Nearly a century after being given the franchise, women make up only 20% of the Senate and 18.2% of the House. These disparities are troubling, but they don’t have to persist. Last year, Yale Law Women launched an effort to inspire and support more women students at YLS to consider careers in politics. We created a speaker series, called Women in Politics, to offer women students insight into the challenges and rewards of a political career, to provide practical advice, and to draw the attention of all students to the underrepresentation of women in politics and the valuable perspectives that female elected officials bring to our nation’s public policy.
Yet we want to do more than just introduce current students to women alumnae. We want to connect them with opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills to run for office and advance their careers in public service. And so, Yale Law Women, in partnership with the Yale Law School Development Office, is seeking to raise $10,000 to send YLS students to the Women’s Campaign School at Yale. The Women’s Campaign School is a non-partisan political campaign-training program. Over five intense and immersive days, women learn about campaign structure, polling, fundraising, media relations, crisis communication, ethics, and grassroots volunteer management, among other topics. The experience culminates in a mock campaign presentation. You can read more about WCS at http://www.wcsyale.org/.
Jessica Samuels, a current 2L and Chair of the Yale Law Women Board, attended the Women’s Campaign School last summer, and had this to say: “The experience was transformative. It inspired me to consider running, and provided practical information about how to set up and execute a successful campaign. WCS also connected me to a network of women with similar aspirations. This is truly a unique opportunity to encourage and equip women to run for (and win!) elected office.”
We would love for you to join us in making this very special opportunity possible for YLS women students. Should you wish to contribute, click here. Please mark the gift designation as “Unrestricted,” and enter “For Yale Law Women/Women’s Campaign School” in the comments box.
If you have any questions about the logistics of giving, please contact Eric Stoddard, Director of the Yale Law School Fund, at eric.stoddard@yale.edu or (203) 432-6082.