The WBA was formed in 1988 in response to an incident during a trial in open court, where a federal court judge refused to permit a female attorney to be addressed by her birth surname, which she chose to use professionally. This overt act of discrimination by a member of the judiciary gave birth in 1988 to the formation of the Ad Hoc Committee to Eliminate Gender Bias, the predecessor of the WBA. Further recognizing that the county bar association had no female attorneys in its governing body at that time, a group of prominent women attorneys organized the WBA to address the unique needs and concerns of women attorneys, to encourage women to seek judicial roles through appointments and election, and to end the gender and racial bias in the courts. In 2008, the WBA is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and we are in the process of planning this hallmark anniversary celebration. If you would like to be involved with the committee planning this event, please email our Executive Director to express your interest.