American Bar Association Public Relations Chair, Richard P. Tinkham, asked her to organize a meeting of lawyers’ wives for the August, 1958, ABA convention in Los Angeles.  She wrote to each State Bar President and asked for a representative. She asked them to invite any wife who was interested in attending the meeting.   The following resolution was adopted:  Resolved that the National Conference of Lawyers’ Wives be continued during the coming year to assemble again during the next ABA Annual Meeting.  Marion Tinkham was instructed to continue to act a chairman.  She selected a chairman from each of the ten circuits.  This Committee of Chairmen presented a plan for a permanent organization at the next meeting of the Conference.  The first organizational meeting was held in Chicago with 7 circuits represented.  She presided and the committee recommended that a permanent organization (National Conference of Lawyers’ Wives) be formed.  The ABA Law Student Program Director urged the group to affiliate Law Student Wives’ Clubs.  On August 25, 1959 in Miami, Marion chaired the organizational meeting.  A permanent organization was formed by the unanimous vote of the group.  93 women joined.   By-Laws were adopted limiting membership to wives and widows of ABA members.  The purposes were: to provide a forum for mutual exchange of ideas and a resource of information; develop a better understanding of the legal profession and to co-operate with the ABA in its public service activities.  The following letter was written by Marion April 8, 1983 (year of 25th anniversary) and sent to the NLW President, Joan McNagy:  “Dear Joan, Nice to talk with you and best of everything for the coming year of your office.  I really worked hard organizing NLW and was most ably assisted by Mrs. Charles Goldberg of Milwaukee.  I did have good response from State Bar Presidents.  As I told you I wrote to all the State Bar Presidents and asked them to send representatives to our first meeting, which they did.  I miss the ABA meetings and Indiana Bar meetings, but we all have to face life and living”.   

At the First Annual Meeting (Washington, D.C.), she was re-elected Chairman.  Members assisted in the Hospitality Room for the ABA.

Julia appeared before the House of Delagates Board of Directors of the ABA to clarify the purpose of the National Conference of Lawyers Wives.  A member of our group was ambitious to have her husband elected to the House of Delegates and used the ABA mailing list to promote her husband's election. Julie reestablished our integrity, and the ABA Treasurer (Glenn Coulter from Grosse Pointe, MI) encouraged the group to continue as organized. We can "look back with gratitude" to Mr Coulter.  At the third Annual Meeting (August 1962) the name was changed to National Lawyers Wives and a newsletter was started in 1963.

She was Mrs. Milton Bachman when she was President.  Her husband was the Executive Director of the State Bar of Michigan then.  Surveyed the US for lawyers' wives groups and found 30 states had local groups and 14 states had state groups.  There were 135 auxiliaries.

She was from New Jersey and traveled to 17 states representing NLW.

During Irene's presidency the NLW Chairman became President and Vice-Chairman became President-Elect.  The by-laws now opened the membership to all wives of lawyers, regardless of ABA affiliation.  Dues increased to $2.  Irene was the only president from Idaho.

She was the second President from Michigan and during her term Vice-President, Parliamentarian, and State Associations’ Chair were added.  The state presidents were asked to serve on the board.  Irene attended a “Conference of Women in the War” in Washington DC representing NLW.  She attended a White House reception, where she met President and Mrs. Lyndon Johnson. 

Irene added four new chairmen to her ’67-’68 Board:  Public Relations, Publicity, Convention and World Peace Through Law chairmen.  At her suggestion the Past Presidents became an Advisory Committee.  She established two more traditions: NLW Certificate of Affiliation and Meritorious Service Awards.  She made Legal Aid her main project for her year and had Burt Griffin, National Director of Legal Aid Services, speak for the Annual Meeting.  He said, “Lawyers Wives should be to Legal Aid—the poor man’s law office-what Grey Ladies are to hospitals and the Junior League is to social agencies.”  Membership included: 500 individuals and 28 auxiliaries (state and local).  Irene attended the second “Conference on Women in the War on Poverty” in Washington DC and met Mrs. Lyndon Johnson at a White House Tea.  

She added 6 chairmanships 1.  Law Day  2.  Volunteer Services  3.  Budget  4.  Policy and Procedures  5.  International Liaison  6.  Student Law Wives.   Student Law Wives was her major emphasis for the year.   She chose a most capable Student Law Wives Chairman, Jane Herndon, who recruited 27 Student Law Wives groups to join NLW as affiliates during her year’s travel around the U. S.  Jane also addressed the Pennsylvania Student Law Wives Conference in 1968 in Philadelphia.  1,000 newsletters were mailed.  

She added Membership Chair to the Board.  The Board had 19 members with elected officers, standing committee chairmen, and State Presidents.  Anita attended a White House Tea given by Mrs. Richard Nixon.  There was a ceremony when the Lawyers Wives of D. C. presented an award from “lawyers’ wives to a lawyer’s wife” to Mrs. Nixon for her encouragement and participation in furthering volunteer services.   The first  8 presidents of NLW were honored with Honorary Life memberships. 

Julia Goldberg invited me to be a founding member of NLW as we were riding on a bus at an ABA meeting in Los Angeles.   When I was President of NLW we held the first part of our Annual Meeting at the Waldorf  Towers in New York City.  We then went on to London to end our meeting with the assistance of a member of the American Embassy in London.  We continued our meeting at the Brittania Hotel on Grosvenor Square across from the American Embassy.   Because my speaker was the Honorable Charles S. Rhyne, founder and President of the World Peace Through Law Center (now the World Jurist Association) the Times of London sent a photographer and reporter to cover the meeting and it was published in the newspaper.   Because my husband was active in American Bar Association we were guests at the Buckingham Garden Party (first ever for a visiting body).  It was fabulous.  During the two-hour party guests lined up in two rows and Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and the Queen Mother, other members of the royal family and other distinguished royalty walked between to greet us.  Education in Law was added as a Chairmanship on the Board.  Bylaws were changed to $5 dues and a graduated scale for affiliate dues.  She was also internationally known as president of the World Peace through Law Center Associates (1981-82).   

Received the gavel at the Britannia Hotel in London.  Jane chose a most capable Membership Chairman, Betty Hoeffel.  There was a tremendous increase in membership that year.  Betty did a remarkable job of mailing invitations and establishing memberships in 38 states and Washington D. C. and in over 200 cities.  She increased local affiliates to 45, state affiliates to 10 and Student Law Wives groups to 54.  Jane encouraged the participation in Law Day, USA.

She organized several successful NLW regional meetings and promoted many phases of youth education.  She had Betty Hoeffel as Membership Chair and there was 100 per cent renewal of all groups.   

I was installed as NLW President at the August, 1973 Annual Meeting at the Watergate Hotel in Washington , D. C.  Honored guests included Mrs. Elliot Richardson, wife of the U. S. Attorney General, Mrs.  Robert Meserve, wife of the ABA President, Mrs. Erwin Griswald, wife of the U. S. Solicitor General, and the following wives of U. S. Supreme Court Justices:  Mrs. Byron White, Mrs. Lewis Powell, and Mrs. Harry Blackmun.  Mrs. Frank A. Kaufman, Coordinator of Volunteers for the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, was the Keynote Speaker.  The Mid-Winter Meeting was held in February, 1971, in Houston, Texas, where plans were laid out for the next Annual Meeting.  The membership listed 13 state affiliates, 73 local affiliates, 53 student law wives affiliates, and 455 individual members.  A highlight of that Mid-“Winter meeting was a tour of NASA Headquarters and dinner in the evening with Astronaut Gordon Fullerton and his wife Marie as honored guests.  The 1974 Annual Meeting was held at the Kaimana Beach Hotel in Oahu, Hawaii.  Mrs. Robert Ebert of St. Paul, Minnesota, was installed as the NLW President at the Installation Breakfast.  The speakers at the breakfast were U. S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye and the Honorable Carla Hills, the Assistant U. S. Attorney General in charge of the Civil Division.  Joel Henning, Esquire, Staff Director of the ABA Committee on Youth Education for Citizenship, spoke at the Presidents’ Workshop.  Goals for the year were:   Nationwide promotion of our many-faceted program, “Youth Education in Law”, including programs such as “Children and the Law”, “Project Misdemeanant” and “You and the Law”. Other highlights of the year included:  Development of an interesting workshop for our Affiliate Presidents featuring topics of vital interest to Lawyers’ Wives.  Continuation of our well-organized promotion of “Law Day USA—Everyday” with emphasis on Law Day, May 1, 1974.  Doubling the number of awards given to affiliates for outstanding volunteer service. 

I designed a NLW pin, which is beautiful and very dear to many.   I feel the women serving on the board should take away with them a pin or charm to always remind them of their outstanding contribution to the organization.  The President’s pin had a diamond in it.  Wearing this at meetings was always with great pride.  Trudy promoted the St. Paul, MN  “Children and the Law” project and materials in her travels for N. L. W.     

):  I was President during the Bicentennial.  The Midyear Meeting in Philadelphia was thrilling and patriotism was rekindled as our country’s remarkable history came to life again.  Upon the death of Alice Carr (1976) and receiving her bequest, we began to make plans for growth and recognition of NLW.  Alice and Joe Carr were good friends of mine.  As they had no children they left us the means to develop into what we are today.    

The American Bar Association decided to accept NLW as a part of the ABA group.  The membership of NLW was opened to the husbands of women lawyers, and the by-laws were changed to include the wife, widow, husband and widowers as members.  The Law-Related Education Committee was instituted.   I addressed the ABA Board of Governors.  Youth Education for Citizenship Chairmanship was established.  We secured a $10,000 grant from the Molner Trust Fund.  It was  presented to the ABA Special Committee on Youth Education for Citizenship in support of NLW participation in regional Law Related Education conferences.  Because of this NLW assumed a more prominent role in the development of law-related education programs throughout the country.  Eleanor had her own name for the organization “National Lawyers Wives and Husbands”.  Her husband, Morton, was our 1978 NLW Special Law Day Plaque recipient.    

The first membership directory of NLW was compiled, published and distributed at the Annual Meeting in New York City.  All members of the NLW Board received a directory of Law-Related Education published by the Special Committee on Youth Education for Citizenship of the ABA.  Bernice’s husband, Robert, worked the entire year to secure a tax exempt status for NLW.  He received our Special Law Day Plaque for that.   The by-laws were changed to incorporate the proper wording for exempt status.  Bernice asked her prestigious neighbor, Charles. S. Rhyne, Founder of Law Day USA and Founder of the World Peace through Law Center, to speak at the 1978 Annual Meeting.    

Beloved Alice Carr was to have been President this year; however with her unexpected death, I became President.  Her dear husband Joe sent to me one of her gorgeous cameos with a note saying, “Wear it in good health.”  I cherish the cameo and their friendship!  I will always love to recall my exciting installation in 1978 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.  My Robert was campaigning for judge in the Oakland County Circuit Court, so he couldn’t be with me, but the other Michigan attendees were a thrilling sight!  I wanted every state in the UW to know the joy of being affiliated with National Lawyers Wives, so I wrote to each State Bar Association inviting them to organize a group or join us.  What a delight it was to travel to so many states and to speak to so many wonderful people.  The first man to join NLW was 1979 at Lake Geneva in Wisconsin.  A woman lawyer asked me to invite her policeman husband to join!  He was driven by the lake in a boat, so I went to the dock to explain NLW to him and that law–related education was my focus for the year.  He joined.  The highlight of my year was in May, 1979 at the concluding NLW Breakfast in Dallas, Texas, when Leon Jawarski was our great speaker.  Not only was he the Watergate Prosecutor but he organized the Youth for Citizenship Education, when he was President of the ABA.  That was my emphasis for the year.  What a powerful law related education speech he gave!  I loved being President of NLW!

I was honored to be installed as a President of National Lawyers Wives in Dallas.  I was installed by the Hon. Lean Jawarski, a Past-President of ABA and family friend.  Returning to Hawaii, we prepared for the Annual ABA meeting in Honolulu.  Peg worked diligently on an exemplary Law Related Education Seminar in Honolulu, sponsored by the Hawaii State Department of Education, ABA University of Hawaii and N. L. W., just prior to the Annual Meeting.  That meeting was followed by the first international meeting of ABA and the Bars of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific areas.  

There were 161 local, 19 state and 61 Student Law Students groups.  The second male member joined NLW and at the Annual Meeting spoke in favor of a name change.  Eleanor Barnard was appointed to the IL State Bar Association’s Bar Committee on Law-Related Education for the Public.  Advisory poll was taken to consider changing the name of NLW.  At the annual meeting in New Orleans a vote was taken to consider a name change and it was a favorable one.  NLW. joined the Coalition of Law Related Education and World Peace through Law Center Associates.   

I was installed as Vice President in 1980 in Hawaii and President in 1981 in New Orleans. I felt I promoted friendship among members and my theme was “The Gold Thread that Binds Us”.  The Scholarship Fund was established with “seed” money from Joe Carr.  NLW scholarships were established in New Orleans, one Alice Carr scholarship and one NLW scholarship.  Joseph Carr agreed his contribution to NLW in memory of his wife, Alice, could be used for a scholarship in her name.  I was sorry to see those scholarships disappear in later years because I felt they were worthwhile.  The Annual Meeting in San Francisco was one of the best attended with around 125 at the Stanford Hotel.   The first Exhibit Fair was held with displays of many of the state and local auxiliaries.  It was a very successful meeting and included the viewing of a law-related film.  The name change of the group was voted down at that meeting.  I did a slide presentation of our national group at the luncheon before the Annual Meeting.  The slides showed my year as president, my travels and our aims and hopes for NLW.   At the end of my term, Justice William G. Callow, Supreme Court of Wisconsin, gave a tremendous speech and at that meeting we honored Joe Carr.  He was very pleased to be honored at that meeting, died in the fall, and you know the rest of the story.  I remember his wife, whom I saw at quite a few meetings prior to my presidency and she was such a gracious lady, with an up-do hairdo and wore many medals on her dresses.  I was a strong advocate for Law-Related Education and traveled to many state groups and spoke at various meetings in Wisconsin.  I was honored by the State Bar Association and my local bar association.  I had letters from Sandra Day O’Connor and Mayor Feinstein wishing us well.  

At the Annual Meeting in Atlanta the name National Law Wives was changed to American Lawyers Auxiliary.     We opened our office in the American Bar Association building and made the first entries into the ABA computer.  The Alice Carr Memorial Fund was established in anticipation of a generous bequest from the Joseph Carr estate.  ALA made a resolution creating the Alice Carr Memorial Fund dated August 2, 1983.   At the suggestion of State Presidents, a State Presidents’ Council was formed.  Planning for structuring the membership into regions for better communications and representation was begun.  The Vice-Presidents and I were honored guests at numerous State and Local Bar Meetings.  Such contacts reinforced our joy in and dedication to our purpose, which was to uphold the highest principles of the Bar: integrity, service, knowledge, and friendship.  In addition to the regularly held meetings, the first “Board Workshop” was held at the Union League Club of Chicago in October.  The Executive Committee met in May in Chicago for additional sharing of ideas and information. The Midyear Meeting at the Fairmont in New Orleans included Peter Bonovitch, ABA Director of Legal Services, who spoke on “Legal Services and Volunteers”.  There was also a speaker on the “History and Highlights of Carnival and Mardi Gras”.  The 25th Anniversary Celebration was held at the Annual Meeting in Atlanta.  There was a Past-Presidents Council Meeting and Tea at the McNagny Suite at the Atlanta Hilton.  The meetings also included the Education for Citizenship Seminar, President’s Reception, and the 25th Anniversary of Founding Breakfast, Annual Meeting and Installation.  A picture was taken of the Former Presidents who were present for the 25th Anniversary celebration.  All the work during 25th anniversary year was laced with good humor, friendship, and the joy of common purpose and service to both the legal profession and the citizens of our wonderful nation.  

Alice Carr Memorial Fund: On February 13, 1984, the ALA Board of Directors instructed the “transfer of $295,000” and to “reinvest 10% of the income to allow for inflation”.    On May 19, 1984 the ALA-ABA sublease was signed at the spring meeting held in Chicago at Hotel Tremont.   A job description was presented to the applicants for the staff.    The American Lawyers Auxiliary was incorporated August 1, 1984 as an Illinois not-for profit corporation.  The board had four meetings and advocacy chairs were appointed:  Child Advocacy and Protection, Advocacy for Older Adult Access America, Grants Committee.  A Special Law Day Award was presented to Harriet Griswold.  1983-84 was highlighted by the generous gift of Joseph L. Carr memorializing Alice Carr, who contributed so much to our growing organization.  The interest from those entrusted funds enabled us to achieve the goal of office space in the ABA, where with the assistance of the ABA staff and that of our own we have gained the ability to broaden the scope and significance of the purposes outlined in our Charter.  I urged the Board to adopt the handicapped access as an ongoing project and was able to get the initial $1,000 from JC Penney’s for the initial award to stimulate interest in the auxiliaries to continue work with the handicapped.