Women are often the ones who have the key skills required in top leadership positions, yet few women hold these high-profile titles. This session will look at the historical factors that have contributed to this situation, at the perfect "fit" today of what women have to offer, and how participants can enhance their own personal leadership skills. Ms. Weddington shares her own experiences in the U.S. Supreme Court, the Texas Legislature, the White House, and in developing leadership skills.

Sarah Weddington is particularly well known for her work on issues affecting women in her many roles as attorney, legislator, presidential advisor, professor, and expert called upon by the national media. She is a proven leader in government at the national and state levels. From 1978 to 1981, she served as assistant to President Jimmy Carter, directing the Administration's work on women's issues and leadership outreach. As general counsel of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1977 and the first woman to ever hold that position, she supervised more than 200 lawyers. From 1983-1985, Dr. Weddington was the first woman director of the Texas Office of State-Federal Relations. Elected in 1973 and serving three terms, she was the first woman from Austin in the 150-member Texas House of Representatives.

In her first book, A Question of Choice, Dr. Weddington detailed the landmark Roe v. Wade case, which she successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in l973. She is believed to be the youngest person ever to win a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. A founding member of the Foundation for Women's Resources, she has been integral in all its activities, including the "Leadership Texas" and "Leadership America" programs and the creation of The Women's Museum, which opened September 29, 2000, in Dallas, Texas. She is featured as one of 39 in the "Unforgettable Women" exhibit in the Record Breakers case with Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Amelia Earhart.

The Nelson A. Rockefeller Center Events