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Press Release

New York, NY, Wednesday, December 10, 2025

The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) is proud to announce that its nominee and member, Kareen V. Zeitounzian, has been awarded the New York State Bar Association’s (NYSBA) 2026 Kay Crawford Murray Memorial Award. This distinguished honor recognizes women attorneys with exemplary legal careers or rising stars who champion diversity and mentorship in the legal profession.

Kareen, a member of WBASNY’s Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys (GRAWA) Chapter, serves as Senior Counsel at Harris Beach Murtha Cullina PLLC, where she has excelled for 19 years as a business and commercial litigator representing individuals, corporations, nonprofits, and human service agencies. Her leadership extends beyond the courtroom as she co-chairs the firm’s Attorney Training Committee, where she oversees associate mentoring and organizes programs that promote attorney development and inclusion. She is also active in HBM Women Connect, supporting women attorneys and those pursuing nontraditional career paths.

Kareen is deeply committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has served on GRAWA’s Board of Directors and co-chaired its Diversity Committee. In this leadership role, she spearheaded initiatives such as developing DEI guidelines and organizing community engagement events for Pride, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Disability Awareness Month, among others. Her dedication is informed by her unique perspective as an attorney of Armenian heritage, born in Athens, Greece, and living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type II.

Her contributions have earned numerous accolades, including the Rochester Business Journal Impact and Inclusion Award (2025), GRAWA’s Ally Windsor Howell Champion of Diversity Award (2024), and Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow Award (2015, 2023). She is also a published contributor to legal scholarship and an active leader in organizations such as Rotary International (Fairport, NY Chapter) and Neuromuscular Disability United, Inc.

Kareen earned her Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo School of Law, where she received the Faculty Award and served as Associate Editor of the Human Rights Law Review. Her career exemplifies excellence, resilience, and a steadfast commitment to mentorship and inclusion.

WBASNY congratulates Kareen Zeitounzian on this well-deserved recognition. Past recent WBASNY nominee recipients for the Kay Crawford Murray Memorial Award include U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross (2025); Past President of GRAWA, Josie Sheppard Wilson, Esq. (2024); and Hon. Lisa Sokoloff (2021).

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Thank you for celebrating the New York Women’s Bar Association’s 2025 Annual Awards and Installation Dinner on June 9, 2025 at Tribeca 360.

The President’s Special Award was jointly presented to U.S. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney and Hon. Betty Weinberg Ellerin, along with Planned Parenthood of Greater New York and Safe Horizon.

The NYWBA mourns the passing of Cecile Richards on January 20, 2025. We honored Cecile at our 2016 Annual Dinner where she graciously accepted the NYWBA President’s Special Award for her work as then-President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and her zealous advocacy for reproductive rights and education.

In August of 2024, the NYWBA sadly announced the untimely death of Amanda B. Norejko, our dynamic friend, Past President, Board Member and Committee Co-Chair.

In Amanda’s honor, we have created a webpage that is devoted to her memory. Click here to view this page.