with their law school and developed valued relationships with fellow alumni, professional and personal.
Throughout the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic challenges, many alumnae have shared how virtual events organized throughout our community were so meaningful to them, and made our geographic barriers and confined movements seem much less significant.
As HLS alumnae, we are uniquely positioned as a global alliance of accomplished and intelligent women, who have and will ascend to high levels of leadership at law firms, companies, government agencies, and public service organizations, as well as in social enterprise and political positions. We encourage our community to mentor and champion more women to rise with us, building a legacy of support and empowerment. We have extraordinary capability to make meaningful change in our world and our communities. In that spirit, please consider active involvement with your local chapter; we welcome your energy, talent and the chance to learn from and with you.
I am privileged to serve this dynamic community and look forward to our gatherings together.
Nancy L. McCullough, Esq., J.D. '92
President, Harvard Law School Association Women's Alliance