Despite all the gloomy news (and dreary weather) so far this year, the NYWBA and the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) continue to serve as beacons of hope. Our commitment to women and the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) remains unwavering. As stated in a recent WBASNY press release, “WBASNY JOCELYN JACOBSON remains dedicated and stands in solidarity with all those committed to breaking down barriers to ensure diversity in schools, sports, and the workplace. As the largest women’s bar association in the United States, we stand firm in our support of diversity, recognizing it promotes democracy, equity and makes our nation stronger.” The NYWBA, a founding chapter of WBASNY, just as firmly supports this important mission.

And as a reminder, here in New York State, the voters approved the Equal Rights Amendment to the NYS Constitution back in November 2024. That amendment provided equal protection for women and prohibited discrimination based on a person’s ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex — including their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes. As the NYWBA celebrates its 90th Anniversary, our mission of improving the status of women and promoting the fair and equal administration of justice remain as relevant – and critical – as they were 90 years ago.

And as part of that mission, the NYWBA has many exciting upcoming programs and opportunities for its members, including several especially geared toward the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion. One of our major events, the Annual NYWBA Judicial Reception, is being held on Monday, March 10, 2025, at the Yale Club, starting at 6 p.m. We honor our newly elected, newly appointed and re-elected judges. This is always a great event for our judges and a chance for all of us to meet and mingle with them. We hope you can join us – please RSVP on our website.

In addition, the NYWBA, as part of a program with WBASNY, is presenting a “Women in Law” program on March 5, 2025, geared toward bringing high school students together with legal professionals to educate students on opportunities and careers in the law and promote the advancement of women in the legal profession. I want to thank Dawn Cardi, the Hon. Judith J. Gische, and the Hon. Crystal R. Villaseñor who worked so hard to put this event together.

On March 11, 2025, the NYWBA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, co-chaired by Ernestine J. Mings, the Hon. Crystal R. Villaseñor and the Hon. Kathleen C. Waterman-Marshall, is holding, on behalf of the National Association of Women Judges, a program known as MentorJet. This is a speed networking event for law students to connect with diverse members of the New York bar, including judges and other legal professionals. Please check the NYWBA website – www.nywba.org – for more information.

On March 26, 2025, the NYWBA LGBT Committee, chaired by Claire Mooney, along with the NYS Bar Association’s LGBTQ+ Committee, is hosting a Mixer in Honor of Women’s History Month, at Henrietta Hudson. The event is free to members – but if you plan to attend please RSVP to LGBTChairs@nywba.org.

I do want to mention two other events coming up in March. First, on March 3, 2025, at 6 p.m., the NYWBA Foundation kicks off its 30th Anniversary with a cocktail party at the Cornell Club. There will be door prizes and special speakers. If interested please check their website – nywda.org – for more information. The NYWBA Foundation provides grants and supports fellowships where law students work within organizations that strive to support disadvantaged women and children through the legal process.

And finally, as mentioned last month, on March 8, 2025, from 1-5 p.m., the NYWBA is participating in a Cycle for Survival Fundraising Event. This event raises funds to treat rare breast cancers – all funds go to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center – and we dedicate our work to our former president who we lost to cancer, Amanda Norejko. NYWBA has two stationary bikes and riders will switch off riding throughout the event. Feel free to donate, ride (for as many or as few minutes as you would like) or just come to cheer us on. Registration information and details are on the NYWBA website. Thanks to Melissa F. Glassman for organizing our participation in this event and for being the team coach!

For more information on any of the above events, and others in the coming months, please visit our website, www.nywba.org.

And I want to mention some of the great events the NYWBA held in February. On February 4, 2025, the Mentoring Committee, chaired by Melissa Ephron-Mandel and Melissa Glassman, held a joint event with the WBASNY Mentoring Committee to kick off the addition of more mentoring circles. An article about that event and mentoring circles appears in this newsletter. If you are interested in joining a mentoring circle, but could not join that meeting please reach out to the chairs at mentoring@nywba.org.

Also in February, both the Solo and Small Law Firm Committee, co-chaired by Gail Bader and Sabrina Morrissey, and the Matrimonial and Family Law Committee, co-chaired by the Hon. Ariel Chesler, Anita Rojas Carroll, Olivia Lee, and Sabrina Woods held CLEs on topics of interest and importance to our members.

I look forward to joining you at one of our fantastic events or CLEs in the coming weeks and months.

Jocelyn Jacobson