Our History

Founded in 2015, by the BCWB’s Officers and Board of Directors, and originally led by Past-President Tiffanie Clausewitz, the LEAD Academy was inspired by the need to both help talented women excel in the practice of law, and help them remain engaged in the legal profession. The LEAD Academy drew on grim statistics collected over a decade by the National Association of Women Lawyers that highlighted gaps between male and women attorneys in key areas such as: compensation; promotion; retention; billable work distribution; inclusion on key governance committees (including compensation committees); diversity, inclusion, and unconscious bias training; and client origination credit.

More than a decade later, LEAD Academy has become known state-wide as a model leadership academy for women attorneys. Among its early accolades is the 2018 Star of Achievement Award presented by the State Bar of Texas. Its alumnae lead companies and professional organizations across Bexar County, are considered thought leaders in their fields, and have developed key referral networks.

Women provide the diversity that clients increasingly prefer and often require. The Bexar County Women’s Bar Foundation’s LEAD Academy prepares participants to empower themselves with self-awareness and confidence; project credibility; develop robust professional networks; and increase value to their firm or organization.