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:

• Are called to the bar (entitled to practice) in at least one province or territory in Canada; and
• Are actively practicing law and/or managing a legal team in an organization (private or public sector); and
• 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.

WGCC Senior Legal Leaders (SLL)

In addition to being offered to all WGCC members in good standing, eligibility to GCU shall be expanded to include all senior in-house leaders who report to their General Counsel or another senior legal executive and provide a related letter of support from their GC or senior legal executive for their enrolment  ("Senior Legal Leaders Category").   

All GCU participants in the Senior Legal Leaders ("SLL") Category are required to pay the WGCC annual fees for the Membership Year applicable to the start date for their Cohort.  This SLL Category shall constitute a limited WGCC membership for GCU participants which shall permit them to only attend the WGCC Annual General Meeting (non-voting only) and WGCC National Flagship Conferences.  Please note that this limited membership does not entitle them to: 

(a) receive notice of, attend, nor vote at regular meetings of WGCC; 

(b) hold positions on the WGCC Board of Directors or related Committees; nor 

(c) attend any WGCC-organized event, including Coffee Connections and Networking Circles, other than as listed above.  

GCU Graduates who do not meet the other WGCC membership categories shall be eligible to join this limited membership SLL Category