SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JULY 8, 2026 - Queen's Bench Bar Association of the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the oldest women's bar associations in continuous existence in the United States, hosted its 2026 Membership Information Session on July 8, welcoming prospective members from across the nine Bay Area counties. A full recording of the session is now available on our association's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfBG7fpGPm8.

The session was led by Alexandra Sepolen, our Second Vice President and chair of the Membership Committee. Sepolen walked attendees through the benefits of membership, the association's committee structure, and our membership-tier system.

"Queen's Bench has spent more than a century opening doors in the legal profession, and this session is one of the ways we keep opening them," said Sepolen. "Whether you are a law student, a new admittee, or a seasoned practitioner, there is a place for you here, and more than half of our membership tiers cost fifty dollars or less."

A membership designed to pay for itself

Members receive year-round Continuing Legal Education programming at free or reduced rates, early-bird and member pricing on signature events, mentorship, and access to a searchable member directory that supports referrals and business development. Between reduced registration fees and CLE savings, many members find that the membership pays for itself within a single event or two.

Fourteen committees, hands-on from day one

The association's roughly fourteen active committees give members immediate ways to lead and serve, spanning Mentorship; Business Development; Amicus Briefs; and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, among others. Through its Amicus Briefs committee, Queen's Bench has weighed in on major questions of gender equity and civil rights, and the association supports judicial and civic appointments and mentors law students and new attorneys. A Committee Interest Form is open to new members through September 30, 2026.

A fall calendar of signature events

The association's traditions include the annual Gala, set this year for November 19, 2026, along with the Judges' Dinner and Cocktails and Couture, each a marquee opportunity to connect with judges, senior practitioners, and colleagues across the profession.

Membership tiers that meet members where they are

Membership runs on the calendar year, January through December. Law students and attorneys in their first full year of practice join at no cost, and a confidential hardship membership is available at no cost to anyone for whom dues would be a barrier. Reduced rates are available for recent graduates and for attorneys at government, nonprofit, and public-interest employers. Prospective members can find their tier in about two minutes at queensbench.org/quiz.

Carrying the mission into research and community service

The session also introduced attendees to the Queen's Bench Foundation, our 501(c)(3) sister organization founded in 1974. The Foundation advances research, education, and community programs, including its Color of Justice initiative, which introduces students from diverse backgrounds to careers in the law.

Prospective members are invited to watch the recorded session, take the two-minute Membership Quiz, and join at www.queensbench.org.

About Queen's Bench Bar Association of the San Francisco Bay Area

Founded in 1921 by women lawyers excluded from the all-male local bar, Queen's Bench is a nonprofit voluntary membership organization of attorneys, judges, and law students, and a registered California MCLE provider. Its mission is to foster professional and social relationships among women lawyers and to promote equality and opportunity for all women through education, programs, and community outreach. Queen's Bench welcomes all members of the legal community, of every gender, who support that mission.

Queen's Bench is a 501(c)(6) organization; dues and contributions to it are not deductible as charitable contributions, though a portion may be deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense (members should consult their tax preparer).

About the Queen's Bench Foundation

Established in 1974 by eight Queen's Bench members known as "The Great Eight," the Queen's Bench Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that performs research and disseminates information in defense of human and civil rights secured by law. Its landmark victim-centered rape research of the 1970s was later cited by the California Supreme Court, and its work today spans research, education, scholarships, and community programs. Gifts to the Foundation are generally tax-deductible.

Those interested in joining Queen’s Bench may contact the Membership Committee at membership@queensbench.org.