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MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES 

WGCC Regular Membership

WGCC Regular Membership is open to women executive legal leaders who have legal executive responsibilities such as accountability for strategic legal advice, governance, and board engagement or who have oversight for the legal function (which may also include management of the legal budget for their organization) and meet the following criteria:

• 1)     Are called to the bar (entitled to practice) in at least one province or territory in Canada; and
• 2)     Are actively practicing law and/or managing a legal team in an organization (private or public sector); and
• 3)     Work in the General Counsel role, Chief Legal Officer or equivalent executive role as the most senior woman legal executive (division/subsidiary/affiliate) in Canada*.

Each WGCC Regular Member is entitled to receive notice of, attend, be heard, and have one vote on each action item for discussion at all regular meetings of WGCC.

WGCC Regular Members are eligible to hold positions on the WGCC Executive Board and eligible (and encouraged) to join WGCC Committees.  Members are required to inform WGCC Membership if a change in status occurs during the year which may impact the eligibility of the Member for Regular Membership.

*At the sole discretion of the WGCC Membership Committee, WGCC Regular Membership may be extended, by exception, to a woman executive legal leader who is not the ‘most senior woman’ in the organization.  This exception is in recognition that larger organizations may have several divisions, subsidiaries, affiliates, and departments that although report up to one Senior Legal Executive (who may be the General Counsel), if considered independently, these applicants would qualify for membership.

WGCC Fellow Membership

WGCC Fellow Membership is open to women business executive leaders who have taken a role as a business executive and are no longer actively working in the legal field provided that, in their previous role, they would have qualified for WGCC Regular Membership.

WGCC Members may apply for WGCC Fellow Membership by requesting a “Change in Status” to the Membership Committee Chair. Individuals who are new to WGCC and wish to join as a WGCC Fellow Member must apply to the Membership Committee.

Admission to WGCC as a WGCC Fellow is on recommendation from the Membership Committee and approval by the WGCC Executive Committee. 

Each WGCC Fellow Member is entitled to receive notice of, attend, and be heard regarding each action item for discussion at all regular meetings of WGCC. 

Although there is no dedicated WGCC Executive Board position for a WGCC Fellow (at this time), WGCC Fellow Members are eligible (and encouraged) to join WGCC Committees. 

WGCC Emeritus Membership

WGCC Emeritus Membership is open to women executive legal leaders who, although no longer actively working (e.g., retired) held a previous role for at least ten (10) years during which they would have qualified for WGCC Regular Membership.

Emeritus Members are to inform WGCC Membership if a change in status occurs during the membership year which may impact the eligibility of the Member for Emeritus Membership.

WGCC Members may apply for WGCC Emeritus Membership by requesting a “Change in Status” to the Membership Committee Chair. Individuals who are new to WGCC and wish to join as a WGCC Emeritus Member must apply to the Membership Committee.

Admission to WGCC as a WGCC Emeritus Member is on recommendation from the Membership Committee and approval by the WGCC Executive Committee. 

Each WGCC Emeritus Member is entitled to receive notice of, attend, and be heard regarding each action item for discussion at all regular meetings of WGCC. 

There is one (1) WGCC Executive Board position for an Emeritus Member.  WGCC Emeritus Members are eligible (and encouraged) to join WGCC Committees. 

WGCC In-Transition Membership

A benefit to being a WGCC Regular Member or WGCC Fellow Member in good standing is the eligibility to continue membership at a reduced price, for up to two consecutive membership years, if a WGCC member becomes displaced or leaves their current position and is actively seeking a new position in which the member expects to be eligible for WGCC Regular Membership or WGCC Fellow Membership.

A WGCC Member in good standing (meaning the annual fee for the most recent Membership Year was fully paid) may request a “Change in Status” to the Membership Committee Chair for an “In-Transition Membership”.

A change in membership to WGCC In-Transition Membership is on recommendation from the Membership Committee and approval by the WGCC Executive Committee. 

Each WGCC In-Transition Member is entitled to all rights and privileges of the Membership category to which they previously belonged as a member in good standing.

Although there is no dedicated WGCC Executive Board position for a WGCC In-Transition Members, WGCC In-Transition Members are eligible (and encouraged) to join WGCC Committees. 

This category is offered to existing WGCC Members only.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

There are numerous benefits that are available to WGCC Members (in good standing) regardless as to their category of membership, such as:

•               i.      WGCC Annual Conference
• Each year the WGCC Annual conference is jam packed with relevant information, resources, networking opportunities and much more – all while earning valuable CPD credits.  The WGCC Annual Conference is included in WGCC Regular Membership and WGCC Fellow Membership fees and is a nominal cost for the other categories of Membership.
•             ii.      WGCC Networking Circles

Piloted post the WGCC Annual Conference event in Spring 2022, the WGCC Networking Circles were an instant hit.  WGCC Networking Circles meet as a small, informal group (of 6-8 WGCC members) to discuss a pre-selected topic of interest to attendees.  Discussion focuses on topics of professionalism and may also discuss principles of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in the legal profession.  WGCC Networking Circles are a way to connect with other members of WGCC to build relationships, expand your network and support system as you navigate the professional challenges of your demanding and rewarding career – all while earning valuable CPD credits. WGCC Networking Circles are included in your Membership fees.

•           iii.      WGCC Sociables
• ‘Sociables’ have long been the way to celebrate friendship, companionship, and fun.  WGCC recognizes that in addition to a robust calendar of events centered on education and continued professional development, balance is necessary in all things.  With this in mind, WGCC Sociables are being introduced to WGCC Members.  WGCC Sociables are envisioned as a time to unwind and build friendships in a relaxing atmosphere.  Attendance at Sociables will be offered on a ‘first come’ basis and, since numbers will be limited, a nominal fee ‘may’ be charged to those that sign up to hold their spot at the Sociable.  The overall cost of WGCC Sociable will be covered in the WGCC Membership fees, and the invitation will be open for all WGCC members in good standing.
•           iv.      WGCC Professional Development (PD) Events
• The WGCC PD Event is a professional development event that is organized and designed by WGCC specifically for its members.  Each WGCC PD Event is designed to virtually connect our WGCC Membership to gain valuable insights on topics relevant to our members – and to help our members earn valuable CPD credits.  WGCC PD Events are included in your Membership fees.
•              v.      WGCC ‘Crowd Source’ Discussion Page
• The WGCC Crowd Source Discussion Page – “The Page” will be your destination for discussion.  This benefit is being updated in 2023 and is envisioned to be your place to go for crowd sourcing opinions, information, input and insights by enlisting the service of a large group of people via the internet has become popular in our virtual age.  WGCC has jumped on board – through The Page, members of WGCC have access to some of the best minds in the country!  “The Page” is accessible by all members and is the destination of choice for announcements, questions, recommendations or discussion of any number of topics relevant to our WGCC members.  Access to “The Page” is included in your Membership fees.
• ·       Do you have an issue and do not know where to start? 
• ·       Are you looking for a precedent?
• ·       Are you looking for a speaker recommendation?
• ·       Are you looking for a recommendation for a speaker topic for your organization?
• ·       Are you looking for a new person to join your team?
• ·       Have you heard about an opportunity that you want to share?
• ·       Looking for someone who has been there? Done that? – Visit here!
•           vi.      WGCC Committees & Board Positions
• Get involved with WGCC through volunteering your time on one of our WGCC Committees or volunteer for a Board position.  Each year we seek out innovative ideas from our members to ensure that all WGCC members get the best value for their membership dollars.  We know there are many associations and by volunteering your time you can ensure WGCC remains the top choice for WGCC in Canada. By volunteering on a WGCC committee, you are building relationships that will last a lifetime and building our WGCC community.  There are numerous WGCC Committees such as: Conference Committee, Membership Committee, Communications, Interconnectedness, Awards Committee, and a number of WGCC Board Positions that become open each year. Serving as a member of the board of directors is a satisfying experience, and the impacts you make can have lasting effects.
•         vii.      WGCC GCU Eligibility
• WGCC Members are eligible to sign up for an accredited designation lovingly dubbed ‘General Counsel University’.   GCU was created by WGCC for general counsel and other senior legal leaders covering topics, knowledge, attributes, and skills necessary for GCs.  Launched in 2021, the program is grounded on Korn Ferry’s Leadership Architect Global Competency Framework® and is led by experts in a variety of fields.  The cohorts are limited to twelve WGCC members to ensure maximum connectivity.  Refer to the WGCC website for more information. Fees for attending GCU are not included in Annual Membership fees.
•       viii.      WGCC Sponsor Endorsed Events
• Members of WGCC receive invitations to all WGCC Endorsed Events by our amazing Sponsors. Sponsor firms of WGCC create tailored programing for members by working with WGCC Executive and volunteers to ensure the most relevant offerings are made available.  WGCC Sponsor Endorsed Events are included in all Membership fees.
•           ix.      WGCC Interactive Membership Directory

Members of WGCC are encouraged to complete their Membership Profile on the WGCC site so that other members can reach out via our own internal social network. It will also help you to remember that amazing person that you met at a WGCC Conference or event so you can keep connected so one day you can reconnect with the time is right. You can choose to link the public portion of your WGCC Membership Profile to LinkedIn, further augmenting your profile.  Your WGCC Membership Profile can also be a useful tool for external companies seeking to recruit a new member of their Board of Directors or Chief Legal Officer.  Finally, the WGCC Member Directory can be a powerful networking tool for you.  Even if you are not a ‘networking social butterfly’ you can build relationships with mutual connections and others in your field.

•             x.      WGCC Coffee Connections
• People learn best from connecting with others. We hear from our members that one of the many reasons they joined WGCC is to connect with others and build their relationship network.  Sometimes, this is very easy to do and happens organically by meeting people at conferences, social events and professional development seminars.  The experience of a pandemic has shown us the importance of ‘virtual connectedness’.  WGCC Coffee Connections will help create informal interactions amongst WGCC members to help create a sense of belonging to WGCC while also providing the opportunity to grow their networks in remote and/or hybrid working environments. WGCC Coffee Connections are included in all Membership fees.
•           xi.      WGCC Mentorship Program
• Piloted in 2021, the WGCC mentorship program was completely full in a couple of days! The new program will combine the success of original program with the success of GCU (also launched in 2021). Instead of a 1:1 program, we will curate Mentorship Circles to include 2 (or more) WGCC mentees with one GCU graduate and one Emeritus member (or other senior WGCC member) to create “Mentoring Pods”.  This program allows newer GCs with the opportunity to be mentored by two experienced GCs, including those who have been through the leadership training of GCU. The many benefits of this program is that it allows GCU alum to become engaged and to demonstrate and share the leadership training they received at GCU. It also continues to create larger networks for newer GCs.

•         xii.      WGCC Annual General Meeting

Membership entitles you to attend the WGCC AGM where you are given your opportunity to ask questions about the decisions and practices of the WGCC. The role of the WGCC is very important its decisions have significant impact on our WGCC Members.  The AGM presents an opportunity for members to bring questions to the WGCC Board and to ensure members represent the interest of its members.