Please register for our May 2024 lunch seminar:

Panel discussion on nontraditional legal careers featuring attorneys Margaret Gritten, Bahareh Samanian, and Melissa Shaw

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When: Thursday, May 30, 2024, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. 
 
Where: Fisher & Phillips LLP, 1700 7th Avenue, Suite 1000, Seattle, WA 98101
 
RSVP: through Member 365 (preferred if you are a MAMA member) or by email to
lunchseminars@mamaseattle.org.
 
Bring your lunch and join us for in-person networking and a panel discussion with three accomplished mother attorneys! Margaret Gritten, Bahareh Samanian, and Melissa Shaw will share their career stories and insights they have gained into career pathways beyond traditional law practice. Panel discussion will start at noon, with networking time before and after.
 
Margaret Gritten


Margaret Duñgo Gritten is the Chief Public Policy Officer for the YWCA | SKS. She leads the organization’s public policy and advocacy division and oversees the advancement of local and national legislation related to racial justice, civil rights, women’s empowerment, economic advancement, and women’s health and safety.  Margaret began her career as an attorney fighting against wage theft, abuse, and discrimination in the workplace. She upheld the civil and constitutional rights of individuals and class-actions before expanding to government relations, strategic-planning, and advocacy. As an executive leader, she specializes in high-impact, large-scale equity initiatives and believes in centering the voices and lived experiences of directly impacted communities in law and policy.  

Margaret earned her B.A. with honors from the University of Washington, and her J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law. She is also the proud mother of a wonderfully curious two-year-old boy named Basil.
 
Bahareh Samanian
 

Bahareh Samanian is an executive legal recruiter and founder of Bahareh Legal, an attorney search + placement agency focused on optimizing legal recruiting and bringing more diversity to the practice of law.  With an extensive background in the law practice, legal operations, and legal recruiting, Bahareh connects top legal talent with firms ranging in scope from the AmLaw 200 to niche, boutique players.  More than a recruiter, she is a talent partner to her clients and an advocate for candidates.  She creates mutually beneficial relationships between clients and candidates, which she accomplishes through partnership and collaboration.  She draws on her extensive network, cultivated during her time in law school career services, in private practice as a litigator and trial attorney, and in law firm recruitment for an AmLaw 100 firm.  She holds a B.A. in Political Science and Communications from the University of Washington and a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law.  Her entrepreneur fan club includes her 9 year-old daughter and 11 year-old son.  She serves on the MAMA Seattle Board as Co-Director of Sponsorship.
 
Melissa Shaw

Melissa is an accomplished Senior Director at Themis Bar Review offering 25+ years of expertise in supplying effective leadership across high-performing teams, business development initiatives, and educational environments. Melissa started her career in bar review with Barbri working her way up to one of 7 regional Vice Presidents. She left Barbri in 2013 to develop programs at the University of Washington School of Law as the Director for Academic Support and LLM Early Bar Prep Lecturer. Melissa created and taught an Early Bar Prep program for the law school that is still used today to help LLM and JD's increase bar passage rates. Finally, Melissa moved to Themis 10 years ago and is currently in charge of 11 campuses across 8 states. In addition, Melissa creates and implements lectures for the Nevada and LLM Advantage programs and advises students during bar prep. Recently, Melissa started practicing educational law a few hours a week because of her own experience navigating the education system for her son. Melissa is licensed in California and Washington and interned for the 9th Circuit District Court while in law school. 
 

MAMA Seattle would also like to thank our
Platinum sponsors:
Foster Garvey PC
Gordon Tilden Thomas & Cordell LLP
 
Gold sponsors:
Cairncross & Hempelmann, P.S.
Harrigan Leyh Farmer & Thomsen LLP
Lane Powell PC
McNaul Ebel Nawrot & Helgren PLLC
Ogden Murphy Wallace PLLC
Perkins Coie LLP
Summit Law Group PLLC

Questions? Contact us at lunchseminars@mamaseattle.org.
www.MAMASeattle.org  |  https://mama.member365.com/