A New Chapter with OCWLA: Chairing the Inaugural Emeritus Board

By Laurie Rowen

I recently wrapped up eight years of service on the Orange County Women Lawyers Association (OCWLA) Board, but I’m very happy to say I won’t be going far.

I’m honored to have been appointed Chair of OCWLA’s inaugural Emeritus Board, a new group made up of past presidents, former board members, judges and leaders in the Orange County legal community. After so many years on the Board, this feels like a great way to stay connected to an organization that has been an important part of my professional life while making room for new leadership.

A New Role for Past OCWLA Leaders

The idea behind the Emeritus Board is simple: OCWLA has a tremendous amount of experience and institutional knowledge among its former leaders. The new Emeritus Board creates a way to keep those people involved and make that experience available to the current Board.

We’ll serve as a resource to OCWLA’s Board of Directors, offering mentorship, historical perspective, guidance, and strategic support when helpful. At the same time, the current Board remains exactly where it should be—leading OCWLA forward with its own ideas and priorities.

I’m especially pleased to serve alongside the other members of the inaugural Emeritus Board:

• Caroline Djang
• Kelly Galligan
• Jessica C. Munk
• Hon. Amber Poston
• Michelle A. Philo
• Heather Stangle-Smith
• Allyson K. Thompson

It’s a terrific group of women who have already contributed so much to OCWLA and the Orange County legal community, and I’m looking forward to working with them in this new capacity.

Eight Years of OCWLA—and Counting

When I look back on my eight years of Board service, what stands out most are the women. OCWLA has given me the opportunity to develop friendships with attorneys and judges throughout Orange County, support other women in the profession, and work alongside people who genuinely care about our legal community.

That focus on relationships is also a big part of my work at Montage Legal Group. Since Erin Giglia and I founded Montage in 2009, I’ve spent much of my professional life connecting experienced lawyers with one another and creating opportunities for attorneys to support other attorneys. My involvement with OCWLA has always fit naturally with that.

Now, I’m looking forward to helping shape what the Emeritus Board can become. Because we’re the inaugural group, we have the opportunity to create something genuinely useful—not another layer of governance, but a resource the current Board can turn to for experience, connections, institutional knowledge, and support.

After eight years on the Board, I’m ready for a new role. I’m grateful that it’s one that allows me to stay involved with OCWLA, continue supporting its mission, and work with this wonderful group of women as we get the Emeritus Board started.