After the success of last year’s Women’s Suit Drive, I am excited to announce that we will be doing it again later this month.
Last year I worked with the UBC Indigenous Legal Studies Program and the Centre for Feminist Studies to provide women entering the legal profession with professional clothing. Read on to find out how to donate.
I was blown away by the number of kind donations we received last time. We were able to help dozens of students and we are determined to do even better this year.
The reason I started the drive last year was simple: women’s suits are expensive. Often much more expensive than men’s suits. And yet articling students and recently qualified lawyers are expected to wear proper courtroom attire. It’s simply not an option for many people.
For students and lawyers just starting out this is a cost they simply cannot afford. At the same time, established legal professionals will have closets full of suits they no longer wear that are just gathering dust. Why not give these students a helping hand by giving them courtroom clothing that would otherwise go unused?
So, I am once again organizing a Women’s Suit Drive until 5:00 pm on March 23, 2020.
Do you have a suit that you don’t wear anymore but it’s too good to throw away? Do you want to see it go to a good home? Donate it to us and we will ensure it goes to someone who appreciates it. A good suit can help a new lawyer get a job, look professional in court or just gain confidence.
With that in mind, we will accept donations of new or gently used suits in any size, style or shape and colour. It doesn’t have to be a full suit. If you have articles of clothing that pair well or office attire, we will happily take those as well. If you don’t have clothing but you would still like to help, please spread the word about the Women’s Suit Drive. We can also take clothing store gift cards or cash donations which I will use to buy gift cards to give to new lawyers so they can buy themselves a suit.
You can drop off your donations at Acumen Law’s Vancouver and Richmond locations. You can find the addresses here. Alternatively, if you send an email with your address to kyla@kylalee.ca someone from Acumen Law will come and pick them up for you. You can also approach any Acumen Law lawyer in court and provide your donation to us directly. Cash donations can be made directly or by e-transfer. Email me for more details.
The deadline for the Women’s Suit Drive is March 23 at 5:00 pm. UBC will organize an event shortly after to present law students with their new suits. Let’s give new lawyers a helping hand.