Celebrating Women in Competition: Jill Manning’s Commitment to Progress and Possibility

California Lawyers Association Vice President Jill Manning has never been one to back away from a challenge. From the beginning of her legal career, she has worked to ensure people everywhere have access to justice.

“I did a lot of work during law school for the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office in the environmental protection and consumer protection fields, and it really spoke to me,” she said. “Helping consumers, I thought, was something that needed to be done in the legal practice.”

Jill spent the first 30 years of her career protecting consumers and promoting competition among businesses. Her practice spanned consumer protection and antitrust to cybersecurity, employment, healthcare, and securities — work that demanded strategic precision and relentless preparation. In litigation spaces that were often male-dominated and intensely competitive, Jill not only held her ground; she thrived.

Last year, she stepped away from litigation and into a new role as a mediator, using her decades of courtroom experience to help parties resolve disputes outside of it. Along the way, she has spoken at dozens of programs and earned widespread recognition, including being named a Northern California Super Lawyer for the past five years.

Her confidence and command of the courtroom, however, did not develop overnight. Like many accomplished lawyers, Jill’s growth was shaped by mentors who pushed her to refine her instincts and trust her voice.

“My mentor from the beginning, of course, is my mother, who raised my brother and me as a single mom and always taught us the importance of being a good person and treating people fairly,” she said. “My mom, she’s a rockstar. She’s just incredible. She is my role model, still to this day.”

Professionally, Jill credits her first boss after law school for shaping her approach to advocacy.

“[My boss, Alice McInerney] was a former prosecutor with the New York Attorney General’s Office and really taught me how you can be a tough, strong female advocate without losing your humanity, your patience, and your compassion,” she said. The two remain close friends.

Those early examples of strength and compassion left a lasting mark. As Jill advanced in her career, she became increasingly aware of the importance of visible, confident female leadership in areas of law traditionally dominated by men. She credits female judges for expanding opportunities by insisting that women and minorities be represented in cases before them; support that has helped move the profession beyond the “boys’ club” of the past.

While antitrust and consumer protection law remain male-dominated fields, Jill has seen meaningful progress over the past three decades.

“When I started doing this in the late 90s, the cases were dominated by men,” she said. “I’ve definitely seen progress being made. We are seeing women doing amazing work, rising to the highest levels of partnership at their firms, becoming equity partners and judges … that’s been incredibly encouraging.”

Jill celebrates that progress each year through CLA’s Antitrust and Consumer Protection Law Section at “Celebrating Women in Competition Law,” an event she cofounded with Kate Patchen nearly a decade ago.

She recalls attending women-focused legal events earlier in her career that left her discouraged about the profession’s future. But a conversation before a Section Executive Committee meeting changed her perspective.

“One of the lawyers was recounting this great situation where she helped resolve a case for a client,” Jill said. “The way she was talking about the case was so inspiring that something just clicked in my head. I thought, ‘This is what I want to hear.’”

In that moment, Celebrating Women in Competition Law was born. Held just before International Women’s Day, the event shines a spotlight on women in the antitrust field who are doing exceptional work and creates space to share their stories.

“It’s truly one of the most meaningful events that I go to,” Jill said. “Every year I walk away incredibly inspired by the work that women are doing in the antitrust field.”

The celebration, she emphasizes, is not just for women.

“Doesn’t everybody want to celebrate women in competition and hear about the amazing work they’re doing?”

Nearly 30 years after entering a field dominated by men, Jill is helping ensure the next generation of women in antitrust and consumer protection law sees something different: visibility, opportunity, and community. In doing so, she continues the work she set out to accomplish from the very beginning: expanding access to justice not only for clients but also within the profession itself.