The Justice Esther M. Tomljanovich ’55 Tea for Women in Law is Tuesday, April 19, 5-7 pm in the Mitchell Hamline Auditorium. A CLE exploring implicit bias in the legal profession will precede the Tea from 3-5 pm.
In the tradition of the teas hosted by the former lawyers’ legal fraternity Phi Delta Delta, hats and gloves are admired but not required.
The Women in Law Tea was launched in 2000 as a way of recognizing the pioneering women who attended Mitchell Hamline (then the St. Paul College of Law) when there were very few of them enrolled and as a way of celebrating the progress and promise of women in law.
In the 50’s, the women attending law school gathered periodically for tea (complete with hats and gloves) to get to know each other, support each other, and commiserate over the difficulties they faced in breaking into what was still a very male-dominated field.
In 2010 the Tea was renamed in honor of its founder and is now known as The Justice Esther M. Tomljanovich ’55 Tea for Women in Law. Over the years, the Tea has grown into the largest networking event Mitchell Hamline hosts each year, with more than 200 students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends attending annually. While a few brave men attend each year, the event is predominantly attended by women.
If you’re posting pictures of the Tea on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, make sure to use the hashtag #JusticeT.