Professional Advancement of Women

In acknowledgment of the growing and dynamic women’s business and professional community, Armstrong Teasdale has established the Program for the Professional Advancement of Women. The purpose of this program is to strengthen existing relationships with women clients who own or manage businesses and other organizations, and to forge new and continuing relationships with professional and executive women in the community. This goal is met by providing networking and educational opportunities for the firm’s female lawyers and businesswomen of diverse backgrounds, as well as offering a forum for the sharing of ideas and discussion of common interests.

The Professional Advancement of Women Program includes a number of efforts to better attract, retain and promote female lawyers by creating an environment in which all women can thrive. Firm partner, Therese “Tessa” Rolufs Trelz serves as the firm’s Program Director. This position and program recognizes the ongoing importance of the advancement of women in the work-place and beyond.

The goal of the Professional Advancement of Women Program is straightforward: to create a supportive environment for women, one that actively assists women in realizing their full potential for excellence, creativity and initiative in their legal careers, and provides rich opportunities for client growth and development. In support of this goal, Armstrong Teasdale has focused on creating internal and external coaching, networking, marketing and leadership programs to provide the firm’s female lawyers with new opportunities and ways to strengthen existing relationships.

Recently, Working Mother magazine and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC named the firm among the 2007 Working Mother & Flex-Time Lawyers Best Law Firms for Women. Fifty law firms were honored for their commitment to the retention and advancement of female lawyers. With innovative programs and policies that help female lawyers achieve balance in their personal and professional lives and thrive as practitioners, Armstrong Teasdale continues to ensure that women are part of the future of private law practice. Armstrong Teasdale has developed and participated in the following programs and events that contribute to the overall goal of the Professional Advancement of Women Program:

Women’s Career Coaching Program

Through a series of seminars, one-on-one coaching, and an outside career expert, the firm’s female lawyers are provided advice and counseling on business development skills. Through this program female lawyers have found that the outside perspective of a career coach is highly valued and creates a win-win situation for the lawyer, the firm and clients.

Most Influential Business Women Awards

For the past 8 years, Armstrong Teasdale is proud to have been a co-founding sponsor of the Most Influential Business Women Awards. Winners of this award represent a diverse cross section of businesses and industries in the Metropolitan St. Louis area and are acknowledged for their remarkable achievements and contributions to the professional community. The event offers substantial exposure, engenders goodwill within St. Louis’ professional women’s community, and provides significant relationship building opportunities among the sponsors, attendees and winners.

Women's Luncheon with Topical Speaker

Armstrong Teasdale’s female lawyers invite women clients and friends to this annual event, now in its fourth year, which features an informative presentation by an in-house lawyer or outside speaker. The format is to encourage a round-table discussion that presents a unique educational and networking opportunity for influential women in the local business community.

Women's Holiday Cocktail Reception

For the past 5 years, Armstrong Teasdale has hosted a holiday cocktail reception at unique St. Louis locations. Female clients, prospective clients, friends and other contacts of all Armstrong Teasdale lawyers are invited to attend. The firm also partners with a local charitable organization and offers attendees the opportunity to bring in-kind or cash donations to benefit Nurses for Newborns (an organization with a mission of reducing infant mortality rate and supporting underprivileged mothers in the St. Louis community). This event also is designed to benefit not only the firm’s female lawyers but also to foster strong relationships between professional women from all industries.

Professional Women’s Conference

Armstrong Teasdale was proud to be a major co- founding sponsor of the Professional Women’s Conference in 2006, which gave professional women a place to meet, mingle and share commonalities about their careers. The event, which is occurring again in 2007, is sponsored by many of the top corporations in the St. Louis area, all of which have women leadership at their helms here in St. Louis. Over 1000 professional women attend the one-day affair and enjoy educational and inspirational presentations given by many well-known local and national personalities.