National Association of Women Lawyers
An American voluntary professional association that advances women lawyers and women's legal rights.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) is a United States voluntary professional association focused on supporting women in the legal profession and advancing women's legal rights. Its origins date to 1899, when 18 female lawyers in New York City established an organization known as the Women Lawyers' Club. At a time when women remained underrepresented in the legal profession and faced substantial barriers to legal education, bar admission, professional advancement, and participation in legal institutions, the organization provided a collective forum for networking, professional support, advocacy, and discussion of issues affecting women and the law. The association changed its name to the Women Lawyers Association by 1914 and adopted the name National Association of Women Lawyers in 1923, reflecting a broader national identity. Its work has historically combined professional association activities with public-interest advocacy. The organization has promoted the advancement of women lawyers, encouraged attention to women's legal rights, and offered a national platform through which members could exchange information and develop professional networks. Its activities have also connected it with local and regional women's bar organizations, including affiliated or associated groups in places such as Southern California. A significant part of NAWL's historical record is its publishing program. The organization began publishing the Women Lawyers Journal in 1911. The journal served as a vehicle for legal commentary, professional news, organizational communication, and discussion of women's participation in the law. Editors and contributors included lawyers and advocates from different parts of the United States, and the publication helped document the experiences and achievements of women in the legal profession during the twentieth century. Among the people associated with the journal were Eugénie M. Rayé-Smith, its first editor from 1911 to 1914; Mary Lilly, who edited it in 1915 and 1916; Flora Warren Seymour, who served as an assistant editor; Rosalind Goodrich Bates, who edited it in 1931 and again from 1935 to 1936; Eva M. Mack; and Nina Miglionico, who edited it in 1960 and 1961. NAWL's historical membership and leadership also reflect the expanding role of women lawyers in American public life. Emilie Bullowa was the first president of the national organization and served from 1916 through 1922. Other members and leaders included suffragists, legal-aid advocates, bar-association participants, and pioneering attorneys. The organization has been associated with figures such as Lavinia Marian Fleming Poe, the first African American woman lawyer in Virginia; Rose Zetzer, identified as the first woman admitted to the Maryland State Bar Association; and Oda Faulconer, who held leadership roles in California women's legal organizations and served as national-association president in 1938 and 1939. Today, NAWL remains an American professional association rather than a commercial brand. Its identity is centered on membership, professional development, networking, recognition, education, publications, and advocacy related to women lawyers and women's legal rights. The organization operates within the wider ecosystem of American bar associations and specialized legal organizations. Publicly available reference material does not establish a corporate parent, commercial owner, stock listing, or a complete current roster of executives. Its institutional significance rests primarily on its longevity and its role in documenting and promoting women's participation in the legal profession.
History
The organization was founded in New York City in 1899 by 18 female lawyers under the name Women Lawyers' Club. Its creation provided an organized professional forum for women practicing law during a period when women lawyers were still comparatively uncommon and encountered institutional and social barriers across legal education, licensing, employment, and professional recognition. By 1914, the organization was known as the Women Lawyers Association. In 1911, it began publishing the Women Lawyers Journal, establishing an enduring publication channel for legal discussion, professional information, and coverage of women's work in the law. The journal became an important part of the association's historical identity and was edited or supported by a number of prominent women lawyers, including Eugénie M. Rayé-Smith, Mary Lilly, Flora Warren Seymour, Rosalind Goodrich Bates, Eva M. Mack, and Nina Miglionico. Emilie Bullowa served as the first president of the national organization from 1916 to 1922. In 1923, the association adopted its current name, the National Association of Women Lawyers, signaling its national scope. During the following decades, its network included lawyers and women's bar organizations in multiple regions. The history of the organization is closely connected with the broader development of women's legal associations in the United States, including regional activity in California and relationships with lawyers involved in suffrage, legal aid, bar governance, and civil-rights-related professional advancement. Several associated figures illustrate the breadth of this history. Oda Faulconer held leadership roles in California women's legal organizations and served as national president in 1938 and 1939. Nina Miglionico later became president in 1958 and edited the Women Lawyers Journal in 1960 and 1961. Lavinia Marian Fleming Poe, who passed the Virginia bar examination in 1925, is identified as the first African American woman lawyer in Virginia. Rose Zetzer is identified as the first woman admitted to the Maryland State Bar Association. These associations place NAWL within the long-term movement to increase women's representation and authority in American legal institutions. The organization has also intersected with local and regional women's bar groups. In Southern California, women's legal organizations were reorganized and connected with the national association's regional structure during the twentieth century. Such developments helped extend the national association's reach beyond its New York origins and created channels for local professional activity. NAWL's continuing mission is described in terms of promoting women lawyers and women's legal rights. Its role is professional, educational, and advocacy-oriented rather than commercial. It has offered a national community for women in the legal profession, supported discussion of legal and workplace issues, and preserved historical records through its journal and organizational activities. Public reference material does not provide enough information to identify current officers, detailed modern programming, headquarters, membership totals, or recent financial performance, so those fields remain unspecified here.
- 1958
Nina Miglionico elected president
[1]Nina Miglionico was elected president of the association.
- 1938
Oda Faulconer begins first recorded presidency
[1]Oda Faulconer was elected president for the first of two terms, with the second term occurring in 1939.
- 1923
Current name adopted
[1]The organization adopted the name National Association of Women Lawyers.
- 1916
Emilie Bullowa begins presidency
[1]Emilie Bullowa became the first president of the national organization, serving through 1922.
- 1914
Organization adopts the name Women Lawyers Association
[1]The organization changed its name from the Women Lawyers' Club to the Women Lawyers Association.
- 1911
Women Lawyers Journal begins publication
[1]The association began publishing the Women Lawyers Journal as a platform for legal commentary, professional news, and discussion of women in the legal profession.
- 1899
Organization founded as the Women Lawyers' Club
[1]Eighteen female lawyers founded the organization in New York City to create a professional association for women lawyers.
Products and positioning
A long-established national professional association combining career support for women lawyers with advocacy for women's legal rights.
Professional publication · 1911
Women Lawyers Journal
The Women Lawyers Journal is the association's historically significant publication, first issued in 1911. It provided a forum for legal writing, professional news, organizational communication, and discussion of women's participation in the legal profession. Its editorial history includes work by Eugénie M. Rayé-Smith, Mary Lilly, Flora Warren Seymour, Rosalind Goodrich Bates, Eva M. Mack, and Nina Miglionico.
Association membership
Professional membership and network
NAWL's core offering is participation in a national professional community for women lawyers. Membership-related activities are associated with networking, professional support, leadership development, education, and engagement with issues affecting women lawyers and women's legal rights. Detailed current membership benefits and eligibility information are not established by the supplied reference material.
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