Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former presidential candidate John Edwards, is one of several prominent women speaking at the Pennsylvania Governor's Conference for Women in Pittsburgh on Oct. 2.

More than 3,000 women already have registered for the fifth annual daylong conference to be held at the David Lawrence Convention Center, a number that's well ahead of last year, said Judge Marjorie Rendell, a jurist on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and Pennsylvania's First Lady.

Judge Rendell, who was in Pittsburgh yesterday, said the conference is part community forum, part networking opportunity, part trade show, part book signing and part bazaar. The conference, which features 80 speakers, is expected to draw as many as 5,000 people.

Mrs. Edwards, the keynote speaker for the conference, is a veteran of two bouts with breast cancer, a lawyer, mother of four children, and a passionate advocate of reforming America's health-care system. She is the author of The New York Times best-selling book, "Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength From Friends and Strangers." Her remarks will focus on illness, campaigning, the loss of her first-born child, Wade, and how friends and family helped her through those difficult times.

She was back in public view again last week after her husband, former U.S. Sen. John Edwards, admitted to an affair with a former campaign staffer.

"What political wives can go through is very challenging," Judge Rendell said.

In addition to Mrs. Edwards, other speakers are Nontombi Naomi Tutu, the daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who will speak about a global peace initiative; cultural commentators Liz Smith and Julia Reed, and Mary Wells, founder of an advertising and marketing agency.

Past speakers have included U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the nation's highest court, and Madeleine Albright, the first woman to serve as U.S. secretary of state.

The conference features a special track for young women who are in high school and college age, Judge Rendell said, adding that discussion topics include leadership, mentoring and how involving yourself in nonprofits can broaden your horizons.

"Younger women in high school are not thinking about what they can be. They're really wondering how they can get there," Judge Rendell said, adding that the state governor's school program offers specialized training in several subjects over the summer and covers the $2,500 tuition for each student.

While in Pittsburgh, Judge Rendell appeared at a Duquesne Club luncheon where she advocated for PennCORD, the Pennsylvania Coalition for Representative Democracy, an organization that aims to teach young people about the workings of the U.S. government and their responsibilities as American citizens.

In the public schools, Judge Rendell said, "We don't teach civics anymore. Every child is a citizen."

For a full agenda of conference activities, go to:

www.pagovernorsconferenceforwomen.org/