“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” —Amendment XIX

Although Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton penned the Nineteenth Amendment in 1878, it took until 1919—more than 40 years—to see their dream become a reality.

On June 4, 1919, Congress passed the 19th Amendment (although it was not ratified until August 1920). Tonight, 100 years later, the Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers (MDFAWL) will gather to commemorate the centennial of the passage of Nineteenth Amendment by Congress and to celebrate the trailblazing women who have fought and continue to fight for gender equality.

At the 39th annual installation and awards dinner, Judge Rodolfo “Rudy” Ruiz, South Florida's newest U.S. District Court judge and longtime MDFAWL supporter, will administer the oath to the incoming officers and board of directors. The program will pay homage to the suffragettes and the trailblazers who followed, including Judge Carroll J. Kelly, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Domestic Violence Division, who will be receiving MDFAWL's highest honor, the Mattie Belle Davis Award.

On June 30, 1951, Mattie Belle Davis—the only female Floridian who passed The Florida Bar Exam in 1936—presided over a breakfast meeting held by a group of Florida women lawyers in Miami Beach. Those women officially formed the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.

On March 1, 1980, local chapters of FAWL were formed. Linda C. Singer, then president of state FAWL, encouraged the women lawyers of Dade County to form a chapter. At that time, all of the business clubs in downtown Miami were “male only” and there were few women judges or law firm partners. MDFAWL was formed, with Charlene Carres serving as the first president. Right out of the gate, MDFAWL got to work, arranging a meeting with then Gov. Bob Graham to speak about the appointment of women to the judiciary and other leadership positions. Forward thinking and ambitious as these women were, somehow, nearly 40 years later, progress for women lawyers remains an uphill climb.

On Jan. 19, 1981, the constitution and bylaws were amended to change the name from the Florida Association of Women Lawyers to the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, to ensure that male and female members of a state Bar who supported the voluntary bar association's goals could join.

Since its founding, MDFAWL has been at the forefront of change, including lobbying for the Equal Rights Amendment, introducing the idea of a Florida Supreme Court Gender Bias Commission; lobbying for the enactment of Florida's sexual cyber harassment statute to protect victims of nonconsensual pornography; putting nursing suites in local state and federal courthouses; and advocating for the implementation of a parental leave rule.

In 2018, the organization launched the MDFAWL Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is, in part, to provide scholarships to law students who demonstrate financial need, academic merit and a commitment to the advancement of women in the law.

Earlier this year, on March 13, Sookie Williams passed away at the age of 101. She was a pioneer, a staunch advocate for women in the law, and a mentor to female judges and attorneys across the state. Williams worked at the Daily Business Review for 42 years, 34 of them as vice president of legal, before retiring at the age of 98. She helped found the Florida Association for Women Lawyers and was a longtime supporter of MDFAWL. In 2008, MDFAWL awarded her the Women Making History Award, which the organization awards annually in March during Women's History Month. Williams embodied all that MDFAWL stands for. Her commitment and passion for women's rights helped pave the way for the next generation of women leaders.

In her honor, at tonight's event, and in connection with the MDFAWL Foundation, MDFAWL will officially announce the Sookie Williams Scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded in March 2020 to a female law student who embodies the passion and perseverance of Williams, and who is committed to women's rights and leadership.

The Sookie Williams Scholarship is made possible by a generous lead donation by Ira Leesfield, founder and managing partner of Leesfield Scolaro, a longtime supporter of MDFAWL and who is personally committed to advancing the position of women in the legal profession. In 2015, MDFAWL awarded him its Honorable Theodore Klein Award. Not only has Ira committed financially to supporting the Sookie Williams Scholarship and the MDFAWL Foundation's law student scholarship program, but he has also committed to sitting on the board of the MDFAWL Foundation. To join our effort to endow scholarships for the next generation of women lawyers, go to www.mdfawlfoundation.org

As I step into the role of MDFAWL president, I am grateful to have the opportunity to create meaningful and long-lasting change, for the organization, for our legal community, for women, and for men.

Over the next year, MDFAWL's programming will be inspired by leadership and diversity. We will continue to support qualified women—and specifically women of color—in ascending to the bench and other leadership positions.

This coming year, MDFAWL will continue to create and curate unique, substantive programming, including a diversity bootcamp and programming that address social media as a force for both good and also one that fosters societal challenges. And we will address how social media and digital connections can support our work as lawyers and help women leverage technology and digital platforms for positive impact and progress.

True leaders learn from the past, and the American suffragettes have left a blueprint for advocacy, for effecting change, and for setting sights on rightful dreams. Tonight, MDFAWL promises to be the loud and clear voice of the legacy they made—to be heard in Miami and far beyond.

Elisa D'Amico is a partner at K&L Gates in Miami.