It’s hard to believe, but Idaho Women Lawyers (“IWL”) is almost 40! IWL began in 1986 as a community for women to create a safe space to gather and discuss current issues, and it is the birth of that community that keeps IWL steadfast in its mission of “advancing diversity through the promotion of equal rights and opportunities for women in the legal profession.”^[1] This community continues through the sponsorship of this edition where a call was made to the membership: “tell us what’s on your mind.”

Most of you may know IWL as the powerhouse organization of 286 members statewide as it exists today, but there was a time when an attorney’s membership in IWL could bring with it a sense of trepidation. While these authors can proudly state their membership and leadership within IWL today, it was decades of hard work by our predecessors that made this so—let’s revisit the groundwork laid by the women who came before us.

IWL Before the Board of Directors

“A community of women”^[2]

In 1986, a group of women gathered to discuss issues of the day that were important to them both personally and professionally.[3] IWL’s founding members consisted of sole practitioners, government practitioners, lawyers working for nonprofits, and a small number of women in large private firms. In the early years, IWL advocated with purpose for women’s rights in the Idaho Legislature, the courts, and, yes, they picketed too. It was reported to us that the public perceived IWL as a group of feminists (implying that was a negative thing) gathering to upset the status quo.[4] With that reputation, some women lawyers were fearful of repercussions in their career and, for that reason, would not join IWL.

But a community was born, nonetheless.

IWL Focuses on the Judiciary

“[W]omen on the bench [] builds [] public trust[]”^[5]

In the late 1980s, the members of IWL took action to address the fact that since Idaho’s formation (both territory and statehood), no women had been appointed to any Idaho appellate court. With that in mind, IWL formed its first committee—the Judicial Recruitment Committee.[6] The committee began encouraging women interested in the judiciary to apply, attended judicial candidate interviews, and generally made itself known to the Idaho Judicial Council. It was with those efforts that IWL saw qualified candidates apply and be appointed to Idaho’s appellate courts, first with Justice Cathy Silak’s appointment to the Idaho Court of Appeals in 1990,^[7] then with Justice Linda Copple Trout’s appointment to the Idaho Supreme Court in 1992,^[8] Justice Silak’s subsequent appointment to the Idaho Supreme Court in 1993,^[9] and Judge Karen Lansing’s appointment to fill Justice Silak’s vacancy on the Idaho Court of Appeals in 1993.^[10]

This concerted effort to raise awareness of gender diversity in Idaho’s judiciary paid off quickly as women applied and were selected as the most qualified candidates in just a few short years.  To this day, the Judicial Recruitment Committee continues to be one of IWL’s most critical committees, adding value for members regardless of gender who are interested in pursuing a judicial career and to the community by ensuring that the bench reflects the characteristics of the community.^[11]

The Kate Feltham Award

“Lifting Women Up in the Law”^[12]

The Kate Feltham award was created by IWL in the early 1990s to recognize pioneers in the legal community who support the advancement of women in the law.[13] It continues to be IWL’s flagship award, recognizing an individual who has made extraordinary efforts to promote equal rights and opportunities for women within Idaho’s legal community.

In 1991, the first recipient of the Kate Feltham Award was Mary Smith from Rexburg. In 1935, Mary was the first woman in Idaho permitted to sit for the Idaho State Bar exam and the 10^th woman admitted to practice law in the State of Idaho.^[14] In 2002, 11 years after her recognition by IWL, the Idaho State Bar recognized Mary’s accomplishments and awarded her the Distinguished Lawyer award; she was the first woman to receive this honor by the Idaho State Bar.^[15]

IWL Enters Its Current Form

“Grace Among the Membership”^[16]

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, IWL continued to exist, but had slowed the growth surge it initially experienced. Then, on July 14, 2008, IWL hit its next milestone when it formally filed a Certificate of Incorporation with the Idaho Secretary of State. From there, a Board of Directors was formed, and corporate governance processes and procedures were created.^[17]

While the incorporation of IWL may only seem like paperwork, it was the launching point for how IWL exists today.

IWL Establishes the Gala and Membership Retreat

“Part of the Community”^[18]

In 2012, IWL undertook another growth surge when it planned and implemented its first Biennial Gala.^[19] The first Gala grew out of the Idaho Academy of Leadership for Lawyers where participants develop and create sustainable legacy projects. The IWL president at that time decided that a fundraising gala to celebrate the recipient of the Kate Feltham Award would be her legacy project—and thus, the Gala was born.

In 2013, IWL held its first Gala and added additional awards to its Kate Feltham Award, including the Bertha Stull Green Award,[20] Notable Achievement of the Year Award, Innovator Award, Rising Star Award, and the Setting the Bar Award.

The success of the 2013 Gala led to IWL’s first Biennial Membership Retreat, where IWL offered a day and a half of programming to its members at a financial loss. The Retreat has since become a cornerstone of membership benefits—this year (2025) selling out in less than two hours!

IWL and COVID-19

“Support, mentorship, and a safe place”^[21]

IWL’s evolution and ability to respond to members’ needs is perhaps one of the more important aspects of the entirely volunteer-led organization. With COVID-19, IWL saw the postponement of its Biennial Retreat and the cancellation of its Gala. While IWL could have merely shrugged and taken the “this will all be over soon enough” approach, the Board and working committees instead provided opportunities for member education and connection without interruption by pivoting to virtual conferencing. In 2020, IWL offered its Biennial Retreat virtually with several hybrid in-person opportunities, which resulted in the most widely attended Retreat to date. From COVID-19 the board learned that IWL’s community extended well beyond the Treasure Valley and that the organization needed to focus on extending service statewide.

IWL Builds Regional Chapters

“Who doesn’t want to sit [with] coffee and [] talk”^[22]

Also in 2020/2021, IWL’s then-president met with individual members throughout the state to discuss the benefits of IWL membership and the networking/mentorship opportunities that could occur with the formation of regional chapters.

In 2023, the judiciary graciously consented to participate in IWL “meet and greets” in north Idaho and southeast Idaho. IWL sent members and former members of the Board to each region to speak about both regional chapters and the Judicial Recruitment Committee, and how it could benefit male and female members locally who were interested in the judiciary.

From those two convergent points, IWL grew regional chapters throughout the state for members to gather—over coffee, bingo, trivia, wreath making, etc.—to connect and form community with each other. IWL currently has eight regional chapters that meet with various levels of frequency and the IWL Board invites all regional chapter leads to attend the monthly meeting of the Board so that they know and understand what IWL is doing. IWL’s Board of Directors now seats two members outside of the Treasure Valley and this fiscal year, IWL has its largest ever proposed budget devoted to member connection and education throughout the state.

The Women of IWL

“[T]he nicest group of lawyers”^[23]

In April of this year the IWL Board of Directors hosted a former board member celebration, a nod to the almost 40 years of leadership in the organization. It was a long overdue thank you to the organization’s past leaders, and also a spotlight of IWL’s vivid history and a showcase of IWL’s accomplishments. As we approach IWL’s 40^th anniversary, we have committed to memorializing this history so that we remember the path that has been tread.  From IWL’s early days of advocacy and protests to building out a community of women who support and advocate for each other in their career paths, IWL is excited to continue to uncover its history and acknowledge the accomplishments of each woman that helped build the organization that we all know today.

IWL’s Pull

“We’re all here because we want to be”^[24]

            From those early memories, you can see the allure of the community and how it draws members in. Today, IWL has 286 members statewide, with eight regional chapters (Caldwell, Boise, Twin Falls, Pocatello/Idaho Falls, Moscow, Lewiston, and Coeur d’Alene).[25] IWL provides programming and activities at little to no cost to all its members, including, but (obviously) not limited to, coffee chats, scholarships for the Idaho State Bar Annual Meeting and the Idaho Academy of Leadership for Lawyers, fundraising and support for an art installation at the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights, and resources from the judicial recruitment committee. IWL’s resources have always had a tendency to flow with the needs of its community—as a volunteer Board, our membership’s time and efforts are as precious as the dollars we spend.

“And that’s the magic of IWL”^[26]

For many women practitioners in Idaho, IWL has become a known and reliable resource for networking, mentoring, and education. But 40 years ago, IWL was born from the need of our state’s first female practitioners to advocate for themselves as minority members of Idaho’s State Bar. IWL has been in constant evolution since the 1980s—adapting and changing to meet the changing needs of its membership—but one core value has remained constant: our members’ desire for connection.

Leslie Hayes is the current President of IWL and has served in that capacity since 2022.  She joined the Board of Directors in 2016 and prior to that served as the Chair of the Health, Wellness, and Lifestyle Subcommittee. She is an avid supporter of IWL and during her membership tenure has made friends, gained mentors, mentored others, and supported the growth into the regional chapters. Leslie firmly believes that IWL must be accessible to all Idaho practitioners, regardless of gender or geographic location. The thoughts and opinions in this article are Leslie’s alone and not those of IWL.

Allison Darnall is the current Vice President of IWL and has served in that capacity since 2021. She joined the Board of Directors in 2017 and prior to that she served on the Membership Subcommittee. Allison credits her career growth to her involvement in IWL having found each career opportunity through connections forged in the organization. She serves IWL in hopes of giving others similar opportunities to learn, grow, and connect. The thoughts and opinions in this article are Allison’s alone and not those of IWL.

^[1] Idaho Women Lawyer’s mission statement, https:/idahowomenlawyers.com.

^[2] “All Of Us.” 2024 Idaho Women Lawyers, Biennial Gala Video, Hon. Regan Jameson, Ada County Magistrate Court, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJeyomWTTzk&t=9s.

[3] While we would love to name all of the wonderful women and men that helped shape IWL over the years in this article, we find that there are too many to name, and, frankly, we ran out of time. So, in the interest of not overlooking any particular milestone or accomplishment and those involved, we have opted to name no one.

[4] This perception is in fact true, as “feminism” is defined as “belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of a women’s rights and interests.”  Feminism Definition,Merriam-Webster.com, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feminism (last accessed April 4, 2025). As this definition closely mirrors our mission statement, we are in fact, a group of feminists.

^[5] “All Of Us.” 2024 Idaho Women Lawyers, Biennial Gala Video, Anne Henderson Haws, former IWL Board Member, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJeyomWTTzk&t=9s at 5:11-5:26 (“Having women on the bench and having diversity at large on the bench to reflect our population builds that sense of trust and builds the sense of our public trusting this third branch of our government.”).

[6] The Judicial Recruitment Committee continues to this day in providing education, recruitment, and training to IWL members interested in pursuing a career in the judiciary.

^[7] Cathy Silak, Wikipedia (2024), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathy_Silak (last accessed April 4, 2025).

^[8] Linda Copple Trout, Wikipedia (2025), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Copple_Trout (last accessed April 4, 2025).

^[9] Cathy Silak, Wikipedia (2024), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathy_Silak (last accessed April 4, 2025).

^[10]Press Release, Idaho Supreme Court, Court of Appeals Judge Announces Retirement (January 14, 2015), https://isc.idaho.gov/sites/default/files/press-release-documents/Release%20Judge%20Karen%20Lansing%20Announces%20Retirement.pdf (last accessed April 4, 2025).

^[11] “All Of Us.” 2024 Idaho Women Lawyers, Biennial Gala Video, Hon. Annie McDevitt, Ada County District Court, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJeyomWTTzk&t=9s at 3:50-3:57 (“The resources form the judicial recruitment committee absolutely helped me in achieving my goals of becoming a judge”).

^[12] “All Of Us.” 2024 Idaho Women Lawyers, Biennial Gala Video, Cassandra Cooper, IWL Board of Directors, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJeyomWTTzk&t=9s at 3:04-3:06.

[13] Kate Feltham was fifth women admitted to the Idaho State Bar and the first women to hold an elected prosecuting office in the State of Idaho. Debora K. Kristensen, 1985-1975: The First 50 Women in Idaho Law, Idaho State Bar (2005), https://isb.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/First_50_Women_in_Idaho_Law_1277.pdf at. 9-10.

^[14] Id. at  18-20; Linda Heywood, Mary Smith, Idaho’s Senior Woman Attorney, Idaho State Bar (Aug. 1988), https://isb.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/mary_smith_idahos_senior_woman_attorney.pdf.

^[15] Kristensen, supra note 17, at 20.

^[16] “All Of Us.” 2024 Idaho Women Lawyers, Biennial Gala Video, Abby Kosteka, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJeyomWTTzk&t=9s at 0:31-0:32.

^[17] This includes, monthly meetings of the Board of Directors, formation of subcommittees, annual membership dues, annual filings, and an annual meeting of the members.

^[18] “All Of Us.” 2024 Idaho Women Lawyers, Biennial Gala Video, Hon. Annie McDevitt, Ada County District Court. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJeyomWTTzk&t=9s at 3:58-4:00.

^[19] IWL was unaware at the first gala that the gala would become a biennial event.

[20] Bertha Stull Green was the second woman admitted to the Idaho State Bar and had a career marked with public service, engagement and educating women’s clubs, and legislative activities.  Kristensen, supra note 17, at 5-6.

[21] “All Of Us.” 2024 Idaho Women Lawyers, Biennial Gala Video, May Witt, 2023-2024 Women’s Law Caucus Liaison to IWL Board, University of Idaho School of Law, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJeyomWTTzk&t=9s  at 0:53-0:57.

^[22] “All Of Us.” 2024 Idaho Women Lawyers, Biennial Gala Video, Jessica Perez, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJeyomWTTzk&t=9s at 2:00-2:07.

^[23] “All Of Us.” 2024 Idaho Women Lawyers, Biennial Gala Video, Hon. Fafa Alidjani, Ada County Magistrate Court, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJeyomWTTzk&t=9s at 3:35-3:39.

^[24] “All Of Us.” 2024 Idaho Women Lawyers, Biennial Gala Video, Abby Kosteka, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJeyomWTTzk&t=9s at 0:26-0:27.

[25] If you are interested in joining one of IWL’s regional chapters or starting your own, please visit IWL’s website for more information!

^[26] “All Of Us.” 2024 Idaho Women Lawyers, Biennial Gala Video, Anne Henderson Haws, former IWL Board Member, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJeyomWTTzk&t=9s at 5:27-5:29.