Another fun-filled weekend at the Annual BWL Retreat! This year, we headed south to the fabulous Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, July 8-10, 2016. Over 60 attendees traveled both near and far to join us for networking, knowledge and fun. We had black women lawyers fly in from the Bay Area and as far as Toronto, Canada! While in the neighborhood, we even reunited with some old friends in San Diego. The Retreat was another example of how broadly our organization impacts women of color in the legal industry and how vast our footprint has become. We kicked off the weekend with networking and fellowship in the Hospitality Suite on Friday evening. Saturday morning, some of us enjoyed Yoga on the hotel grounds underneath the Southern California sun. Afterwards, we gathered together to conduct our productive business meeting where we reported on our various events and accomplishments over the course of the 2015-2016 bar year. During our meeting we discussed follow up proposed amendments, and discussed current events and their impact on our community. In the afternoon, the Honorable William McCurine, Jr., Ret. joined BWL Past President Katessa Davis and BWL Lifetime Member Tamara Benefield to engage in a “talk-show style” CLE Panel on Negotiations Strategies and Practical Tips. After a more fun in the sun at the BWL poolside cabana, we finished the evening with a pre-show reception and viewing of the gripping dramatic play, The Last Tiger in Haiti, at the La Jolla Playhouse. On Sunday morning, incoming board members convened for strategic planning, and then we all enjoyed a delectable breakfast on the Caretaker’s Lawn under a see of patio umbrellas. The retreat was made possible by generous donations from our sponsors, City National Bank, Reed Smith LLP, Judicate West, Executive Retirement Solutions, and Morgan Stanley. If you were not there, you certainly missed out!