Author: Jen Berger '19

“Start Local:” Kathryn Kolbert ’77 Issues a Call to Arms to the Women’s Law Caucus

Early in my 1L year, I heard that the Temple Women’s Law Caucus (WLC) formed in the early 1970s to build a coalition for advocacy focused on issues affecting the ability of women to succeed at Temple Law and in the legal field. The story goes that the Caucus’ first act of rebellion took place in Klein Hall. The women placed flower pots in the urinals of each men’s bathroom—a way of drawing attention to the fact that the law school had not been built with women’s restrooms. It was a small act, but a powerful statement. The organization’s origins and tradition of providing a forum to think about and confront obstacles facing women in the law led me to join the WLC. As old barriers that faced female Temple Law students were torn down, and women entered the law in greater numbers, the WLC came to emphasize networking for women seeking to climb the career ladder. Unfortunately, as news blasts about the toxic cultures at Uber and Fox News remind us, workplace discrimination, unequal …