Women of Color in the Law
On March 3, 2024, the Women of Color in the Law (WOCLSD) hosted a luncheon at the Westgate Hotel. It was titled “Balancing the Scales: Strategies for Lawyers Confronting Stress in Pursuit of Mental Well Being.” This luncheon was convened in response to the need for mental health care and processing in the legal community.
Honorable Queen Mother and Administrative Law Judge Vallera Johnson started Women of Color in the Law in 2002 to increase diversity and mentorship in the San Diego Legal Community for multicultural attorneys. Her plight for justice was riddled with adversity, but she remained a phoenix to supersede personal trials and tribulations to inspire others. Her story of overcoming personal challenges was both motivating and uplifting in the tradition of other notable Howard University graduates like Vice President Kamala Harris.
She was accompanied by fine company, including the host Ivette Kuyateh, a “devoted Christian, wife, and mom” and founder of Kuyateh Law Group, who is a volunteer at District Attorney Summer Stephans Family Resource Center One Safe Place located in San Marcos. University of San Diego alumni and Society of Women Trial Attorneys 2022 Woman of the Year Bibianne U. Fell shared her heartbreaking story of her child’s illness and helped the audience empathize with her and other attorneys’ humanity. Bibianne is currently a professor at University of San Diego School of Law in the Advance Trial Advocacy Department and the NITA program.
A Southern California Super Lawyer since 2017, Srinivas “Vas” Hanumadass shared his inspiring story, too. The Chicago native has utilized various mental health strategies to allow him to thrive and assist the community, especially “promoting women in the Law and Society.”
Clinician Rosalind Solo also attended to help with her specializations, including “anxiety, depression, grief and loss” and more. The licensed professional clinical counselor has also spent extensive time utilizing trauma-informed mindfulness.
If interested in more information, please check out their website: woclsd.org
