March 18, 2024
By Jamie Richardson
I was honored to spend the weekend of March 5-8 at the 2024 Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) Women’s Bench Bar Retreat in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Women attorneys and judges from across the state of Indiana gathered in beautiful New Mexico for continuing legal education, camaraderie, community-building, and networking with fellow female colleagues and peers. I had the opportunity to tour the New Mexico Supreme Court and meet Justice David K. Thomson, who was very knowledgeable about Santa Fe as a whole and the interesting history of the New Mexico Supreme Court.
Now in its 22nd year, this dynamic retreat included a selection of continued learning opportunities specific to the interests—and unique challenges—women legal professionals face. We also delved into issues relevant to the overall legal community. A slew of fun, social events were on the schedule, and helped to build relationships between women attorneys and judges from across the bench and bar.
This year’s retreat schedule, at the suggestion of prior retreat attendees, included more free time for participants to explore the beautiful location—independently, or with new-found friends and connections. As a group, one day we walked about a mile away from the hotel, up an incline, and were rewarded with a view of a spectacular sunset, and afternoons and evenings were spent exploring Santa Fe and all its local culture.
Most importantly, though, I learned a great deal at this retreat and connected with a great many new friends and colleagues. It was a great experience to take part in community-building between current leaders and the next generation of legal professionals; it takes all of us to create a more supportive and inclusive community.