Julia Donovan Darlow
Julia Donovan Darlow was the first woman president of the State Bar of Michigan when she was appointed in 1987. Darlow joined the Detroit-based law firm of Dickinson Wright PLLC after graduating from law school and was made a partner seven years later.
While practicing law in the corporate setting, Darlow observed first-hand the sexual bias and prejudice that women lawyers face. Women, she observed, were promoted within law firms at a rate significantly slower than men and were leaving law firms at a rate significantly faster than men. In an effort to help other women lawyers overcome these barriers, Darlow personally created a turnover plan to ensure that younger women in the firm would assume her corporate clients.
She has also served as Chairperson of the Michigan Supreme Court Task Force on Gender Issues in the Courts. Darlow has used her success in the legal field to assist young women who are pursuing their career goals and has placed them within their reach.