OUR WORK IS NOT DONE



I cannot express how proud and honored I am to serve as your president. I want to thank the nominations committee, the officers, the board members, both incoming and outgoing, as well as all the members of this organization for your tremendous vote of confidence.

As you may be aware, this organization was founded more than 70 years ago by pioneering women, who graduated law school and were admitted to the bar, only to find they were unwelcome at the existing bar associations. Since that time, this organization has endeavored to support women joining the bar and to promote women to the bench. It has become a major force in advocating for women and children, particularly in matrimonial law. Our parent, WBASNY, has become an important voice on developing issues in the law, the practice and in society. Since our organization was established, we have seen the number of women attending law school and practicing law grow to more accurately reflect the percentage of women in the population. There has been a huge increase in the number of women on the bench and more opportunities for women to maintain a career and have a family.

Despite the great changes that have occurred, it is not clear much closer we are to our goal of equality. Our Committee on the Status of Women in the Law has prepared a survey to assess the true status of women in this profession, which has already gone out to several hundred firms in the city. In the fall, we hope to present an unbiased evaluation of the current status of women who practice of law in New York.

Although none of us know what the survey will reveal, I believe that our work is not done. In the past several years as an officer of this organization, I have met so many female attorneys who have been unable to achieve their career goals. Young lawyers coming out of law school have told me of the difficulty of finding not the job they want, but any job. Associates tell me about the uncertainty and difficulty involved in trying to become partner. In so many fields, female lawyers with significant experience find themselves suddenly without a job. Although we have many women on the bench, we only have one women sitting in the Appellate Division, First Department. While she is our very own board member (Angela Mazzarelli), one woman, even Justice Mazzarelli, is not enough.

Being president of this organization is akin to riding a wild horse, because it has a collective 'mind of its own'. You can grab those reins, but it does not mean that it is going to take you where you want to go. This year, I’d like the NYWBA to focus on helping our members achieve their career goals. I have committed myself to this goal and I hope that you will commit yourself as well and join me on this journey.

We are committed to providing those services that have helped our members thus far. The NYWBA will continue to present vital continuing legal education programs to keep our members informed. On July 25th we will once again present with the City Bar our groundbreaking program for summer associates that was developed by former president, Meg Gifford, twelve years ago: What Its Like To Practice Law As A Woman. We will continue to provide many opportunities to meet and network, hopefully more of them free, such as our annual fall reception for members and prospective members and 'lunch with a judge', an opportunity to sit down and learn about judges’ preferences over a brown-bag lunch.

However, I know we can do more to make a difference! Although we are already known for our mentoring, we are taking the concept to a new level. All new attorneys who become members will be assigned to one of three groups: they will become Betty Weinberg Ellerin members, Phyllis Gangel-Jacob members, or presidential members. The groups will meet with their mentors a couple times during the year to talk about the practice. Can you imagine what you might have achieved had you gotten advice from a respected, retired judge when you began your career? I hope that these young lawyers will forever be tied to each other and to our organization.

We also intend to introduce some innovative programs to help our members further their goals. As a follow-up to What it is like to Practice Law in New York as a Woman, we anticipate presenting What is an Associate is to Do?, a program focused on what associates need to do in order to become partner and if they chose not do go that route, what is out there and how to get it. We already have some incredible speakers lined up. We will also present a seminar on reinventing oneself for those who, out of need or desire, want to change careers. There are many women out there who have done it and some of them are going to sit down and tell us how they did it. We are going to have several events throughout the year that will focus on projecting a more professional image; some that will help young lawyers with their resumes and interviewing skills, others will focus on honing rainmaking skills.

Finally, we are expanding our tours of the courthouses. This year we put together a tour of Supreme New York to help young lawyers and those new to this area, navigate the clerks’ offices and the court system. Although this type of program has been presented before, we have a twist. Our program ends with an in-courtroom demonstration on answering the calendar calls. This summer, we will be presenting a tour of the Civil Court, which is a first. Those who attend that tour will not only get to meet the Administrator of the Civil Courts, the Hon. Fern Fisher, but also the administrator of the Civil Court of the County of New York, and Housing Court administrator. They will also meet the various clerks and get to have some in-courtroom discussions with some of our accomplished member judges.

Although I have spoken almost exclusively about women, we all know that we cannot do it alone. We have many brothers (spouses, fathers, friends) who are members or otherwise support us. I want to thank them and hope they will continue to support us for what we believe will be an important year. I also want to thank Heather Zona, Elizabeth Bryson, Christina Kallas and Teresa Schiller, the four dynamic prior presidents in whose footsteps I am proud to walk.

Finally, I want to congratulate the honorees at our Annual Gala (Myra L. Freed, Susan Bender, Hon. Betty Weinberg Ellerin and Marcia Goldstein) for making a difference in peoples lives. Most of us become lawyers to make a difference. Somewhere along the way, many of us stop worrying about the world around us and start to worry about security, providing for our families and making money. These women remind us that being a lawyer is not only about remuneration or compensation; it’s about affecting the lives of others in a positive way. For the next year, I hope we all can emulate them and improve the lives of future generations of female lawyers.

Archives

May 2007

In her President's Message, Teresa Schiller reviewed this year's events. To view the President's Message in full, click here.

April 2007

In her President's Message, Teresa Schiller reflected on the importance of rainmaking. To view the President's Message in full, click here.

March 2007

In her President's Message, Teresa Schiller reflected on gender diversity in large law firms. To view the President's Message in full, click here.

February 2007

In her President's Message, Teresa Schiller reflected on lessons in humility. To view the President's Message in full, click here.

January 2007

In her President's Message, Teresa Schiller reflected on the benefits of dual membership in the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York. To view the President's Message in full, click here.

December 2006

In her President's Message, Teresa Schiller reflected on the importance of pro bono service. To view the President's Message in full, click here.

November 2006

In her President's Message, Teresa Schiller reflected on military wives as unsung military heroes.To view the President's Message in full, click here.

October 2006

In her President's Message, Teresa Schiller Teresa Schiller reflected on the importance of making our worlds larger again. To view the President's Message in full, click here.

September 2006

In her President's Message, Teresa Schiller Teresa Schiller reflected on the importance of building a network of women lawyers. To view the President's Message in full, click here.

July 2006

In her inaugural President's Message, Teresa Schiller reflected on the importance of community. To view the President's Message in full, click here.

Spring 2006

In her President's column in the Spring issue, President Christina Kallas discussed how women continue to lag behind men when it comes to earning power, and suggests that this is one more item for the legislature to address as it considers 'no-fault' divorce legislation. To view the President's Message in full, click here.

March 2006

For Women's History Month, Christina Kallas reflected upon how far we have yet to go. To view the President's Message in full, click here.

February 2006

In her column for February President Christina Kallas asked us to consider what it is we pay attention to in our culture. To view the President's Message in full, click here.

January 2006

In her column for January President Christina Kallas asked, "Do we (still) need a women's bar association?" To view the President's Message in full, click here.

December 2005

In her column for December President Christina Kallas discusses the Mental Health Court initiative. To view the President's message in full, click here.

November 2005

In her column for November President Christina Kallas asked us all to honor the memory of Ms. Rosa Parks by making one change. To view the President's message in full, click here.

October 2005

In her column for October in honor of Mediation Settlement Month, President Christina Kallas discusses whether mediation is an underused tool in a lawyer's toolbox. To view the President's message in full, click here.

September 2005

In her column for September, President Christina Kallas reflected upon the changes in our country since September 11th. To view the President's message in full, click here.

June 2005

In her column for June, President Christina Kallas discusses change and continuity. To view the President's message in full, click here.

April 2005

In her column in April, President Elizabeth Bryson talked about sexual politics and "women's work." She took issue with Harvard President Lawrence Summers' recent remarks implying that women are innately less suited to pursing careers in science or engineering. Such retrograde thinking is self-defeating. Mr. Summers had to apologize, and Harvard is now actively address the status of women in academia. Ms. Bryson also discussed upcoming events, including the Association's Annual Meeting, a CLE program on "Evolving Opportunities for Women' Lawyers," the Foundation's next fundraising breakfast, the WBASNY Convention, and of course our fantastic 70th Anniversary celebration on June 1st. To view the President's Message in full, click here.

February 2005

In her column in February, President Elizabeth Bryson talked about matters of life and death. She related the experiences of a friend fighting breast cancer and her mother and family addressing the loss of two brothers to AIDS several years ago, and how each circumstance, though very different, teaches us once again the importance of choosing to live life to its fullest every day. By contrast, she considers the proposal in the NYS Legislature to reinstate the death penalty, and WBASNY's brave stance in opposition. To view the President's Message in full, click here.

January 2005

In her column in January, President Elizabeth Bryson discussed the importance of taking steps to ensure that judges in New York have the appropriate qualifications and integrity to ensure the fair and equal administration of justice. She discusses pending legislation and proposed amendments to the Rules of Judicial Conduct that would have an influence on the method of selecting state court judges and the rules that would apply to candidates for judicial office in New York. Ms. Bryson was honored to chair a WBASNY Task Force to look at the proposed legislation and rule changes, and she discusses the process and proposals. She also describes the recent gala celebration WBASNY's 25 Anniversary and the wonderful presentation of the inaugural "Betty Weinberg Ellerin Mentoring Award" to Justice Ellerin. Finally, she reminds everyone of the importance of ensuring that their membership is renewed by January 31, 2005. New members are also welcome, and they can join for half-price dues starting in January! To view the President's Message in full, click here.

December 2004

In her column in December, President Elizabeth Bryson discussed the importance of speaking out and being heard. She demonstrated the value of the Association's screening of candidates for judicial office, particularly now, when the integrity of the judiciary is under attack. Because many of our members practice in solo and small firm settings, Ms. Bryson recommended that members appear before the Commission on Solo and Small Firm Practice, which is holding hearings and looking for comments, concerns and suggestions to make the lives of attorneys in these settings and their clients easier. Members should also plan to join us at several upcoming events that promise to be very exciting, including the NYWBA Foundation's Breakfast Series Speaker Event, a fundraiser scheduled for December 1st, WBASNY's 25th Anniversary Gala on December 2nd that will pay tribute to our own past President, the Honorable Betty Weinberg Ellerin, for her nearly 50 years of mentoring and service to women attorneys and judges throughout New York and across the country, and the New York Women's Agenda's Star Breakfast on December 7th. To view the President's message in full, click here.

November 2004

In her column in November, President Elizabeth Bryson celebrated all the wonderful programs and events that happened this fall, including our Annual Membership Reception. She also discussed the recent controversy with respect to screening the qualifications of candidates for judicial office in New York County, which became the subject of an article in the New York Law Journal. To view the President's message in full, click here.

September 2004

In her column in September, President Elizabeth Bryson asked members to join her in celebrating the Association's 70th Anniversary year (2004-05). Coincidentally, it was also the 25th anniversary year for the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY), which is the umbrella organization for all 16 women's bar associations across New York State. The NYWBA and its past President Joan Ellenbogen were instrumental in the formation of WBASNY, and it is a joy to see that it is flourishing. This is Beth's second term as President, and in her column she discussed the excitement of continuing programs begun last year and new programs that will begin this year. She also congratulated everyone who was involved in the wonderful year-end festivities, including our Annual Dinner and the WBASNY Convention. To view the President's message in full, click here.

April 2005

In her column for April, President Elizabeth Bryson congratulated several women who make history every day, including the 11 honorees designated for Women's History Month by the National Women's History Project and the New York City Commission on Women. She provided an update on the proposed rules that we have supported to allow asylum for women who are victims of domestic violence or other brutality that is directly or indirectly endorsed by their country's governments. Ms. Bryson also highlighted numerous upcoming events, including the NYWBA Annual Meeting and the Annual Ethics Forum, both in April, and the Women's Bar Convention in New Orleans and the NYWBA Annual Dinner, both in May. To view the President's message in full, click here. .

March 2004

In her March 2004 column, Ms. Bryson notes that NYWBA's membership has increased by over 33 percent from last year, and nearly 50% from two years ago. She praises the terrific work of NYWBA members, Officers, Board members, Committee Chairs, and others who worked on our membership drive and demonstrate why our bar association is so important, strong and vital. She also salutes two people who may not be lawyers but whose contributions are absolutely invaluable to the Association and the NYWBA Foundation - Executive Director Marta Toro and NYWBA Foundation member Denise Coleman. "Our Association is blessed with so many wonderful women and men who contribute their talents." To view the President's message in full, click here.

February 2004

In her February 2004 column, Ms. Bryson discussed the importance of mentoring and networking, especially for women attorneys. She also announces that the Association's Annual Meeting will be on April 28, 2004, when the 2004-05 officers and directors will be elected. Our gala Annual Dinner will be on May 26, 2004. At that event, awards will be presented to Linda Greenhouse, Pulitzer Prize winning author and New York Times reporter covering the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Hon. Jacqueline Silbermann, Administrative Judge of the NY County Supreme Court and Chief Administrative Judge for NYS Matrimonial Courts. To view the President's message in full, click here.

December 2003

In her December 2003 column, NYWBA President Elizabeth Bryson profiled important issues for our military, including the incidents of rape and sexual harassment at our military academies, the scourge of domestic violence, and the shameful track record of "don't ask, don't tell." She also discussed our exciting membership drive and the Reception Honoring Newly Elected and Appointed Judges. To view the President's message in full, click here.

November 2003

In her November 2003 column, NYWBA President Elizabeth Bryson discusses the importance and benefits of membership, as well as the recent visit of distinguished attorneys from Malaysia who were invited by the U.S. State Department to meet with NYWBA representatives. To view the President's message in full, click here.