“Women can have far more impact together than separately.”
— Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, Pulitzer Prize-winning Times investigative reporters and authors of “She Said”
On the Road: Legal Talk Network
California Lawyer Association Litigation Section On the Road: Legal Talk Network Sharing my recent guest spot on the podcast, "On the Road: Legal Talk Network." -Mary McKelvey New trends in litigation are changing the way lawyers approach their work in the courtroom. Emma Raimi-Zlatic talks with past-chair Mary McKelvey about the programs, committees, and events within the CLA’s Litigation Section. Learn more about the new technology, increased diversity, and educational opportunities that help litigators do their best work. https://legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/special-reports/2023/09/cla-annual-meeting-litigation/ Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Podcasts
California Litigation Section of the California Lawyers Association: Chair’s Message
Leadership is a privilege and I am extraordinarily grateful for the opportunity to have served as Chair of the Litigation Section this past year. As I prepare to pass the baton, I cannot help but reflect on how much I have learned from the attorneys and judges with whom I have had the honor of working with. These are individuals who are not only at the top of their profession, but committed to upleveling the practice of law in California and empowering others. The Litigation Section continues to provides outstanding programs and educational materials for litigators and appellate practitioners, including premier programming focused on alternative dispute resolution. The Section also hosts the acclaimed Week in Legal London event where participants are afforded a once-in-a-lifetime [...]
California Litigation Section of the California Lawyers Association: Chair’s Message
It is my great honor to step into the position of Chair of the Litigation Section of the California Lawyers Association (CLA) and follow in the footsteps of so many impressive leaders who have paved the way before me. The Litigation Section’s mission is, in part, to promote excellence in all areas affecting dispute resolution and the protection and preservation of the independence of a high-quality judiciary. I would add a commitment to promote and support diversity in the practice of law in California and to build a collaborative culture within the community to create greater access to and opportunities for justice. Of late, we have experienced far too much of the opposite and in fact it seems there is no advanced democracy in [...]
WLALA Joint Statement in Response to the Supreme Court’s Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade
The mission of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (“WLALA”) is to promote the full participation in the legal profession of women lawyers and judges from diverse perspectives and racial and ethnic backgrounds, maintain the integrity of our legal system by advocating principles of fairness and equality, and improve the status of women by supporting their exercise of equal rights, equal representation, and reproductive choice. Social Media Shares To download, right click on graphic and save to your device. WLALA Joint Statement in Response to the Supreme Court’s Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade Message from Mary McKelvey, WLALA President WLALA proudly stands in solidarity with its sister [...]
Choices
Choices Mary McKelvey, WLALA President Choice and free will are the ultimate and inimitable gifts to us from our Creator. These separate us from the animals and provide powerful opportunities to steer the trajectory of our lives and ultimately determine who we become. A woman’s right to make the extraordinarily personal choice about whether to terminate a pregnancy can be one of the most difficult and pivotal decisions she will make – the effects of either choice have lifetime repercussions. The experience of abortion is something millions of women have experienced for many decades, but there is no universal experience because each woman’s life and circumstances are different. This choice is both rife with emotional and social complexity and charged with [...]
A Leap of Faith
A Leap of Faith Mary McKelvey, WLALA President I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane from approximately thirteen thousand feet above the earth a couple of weeks ago. This was voluntary on my part. A dear friend and mentor had a transformative experience with his first jump a couple years ago and his enthusiasm after several more jumps was both infectious and inspiring. Thus, I was persuaded to my “yes.” We boarded a small plane and sat on a hard bench with ten or so others. As the plane ascended, I watched the surface of the earth get smaller and more distant through the open door of the plane. When the plane reached 12,500 feet we began edging towards the open [...]
Incoming WLALA President’s Message: Mary McKelvey
Incoming WLALA President's Message: Mary McKelvey Twenty years ago, I walked into a large hotel ballroom room filled with women lawyers and judges and had an experience that forever changed the trajectory of my life. At the time I was a first-year law student in my late thirties attending the annual dinner as a guest of a friend who had previously been president of the organization. The energy in the room that night was palpable. The raw power that exuded from these confident, elegant, and educated women was exhilarating—I had never before been in the presence of so many influential women. After that night, I could not stop thinking about the things these women spoke about and the unapologetic and assured way they [...]
Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles – Statement Condemning Hate and Racism Against the Asian American Pacific Islander Community
I am reminded of the words of the great Martin Luther King, Jr. “Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” But I say love is action. Proud to serve as WLALA President-Elect and committed to heed the call. Mary McKelvey Community Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles Statement Condemning Hate and Racism Against the Asian American Pacific Islander Community The Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA) condemns the recent attacks on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) across the nation. We stand with WLALA members and members of our Sister Bars because we know that we are stronger together. Today, we particularly acknowledge our sister members of the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance [...]
Mary McKelvey Nominated for Women’s Leadership Award
Awards An Honor to Be Nominated From Los Angeles Business Journal NEWS October 2020 Join us on Wednesday, October 21st as we honor and celebrate the terrific women business leaders in the Los Angeles community with our big virtual awards ceremony, the 2020 Women’s Leadership Awards. This year, we will name: • CEO of the Year • Entrepreneur of the Year • Executive of the Year • Community Impact Advocate • Rising Star of the Year • Volunteer of the Year Nominated: Mary McKelvey, Esq. Register to Attend: Register Download the Program Download
Racism in America
Questions: (213) 892-8982 info@wlala.org RSVP
Judge Rules in Favor of McKelvey and Schultz in Death Row Inmate Case
Pro Bono Judge Rules in Favor of McKelvey and Schultz in Death Row Inmate Case Los Angeles attorneys Mary McKelvey and David Schultz received a rare initial victory in a state habeas death penalty case, given less than 3% of these claims are granted. Los Angeles attorneys Mary McKelvey and David Schultz received a rare initial victory in a state habeas death penalty case, given less than 3% of these claims are granted. The judge ruled in favor of their client on four issues of the nine claims raised in their 550 page habeas brief following two separate hearings where they presented extensive oral argument. The case was complicated by the fact that the allegations of ineffective assistance involve an attorney [...]
Immigration Victory for Third Sister!
Pro Bono Immigration Victory for the Third Sister! Los Angeles Partner Mary McKelvey and Associates Danila Toscano and Ilana Zelener received another immigration victory this week in a case involving the third of three sisters who fled horrors and abuse in the Honduras. The Polsinelli team has been working to obtain status in the United States for three sisters who came to the United States as unaccompanied minors in 2014. We were able to obtain a grant of asylum for two sisters in 2017. While we have also applied for asylum for the third sister, her case has been pending now for several years. In 2018, we obtained Special Immigrant Juvenile findings for the third sister in state probate court. In December [...]