In celebration of Women’s History Month and in collaboration with longtime Firm partnering organization Bottomless Closet, the Proskauer’s Women Alliance have teamed up with Bottomless Closet to present a series of empowering workshops to women in need throughout February, March and April 2021.
Embodying the philosophy of women helping women, Bottomless Closet has a 20+ year history of serving disadvantaged New York City women, and has served more than 40,000 clients. The organization’s holistic approach makes sure that its clients have all the tools and resources to enter the workforce and achieve success.
With the Covid-19 pandemic continuing to cause devastating setbacks in the job market for women, and particularly women of color, the Proskauer Women’s Alliance (the PWA) chose to honor Women’s History Month with Bottomless Closet through interactive panels organized by the Firm’s corporate social responsibility program and led by PWA volunteers. The series of virtual workshops focus on:
- Resume Writing & Interview Preparation
- Professionalism & Networking
- Public Speaking & Communication
- Financial Literacy
Through Proskauer partner and Bottomless Closet Board Vice President Amanda Nussbaum, Proskauer has a longtime relationship with Bottomless Closet.
With the first couple of workshops under our belt, the feedback has been incredible. Our women lawyers who led the programs noted how engaged and engaging the audience was, including a lively chat session following the panel.
PWA Steering Committee member and special immigration counsel Valarie McPherson remarked, “Women have been hard hit by the pandemic, especially with respect to employment. I’m a parent and after months of juggling work and virtual/hybrid school for my kids, I feel lucky that I have the support and resources to do so. I imagine job hunting during a pandemic is especially challenging and I hoped that I could help.”
Thank you to all of our women lawyers who volunteered, including: Brooke Gottlieb, Sarah Hughes, Erica Jones, Carolyn Killea, Gloria Kim, Katrine Magas, Emily O’Brien, Katelyn O’Brien, Brianna Reed, Jennifer Roche, and Laura Stafford; and to Wendy Dessy and Max DeLott who lead the Firm’s corporate social responsibility program, which builds community partnerships to create and support programs that lead to lasting change.
The PWA is an associate-driven initiative at the Firm that provides resources and networking within the Proskauer community. The PWA recognizes that issues of gender inequality are far-reaching. We look for opportunities to identify intersecting systems of inequality, and seek out meaningful ways to collaborate for change. Partnering with Bottomless Closet is one small way to honor Women’s History Month as we acknowledge our own privileges, education and resources, and work to build relationships and use our time and skills to uplift other women.