WILS Connect - New York State Bar Association

Page created by Regina Cruz
 
CONTINUE READING
WILS Connect - New York State Bar Association
2021 | VOL. 2 | NO. 1

WILS Connect
A publication of the Women in Law Section of the New York State Bar Association

WILS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE:   WOMEN IN LAW: ALWAYS WORKING,
                                                                     REFLECTIONS ON RUTH BADER
   Q & A with Terri Mazur and    GAPPED ATTORNEYS ARE RETURNING
                                                                              GINSBURG
          Sheryl Galler              TO LAWYERING FOR CASH
WILS Connect - New York State Bar Association
CLE
                     All Access Pass
                Maximize Your Time and Earn
                CLE Credits with On-Demand
                          Learning

                                                                                             Now Includes
Access hundreds of programs                                                               Annual Meeting 2021
online and satisfy your MCLE                                                                  Programs!
requirement for one low price.
> Gain access to all CLE Online video programs and
   course materials for one year
> New programs added each month
                                                                                                    $495 for
> Monthly billing option
                                                                                                 NYSBA Members

For more information visit NYSBA.ORG/ALLACCESSPASS

Online only. Does not include live programs, CD or DVD products.
All Access Pass requires member login and cannot be transferred. Annual subscription required.
WILS Connect - New York State Bar Association
Contents
Features

7          WILS Past, Present and Future: Q & A with Terri A. Mazur
           and Sheryl Galler
           Linda Redlisky

14         WILS Members Contribute to a First-of-Its-
           Kind NYSBA Publication: Virtual Lawyering
                                                                                    WILS Connect
16         Fa La La La La and the Practice of Law in the COVID-19 Age
           Leona Krasner
                                                                                     2021 | Vol. 2 | No. 1
                                                                             Regulars
17         Women in Law: Always Working, Gapped Attorneys Are
           Returning to Lawyering for Cash
           Neva D. Strom                                                     3          Message From the Chair
                                                                                        Terri A. Mazur

18         Sharing a Coffee, Zoom-Style
           Leona Krasner
                                                                             4
                                                                                        Message From the Editors
                                                                                        Terri A. Mazur and
                                                                                        Laura Sulem
Celebrating and Remembering Trailblazing Women

19         Monumental Women Unveil Historic Women’s Rights
           Pioneers Monument in Central Park                                 5          Message From
                                                                                        the President
                                                                                        Scott M. Karson
           Terri A. Mazur

20         Remembering Hollis Salzman
           Terri A. Mazur                                                    12         Member Spotlight on Kim Wolf
                                                                                        Price, Chair-Elect of WILS
                                                                                        Linda Redlisky
25         The Honorable Tanya R. Kennedy Wins NYSBA’s 2021 John
           E. Higgins Diversity Trailblazer Award

27
           Robyn M. Frank
           Reflections on Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life Committed to
                                                                             15         WILS Committee Spotlight:
                                                                                        Champions Committee
                                                                                        Deborah H. Kaye
           Justice

28
           Linda Redlisky
           Amy Coney Barrett: 103d Associate Justice to the United
           States Supreme Court
                                                                             43         Section Committee
                                                                                        Chairpersons

           Terri A. Mazur

Highlights from the Year
                                                                        35   The Unusual Firing of U.S. Attorney
                                                                             Geoffrey Berman: The Process and Is
21         Taking WILS’ Suffrage Exhibit and Presentation to
           the Courts
                                                                             Justice at Stake?
                                                                             Brendan Kennedy

22         Virtual Reality: Our Year in Photos
                                                                        36
                                                                             ‘I Had To Prove It, They Did Not’:
                                                                             Kathleen Rice Discusses Campaigning
                                                                             While Female
26         2021 WILS Annual Meeting:
           Ready to Lead: Advancing Women Leaders                            Brandon Vogel
           During the Pandemic and Beyond
                                                                        37   Law School’s Over: What’s Next? A
                                                                             Conversation on Preparing for the
29         2020 WILS Annual Meeting: Staring Down Implicit
           Bias in the Legal Workplace                                       Practice of Law
           Laura Sulem                                                       Laura Sulem

30         Law Day 2020: Achieving Equality for Women in the
           Courtroom and in ADR
                                                                        38   Women on the Move 2020 Highlights:
                                                                             Resilience and Mindful Lawyering
                                                                             Jennifer M. Boll
           Terri A. Mazur

32         WILS Toolkit Series: Sick and Safe Leave in New York         39   The Legal Process in New York State:
                                                                             How “Revenge Porn” Became a Crime
           Sheryl M. Galler
                                                                             Kaelyn Gustafson
33         Addressing Systemic Racism in the Aftermath of
           George Floyd’s Murder
                                                                        40
                                                                             Ivy Slater Gives Impactful Program on
                                                                             Projecting Confidence in Leadership
           Christian Nolan
                                                                             Laura Sulem
34         Celebrating Juneteenth: A Conversation With
           Cheryl Wills                                                 40   Networking Amidst the Pandemic
                                                                             Leona Krasner
           Brandon Vogel
                                                                        41   WILS Virtual Book Club Corner
WILS Connect - New York State Bar Association
WILS Connect                                                          Women in Law Section
Co-Editors
                                                                      Section Officers
Terri A. Mazur                                                        Chair
tmazur575@gmail.com                                                   Terri A. Mazur
                                                                      tmazur575@gmail.com
Laura Sulem
laurasulem@gmail.com                                                  Chair-Elect
                                                                      Sheryl Galler
For information and submissions please contact                        sbgesq@yahoo.com
Kathleen Scott
scot1527@yahoo.com                                                    Secretary
                                                                      Linda A. Redlisky
Submission Guidelines                                                 Rafferty & Redlisky LLP
WILS Connect welcomes the sub­mis­sion of articles of                 438 Fifth Avenue
timely interest to members of the Section in addition to              1st Floor
comments and sug­ges­tions for future is­sues. For ease               Pelham, NY 10803
of publication, articles should be submitted via e-mail               redlisky@randrlegal.com
to scot1527@yahoo.com. Accepted articles fall generally               Treasurer
in the range of 1-10 typewritten, double-spaced pages.                Margaret A. Sowah
Please use endnotes in lieu of footnotes. All sub­mis­                msowah@nycourts.gov
sions for con­sid­er­ation to be published in WILS Connect
should use gender-neutral terms where ap­pro­pri­ate or,              Delegate, House of Delegates
                                                                      Susan L. Harper
alternatively, the masculine and feminine forms may                   Managing Director NY/NJ
both be used. Please contact Kathleen Scott, Chair of the             Bates Group LLC
Reports, Surveys & Publications Committee, regard-                    344 River Road
ing further re­quire­ments for the sub­mis­sion of articles.          Bogota, NJ 07603
Information on submission of articles can also be found               sharperny@aol.com
online at nysba.org/womeninlaw.
                                                                      Alternate Delegate, House of Delegates
Unless stated to the contrary, all pub­lished articles rep-           Kimberly Wolf Price
resent the viewpoint of the author and should not be                  Bond, Schoeneck & King LLC
                                                                      110 West Fayette St.
regarded as representing the views of the Co-Editors or
                                                                      Syracuse, NY 13202
the Section or sub­stan­tive approval of the contents there­          kwolfprice@bsk.com
in.

Reprint requests can be made to reprint@nysba.org.                    Members at Large
Please include the purpose and manner of redistribution.              Jennifer Boll (Upstate)
                                                                      Bond, Schoeneck & King LLC
Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities:                         22 Corporate Woods Blvd Suite 501
NYSBA welcomes participation by individuals with disabilities.        Albany NY 12211
NYSBA is committed to complying with all applicable laws              jboll@bsk.com
that prohibit discrimination against individuals on the basis of
disability in the full and equal enjoyment of its goods, services,    Honorable Tanya Renee Kennedy
programs, activities, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accom-   NYS Supreme Court
modations. To request auxiliary aids or services or if you have
                                                                      60 Centre Street
                                                                      New York, NY 10007
any questions regarding accessibility, please contact the Bar
                                                                      tanyareneekennedy@gmail.com
Center at 518-463-3200
                                                                      Lisa R. Schoenfeld (Downstate)
Publication Date: March 2021                                          Schlissel Ostrow Karabatos PLLC
                                                                      200 Garden City Plz Ste 301
© 2021 by the New York State Bar Association.                         Garden City, NY 11530
ISSN 2690-2001 (print)    ISSN 2690-201X (online)
                                                                      Laura Sulem
                                                                      Thomson Reuters
                                                                      3 Times Square
                                                                      New York, NY 10036
                                                                      laurasulem@gmail.com

                                                                      NYSBA.ORG/WOMENINLAW
WILS Connect - New York State Bar Association
Message from the Chair

The unprecedented events and challenges                                               WILS had a busy year as we pivoted
we have faced over the last year have                                            from in-person programs to virtual pro-
tested all of us. The pandemic has                                               grams in March when the world went into
disproportionately impacted women,                                               quarantine. WILS’ goal was to provide
including women lawyers. Juggling                                                constructive programs and an environment
competing demands such as in-home                                                for women attorneys to feel supported and
schooling, childcare and elder care with                                         encouraged during extremely challeng-
the enormous demands of practicing law                                           ing times. Notwithstanding the pandemic,
is driving women lawyers out of the legal                                        civil unrest, systemic racism, and political
profession. But we have learned a lot                                            uncertainty we faced, WILS had much to
about our own abilities to overcome these                                        celebrate in 2020. We marked the centennial
challenges.                                                                      celebration of women’s suffrage with pre-
     Women have risen to the challenge as                                        sentations to courts around the state and to
leaders of this country, countries around                                        our members, along with voting rights and
the world, and in the efforts to defeat CO-                                      voter suppression programs. As you will
VID-19. In a pivotal moment for women                    Terri Mazur             learn from articles in this edition of WILS
and girls, Kamala Harris has broken one of                                     Connect, WILS presented many other pro-
the country’s highest glass ceilings as the first woman,          grams covering a host of issues, including the challenges
and first black and South Asian person, to be elected vice        and tragedies of 2020; launched our GCs Toolkit Webinar
president. She is already inspiring women and girls to            Series, a networking series and a popular book club; of-
aspire to leadership positions. More women have been              fered programs to help recent law graduates prepare for
elected to Congress and state governments than ever be-           careers in these difficult times; and held social gatherings.
fore. Countries led by women have been more successful            These programs will continue in 2021.
at fighting COVID-19 than countries led by men. Women
and women of color lead the vaccine development efforts.              Get active! We want to include even more of our
                                                                  members’ voices in addressing the many challenges
     As lawyers, we need to seize upon the momentum               impacting women attorneys and women generally today.
created by the rise and success of women leaders to               Our 15 committees offer something for everyone. Join a
achieve gender equity in the legal profession and to en-          WILS committee and help shape and influence laws and
sure that women lawyers have equal leadership roles and           policies impacting women, develop research initiatives on
opportunities. As we hopefully turn the corner in 2021,           issues impeding the advancement of women, engage men
WILS’ theme is leadership. Strong and effective leader-           to help advance women, or create innovative programs
ship is essential to finding a path through this massive          and events that enhance your professional development.
upheaval, and having more women lawyers in leadership             We welcome your ideas, creativity and passion. Inspire
positions is critical to women attaining gender equity.           us.
    It is an honor to chair this Section. I have had the
privilege of working with and getting to know so many                                                          Warm regards,
inspirational women and men who take the time from                                                             Terri A. Mazur
their already busy lives to give back to women in the
legal community. We are looking forward to a brighter
year in 2021. WILS and our predecessor the Committee
on Women in the Law (CWIL) have worked tirelessly for
more than 30 years to advance women lawyers, as well as
to address and advance women’s rights—pay equity, paid
leave, child care, domestic violence, sexual harassment,
reproductive rights, and health care are just a few.

NYSBA WILS Connect | 2021 | Vol. 2 | No. 1                                                                                   3
WILS Connect - New York State Bar Association
Message from the Co-Editors

    Dear Members,                                                                                  We would like to
                                                                                              thank WILS Chair-Elect
     Please enjoy the
                                                                                              Sheryl Galler for writ-
first 2021 issue of WILS
                                                                                              ing and editing many of
Connect, the publication
                                                                                              the articles, as well as
of the Women in Law
                                                                                              every Section member
Section. This newslet-
                                                                                              who authored and con-
ter went to press after
                                                                                              tributed to the content
we all experienced,
                                                                                              of the newsletter. We
together, a year of un-
                                                                                              also thank our NYSBA
precedented challenges
                                                                                              colleagues Alyssa
and change. It includes
                                                                                              Colton, Section Publica-
interviews with the Sec-
                                                                                              tions Coordinator, and
tion’s Chair and Chair-
                                                                                              Lori Herzing, Publica-
Elect, a message from
                                                                                              tions Design Manager,
the President of NYS-
                                      Terri Mazur                    Laura Sulem              for their invaluable as-
BA, features on WILS
                                                                                              sistance producing and
members and commit-
                                                            publishing this issue.
tees, descriptions of the impactful events we hosted in
2020, articles celebrating and remembering trailblazing          As always, we welcome your suggestions and feed-
women we lost during the year, and more. We hope you        back, and invite and encourage you to contact the Chair
enjoy reading about the subjects and events that matter     of the Reports, Surveys, and Publications Committee,
most to our Section members, and that they inspire you to   Kathleen Scott (scot1527@yahoo.com), if you are interest-
join a committee and take an active role in the Section.    ed in contributing to future issues of WILS Connect.

                                                                                     Terri A. Mazur and Laura Sulem

              N E W Y O R K S TAT E B A R A S S O C I AT I O N

                                                            If you have written an article you would
                                                            like considered for publication in WILS
                                                            Connect, or have an idea for one, please
                                                            contact the Chair of the Reports, Surveys,
                                                            and Publications Committee:

                                                            Kathleen Scott
                                                            scot1527@yahoo.com

                                                            Articles should be submitted in electronic document
                                                            format (pdfs are NOT acceptable), along with
                                                            biographical information.

    REQUEST FOR ARTICLES
4                                                                      NYSBA WILS Connect | 2021 | Vol. 2 | No. 1
WILS Connect - New York State Bar Association
Message from the President:
Time for Leadership
By Scott M. Karson

    “I have come to realize that leadership requires that        Secretary-Elect,
we confront the world as it is, not what we wish it was.”        Vice President and
That was my message to NYSBA’s House of Delegates in             Associate General
June 2020, after Senior Associate Judge Jenny Rivera of          Counsel – Metlife,
the state’s Court of Appeals swore me in as president of         to review why
NYSBA.                                                           racial bias persists
                                                                 in policing and
     As lawyers, we are tasked as leaders. We are the
                                                                 provide recom-
guardians of justice and protectors of the rule of law. We
                                                                 mendations to
must never lose sight of that. By reason of our skills and
                                                                 policymakers, law
licenses, we are singularly positioned to fight for justice.
                                                                 enforcement and
   The year is young, but we have many fights on our             the judiciary to end
hands.                                                           policing practices
                                                                 that dispropor-
     We are still fighting against racism. George Floyd’s        tionately impact
death at the hands of law enforcement, and the police-           persons of color.
inflicted deaths that have followed were not aberrations;                                     Scott M. Karson
they were the continuation of a long history of racism and     • NYSBA and the
inequality that plagues our nation.                              Women in Law Section (WILS) celebrated the 100th
                                                                 anniversary of the enactment of the 19th Amend-
     We are still fighting for gender equality, even within      ment and the trailblazing American women, many
our own profession. Three years ago, NYSBA’s Com-                of whom called New York State home, who fought
mercial and Federal Litigation Section Task Force on             the long battle to help our country fulfill the prom-
Women’s Initiatives issued a landmark report noting the          ise of our democracy. WILS presented webinars on
significant underrepresentation of women attorneys in            the history of women’s suffrage, voting rights and,
courtrooms across the state. The Task Force’s new study,         with the Labor and Employment Law Section, the
issued in May, revealed that little progress has been made       ongoing battles against voter suppression. WILS’
to change that disparity. In November, the New York State        widely acclaimed Centennial Suffrage Exhibit has
Judicial Committee on Women in the Courts issued its lat-        traveled to various NYS courts over the past two
est report finding significant areas of bias with regard to      years. WILS continues, 30 years after its founding
the treatment of female attorneys, litigants and witnesses       as a NYSBA committee, to advance women in the
despite marked improvement over the years.                       legal profession and all women under the law.
     We are still fighting against voter suppression. The      • NYSBA and the New York State court system
right to vote has been under threat, not only by the pan-        launched a pro bono partnership to help those in
demic but by government officials at all levels. As New          need address the many legal issues that have arisen
York State Attorney General Letitia James noted during           in the wake of COVID-19.
our 2020 Law Day ceremony, “we face renewed attempts
to deny the basic American right to vote, especially in        • NYSBA expanded its pro bono network to assist
communities of color.” The threat did not end on Election        veterans discharged because of sexual orientation,
Day. Rather, government officials at all levels continued        gender identification, PTSD, sexual trauma and
their attempts to disenfranchise millions of voters. And         brain injury.
on January 6, we saw how fragile and precarious the rule
                                                               • NYSBA launched the LGBTQ People and the Law
of law can be, when a violent and unruly mob stormed
                                                                 Section (formerly a committee), with the mission of
the U.S. Capitol.
                                                                 advocating for and addressing professional, legal,
    While we recognize the challenges we face, we must           policy and legislative issues that impact the LGBTQ
also celebrate our efforts and progress:                         and allied community.

    • NYSBA created the Task Force on Racial Injustice         • NYSBA honored the 30th anniversary of the asso-
      and Police Reform, co-chaired by T. Andrew Brown,          ciation’s Lawyer Assistance Program and I created
      NYSBA President-Elect, Vice Chancellor New York            NYSBA’s Task Force on Attorney Well-Being, which
      State Board of Regents, and Taa R. Grays, NYSBA            has nine working groups studying ways to improve
                                                                 both the mental and physical health of attorneys.

NYSBA WILS Connect | 2021 | Vol. 2 | No. 1                                                                            5
WILS Connect - New York State Bar Association
Among our many losses in 2020 were two of our civil           The New York State Bar Association has long advo-
rights leaders. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Gins-        cated for diversity and inclusion in our profession and in
burg, a native New Yorker who in her 87 years advocated       society at large. At this crucial moment in our history as a
for the civil rights of the disenfranchised, broke barriers   state and a nation, as we struggle to overcome longstand-
for women, and inspired countless individuals to use          ing and deep-seated systemic inequalities, we must recog-
their voice for good, passed away in September. NYSBA         nize that true progress lifts everyone up. As a profession,
and WILS have established a scholarship fund in her           we must, and we will, accept our responsibility as lead-
memory.                                                       ers to ensure that all attorneys, regardless of their race,
                                                              gender, disability, sexual orientation or membership in
     Congressman John Lewis, a luminary in the civil          any class protected by law, have the opportunity to excel
rights movement, who inspired me to pursue racial             and succeed.
justice my entire life and whose insights galvanized his
followers, passed away in July.
                                                                  Scott M. Karson is president of the New York State
     In their memory, and in memory of all of the law-        Bar Association.
yers and leaders we have lost over these many difficult
months, we must take on the mantle of leadership to ad-
vocate for our profession, the rule of law and equal access
to justice.

                 Lawyer Assistance
                 Program

    Lawyer Assistance Program
    Confidential Helpline
    1-800-255-0569
    NYSBA’s Lawyer Assistance Program offers
    no-cost confidential services to help you or
    a loved one suffering from a mental health
    struggle or alcohol or substance use problem.
    Call the helpline at 1-800-255-0569 or
    email the LAP Director, Stacey Whiteley at
    swhiteley@nysba.org, to find support.

    Information shared with the LAP is
    confidential and covered under Judiciary Law
    Section 499.

    You are not alone.
    There is help available.

    For self-assessment tools and additional
    resources go to NYSBA.ORG/LAP

6                                                                        NYSBA WILS Connect | 2021 | Vol. 2 | No. 1
WILS Connect - New York State Bar Association
WILS Past, Present and Future:
Q & A With Terri A. Mazur and Sheryl Galler
By Linda Redlisky

Terri A. Mazur                                                    (including billable hour requirements) is driving women
Terri A. Mazur, current Chair of NYSBA’s Women in Law Sec-        lawyers out of the legal profession, too.
tion, will conclude her two-year term on May 31, 2021. She has        As lawyers, we need to seize upon the momentum
been a member of WILS and its predecessor, the Committee on       created by the rise and success of women leaders to
Women in the Law (CWIL), since 2008, and served as Co-Chair       achieve gender equity in the legal profession and to en-
of the Annual Meeting Committee from 2010 through 2019.           sure that women lawyers have equal leadership roles and
Terri is also on the Executive Committee of NYSBA’s Antitrust     opportunities.
Section and a member of the Commercial and Federal Litigation
Section. Mazur’s practice has focused on securities and anti-         Q: We have more work to do. Do you have specific
trust litigation and complex financial services matters.          areas of concern?

     Q: This has been an encouraging time for women                   A: We need to make meaningful progress now on
in leadership positions. Do you want to share your                increasing the number of women in leadership and other
thoughts on that?                                                 positions of power in the legal industry, increase the
                                                                  number of women as first chairs in the courtroom and
     A: 2020 has wreaked havoc on our country and state           in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), and eradicate
with the COVID-19 pandemic, racism, deep political                the gender pay gap. We will also continue to address and
division, loss of jobs, and the tragic loss of countless lives.   advance women’s rights in the workplace and beyond,
But women have risen to the challenge as leaders of this          including economic rights, child care and elder care,
country, and countries around the world, and in the ef-           domestic violence, sexual harassment, pregnancy rights,
forts to defeat COVID-19. Kamala Harris has broken one            and healthcare.
of the country’s highest glass and concrete ceilings as the
first woman, and first black and South Asian person, to be             While women lawyers have made great strides—ap-
elected vice president. Her election is a pivotal moment          proximately 47% of incoming law firm associates are
and will inspire women and girls to aspire to leader-             women—law firms still lose significant numbers of
ship positions. President Biden has assembled a diverse           women by the time partnership promotion decisions are
cabinet and an all-women communications team. We                  made and women partners still lag far behind in other
will have more women leaders, and women of color, in              positions of power and influence. The NAWL 2020 Survey
Congress than ever before: at least 141 women will be tak-        Report on the Promotion and Retention of Women in Law
ing office.1 A record number of women will serve in state         Firms reveals that once again women comprise only 21%
legislative offices: at least 2,276 women, which is 30.8% of      of equity partners (women are about 31% of non-equity
state legislative offices across the country.2 Ninety women       partners).8 NAWL recognizes that “change at this glacial
currently hold statewide elective executive offices across        pace” will mean that “future generations of lawyers will
the country: 28.9% of the 311 available positions, of which       continue to enter a profession where women and diverse
17.8% are held by women of color.3 Recent studies have            attorneys are under-represented in positions of power
shown that women-led countries have generally been                and influence.” The American Lawyer has predicted that at
more successful in fighting COVID-19 than countries with          such rates, it will take until 2181 to achieve gender parity
male leaders, and their countries have had fewer infec-           among equity partners.9 The numbers are far worse for
tions and deaths from COVID.4 Here in the U.S., a black           women of color, LGBTQIA+ people and persons with
woman scientist is co-leader of the team that developed a         disabilities: women of color are about 3% of all equity
COVID-19 vaccine5 and women lead the vaccine develop-             partners, LGBTQIA+ people comprise 2% of all equity
ment efforts.6                                                    partners, and persons with disabilities are less than 1% of
                                                                  all equity partners—despite the fact that most firms have
    The pandemic has disproportionately impacted                  implemented diversity and inclusion programs. Women
women. Women are more likely to have been laid off than           remain starkly underrepresented in other leadership roles
men. A recent study revealed that COVID-19 has caused             such as managing partners, general counsels, U.S. Attor-
more than one in four women—as many as two million                neys, and other government positions. We need to make
women—to consider leaving the workforce or downsiz-               meaningful progress for women and other underrepre-
ing their careers because of competing demands such as            sented groups in positions of power and influence in the
in-home schooling, child and elder care.7 Juggling these          legal profession now.
pressures with the enormous demands of practicing law

NYSBA WILS Connect | 2021 | Vol. 2 | No. 1                                                                                  7
WILS Connect - New York State Bar Association
Women also still lag far behind men in serving as first   sociation’s Women’s Forum ​to collaborate on developing
chairs in the courtroom and in ADR proceedings, both           a global outlook about women’s challenges and oppor-
as lead counsel and in the number of women serving as          tunities and forging international careers, programs, and
mediators and arbitrators. The Commercial and Federal          educational and mentorship opportunities for women
Litigation Section’s Task Force on Women’s Initiatives’        from both of our countries.
2020 Report, ”THE TIME IS NOW: Achieving Equality
                                                                    Among our many virtual events, we marked the
For Women Attorneys in the Courtroom and in ADR”
                                                               centennial anniversary of women’s suffrage with both
(“2020 Report”), which updates their groundbreaking
                                                               solemnity and rejoicing, holding a number of programs
2017 Report, reveals how little progress we have made in
                                                               on the history of women’s suffrage, voting rights, and
three years. The 2020 Report found that women comprise
                                                               joining with the Labor and Employment Law Section for
only 25.3% of lead counsel—only a ½% increase in lead
                                                               a program on voting rights and voter suppression. WILS’
counsel roles. This is stunning and unacceptable, especial-
                                                               widely acclaimed Centennial Suffrage Exhibit has trav-
ly given that clients are increasingly demanding diverse
                                                               eled to various New York State courts over the past two
outside counsel as their lead lawyers.
                                                               years and we gave in-person presentations to several
    In ADR, it appears the number of female neutrals on        courts pre-shutdown, concluding with a moving virtual
ADR provider panels and the number of women actually           presentation to the Court of Appeals in September 2020.
selected to serve as a neutral increased between 2% and
                                                                    WILS drew on its diverse membership to reach out
12% in New York State across a number of organizations
                                                               to judges, politicians, professors, media, filmmakers and
such as FINRA, AAA and JAMS, but this remains too low.
                                                               others as we strove to address the numerous issues that
The 2020 Report offers excellent strategies to combat these
                                                               quickly unfolded as 2020 progressed, including civil
problems and they need to be implemented at every level
                                                               rights, systemic racism, bias, voting rights and voting
of our profession.
                                                               suppression, and gender discrimination, to name a few.
    Finally, we must work harder to achieve gender pay         WILS’ flagship CLE events addressed issues of central
equity. Male equity partners in the United States “on av-      importance to women: Our 2020 Annual Meeting fo-
erage, out-earn their female counterparts by 53%.”10 Even      cused on eliminating implicit bias in the legal industry
when women bring in business, they generally receive           and the Women on the Move (WOM) program—entitled
only 80% of the origination credit that men receive.11 The     “Resilience: Strengthening Your Career Through Mindful
pay gap remains unacceptable and intolerable.                  Lawyering”—could not have been more timely or useful
                                                               for all of us seeking practical guidance on finding balance
   Q: What tangible benefits does being a member of            and addressing our emotional needs while practicing law
WILS provide?
                                                               in this very stressful time. We brought together four New
     A: We are women and men who support women                 York State and federal court judges on Law Day for a can-
lawyers in working to close the gender gap, and WILS is        did discussion on the need for more women lead counsel
working at many levels to achieve our mission of ad-           in courts and ADR panels, and as selected mediators and
vancing women in the legal profession and all women            arbitrators. Our compelling programs on civil rights and
under the law. Membership in this Section offers many          systemic racism issues brought to the forefront by the kill-
opportunities to address the professional, legal, policy       ing of George Floyd and challenges to the independence
and legislative issues impacting women. These include          of the U.S. Attorneys with “The Unusual Firing of U.S.
developing and running CLE and other programs,                 Attorney Geoffrey Berman” were well-attended.
speaking, researching and writing on issues impeding
                                                                   We were honored to develop and co-sponsor events
the advancement of women, analyzing legislation that
                                                               featuring:
impacts women, and engaging men to advance women.
This Section is filled with amazing, inspiring women who           • TV news anchor and journalist Cheryl Willis’ per-
are juggling their careers and families and also working             sonal story of her family’s emancipation from slav-
hard to help advance women.                                          ery, which she shared in celebration on Juneteenth;
    ​WILS had a busy year, as we pivoted in mid-March to           • lawyer and filmmaker Laverne Berry’s first-person
move our programs online and adjusted to the challenges              account of the ongoing fight against voter suppres-
that women continue to face in the legal profession,                 sion;
exacerbated by the global shutdown and other havoc
wreaked by the pandemic. We expanded our programs                  • Congresswoman Kathleen Rice, who provided
and provided a nurturing, constructive environment for               fascinating and, at times, painful insight into what
women and men to feel supported and encouraged in                    it’s like to be a woman campaigning for and hold-
these difficult times.                                               ing elected office, trying to represent her constitu-
                                                                     ents and be an effective lawmaker while fending
   NYSBA and WILS entered into a historic Memoran-                   off some of the most classic, historical challenges
dum of Understanding (MOU) with the Nigerian Bar As-                 facing women in politics—including Vice President

8                                                                         NYSBA WILS Connect | 2021 | Vol. 2 | No. 1
Kamala Harris—as well as in the legal profession;         work on real solutions to the gender equity issues we
      and                                                       face. WILS needs the ideas of our members to tackle the
                                                                difficult gender equity and diversity issues that still im-
    • the surge in domestic violence caused by bail re-         pede the advancement of women, especially women of
      form and the pandemic quarantine.                         color and persons with disabilities.
      The WILS Legislative Affairs Committee held a             Q: Do you have any words of advice for Sheryl Galler,
highly acclaimed program on the New York State leg-             the incoming Chair of WILS?
islative process, focusing on how victims, activists and
others advocated for the development and passage of the         A: Work hard and enjoy the smart, inspiring, amazing
“revenge porn” law, translating the idea into proposed          women and men you will work with to advance women
legislation, passing of the bill and signing it into law. Our   in the profession and beyond!
distinguished speakers were Edward C. Braunstein, New
York State Assemblymember for the 26th District; Carrie
                                                                Sheryl B. Galler
A. Goldberg, a survivor, activist and advocate, founder of
victim rights law firm C.A. Goldberg P.C.; Laurin Goldin,            Sheryl Galler is
associate dean of faculty, Syracuse University College of       Chair-Elect of NYSBA’s
Law; Monica R. Martinez, New York State Senator for             WILS and Co-Chair of
the 3d District; Jessica Morak, staff attorney, Sanctuary       WILS’ Annual Meeting
for Families; Lindsey M. Song, senior staff attorney with       and Programming Com-
Courtroom Advocates Project, Sanctuary for Families; and        mittee, and will start her
Jill Starishevsky, assistant counsel to Governor Cuomo.         two-year term as WILS’
                                                                Chair on June 1, 2021.
    Our General Counsels Committee launched its Tool-           She has been a member of
kit Webinar Series virtually, spotlighting hot topic issues     NYSBA since 1994 and
important to general counsel and their outside counsel,         a member of WILS and
including changes in sick and safe leave laws during the        its predecessor, CWIL,
pandemic, data security and privacy, effective litigation       since 2012. Sheryl is also
management and current antitrust challenges to tech             a member of the Executive
and social media companies. Stay tuned for upcoming             Committee of NYSBA’s
Toolkits!                                                       Labor & Employment
                                                                                                     Sheryl B. Galler
     WILS is committed to advancing the newest members          Law Section (LELS) and
of the bar. We joined with NYSBA’s Young Lawyers Sec-           practices employment law
tion to host two very successful programs for recent law        in New York City.
school graduates and newly admitted attorneys on pre-           Q: We know you are a lawyer and WILS leader, but tell
paring for the practice of law under such difficult circum-     us a bit about you outside of the law.
stances. We will continue these programs in 2021. WILS
is also launching a mentoring program for young lawyers         A: My husband and I each grew up in Brooklyn and our
and attorneys who are interested in moving in-house.            siblings moved to the same neighborhood in Florida. We
                                                                were singles in our late 30s living in New York but we
    WILS offered programs on building your brand and            had never crossed paths. Then our Florida siblings set us
effective communication skills, and joined with the Law-        up on a blind date. Needless to say, the match worked
yers in Transition Committee to expand the reach of our         out! We forever will be grateful to our family.
ongoing Networking series.
                                                                     Now I try to pay it forward by helping out a group
    Last, but not least, we offered our members some            of volunteer matchmakers in my Manhattan community.
distractions. Through WILS’ ongoing virtual book club           It’s a bit funny because I am one of those individuals who
series, we met four fascinating women lawyers who have          have a hard time remembering other people’s names.
become best-selling authors of legal fiction. WILS hosted       Fortunately, most people I meet are patient with me.
a series of virtual happy hours, inviting our members to
celebrate April Fools’ Day, exchange “quarantini” recipes,           My husband and I were raised to place great impor-
play games, reveal their favorite junk foods and toast the      tance on community and family. So he is supportive of
end of the year.                                                the time I dedicate to my matchmaking group and my
                                                                NYSBA projects, and I am supportive of the time he dedi-
Q: Before your tenure ends, what would you like to              cates to his volunteer commitments.
achieve?
                                                                     We also continued my long-standing practice of
A: I plan to continue our efforts to make sure the Section      hosting friends for weekend meals and holiday dinners,
is diverse and inclusive, in both membership and leader-        at least until this past year. That is definitely a part of pre-
ship, to provide a meaningful mentoring program, and            pandemic life that we miss and can’t wait to start again.

NYSBA WILS Connect | 2021 | Vol. 2 | No. 1                                                                                     9
Q: How did your career in law begin?                                 As our Section Chair Terri Mazur described in her
                                                                interview, WILS’ diversity also enabled it to connect with
    A: After law school, I worked at Manhattan law
                                                                judges, journalists, politicians and professors to address
firms where I handled commercial and employment law
                                                                critical issues as they unfolded in 2020, including system-
disputes. I learned a tremendous amount from my work
                                                                ic racism, voter rights and voter suppression and gender
and my colleagues, but after a number of years I real-
                                                                barriers in politics.
ized that the part of the work I enjoyed was counseling
clients. So I started my own practice in 2016, focusing             We have also been able to draw on our members’
on employment law, and joined Moskowitz and Book                expertise and experiences to advocate for laws that help
as counsel in 2019. I advise clients on federal, state and      women and families. Just as one example, several years
local leave laws, negotiate and draft employment, sever-        ago our Legislative Affairs Committee wrote a report
ance and non-competition agreements, draft employee             advocating for a bill that would provide employees with
handbooks and help clients develop and implement                paid family leave. NYSBA adopted our report and sup-
employment policies. I also conduct training on sexual          ported the bill that was enacted in 2016 as the New York
harassment prevention, conduct internal investigations          State Paid Family Leave Benefits Law.
of discrimination and harassment claims, and counsel
clients on a wide range of employment law and compli-               In June 2017, CWIL (now WILS) celebrated its 30th
ance matters.                                                   anniversary. New York State Lieutenant Governor Kathy
                                                                Hochul joined the celebration to congratulate us and
Q: What led you to join WILS (formerly CWIL)?                   thank us for our advocacy work. The lieutenant governor
                                                                specifically mentioned the Paid Family Leave Benefits
A: When I joined CWIL in mid-2012, I was a partner at a
                                                                Law as an example of WILS’ successful contributions to
women-owned law firm and active in NYSBA’s Labor and
                                                                advocating for women under the law.
Employment Law Section. Those two roles brought home,
for me, the importance of networking with women lead-           Q: What current issues pertaining to women in the law
ers in the profession as well as advocating for laws and        are you following or most concerned about?
policies that advance women and women attorneys. So
when the opportunity came along to apply to join CWIL,          A: As an employment attorney, I have been writing and
I jumped at the chance. I joined CWIL’s Annual Meeting          thinking a lot about sick leave and family leave laws.
Committee and expanded my role in programming when              Back in March, when COVID-19 shut down schools and
we became a Section.                                            workplaces, the U.S. enacted its first ever nationwide paid
                                                                sick leave and paid family leave law. The law was far
Q: What inspires you about WILS?                                from perfect, and it expired on December 31, 2020. But the
                                                                need for such laws is not limited to times of crises. New
A: The current and past chairs of WILS and members of
                                                                York State recognized this in 2018 when it enacted its Paid
its Executive Committee inspire me every day. They are
                                                                Family Leave Benefits Law and again in 2020 when it en-
an incredible group of women who are dedicated to our
                                                                acted an emergency sick leave law and a permanent sick
mission and passionate about the law. I am grateful to
                                                                leave law. So I am following proposals for paid leave laws
have them as friends, mentors and wise counsel.
                                                                on a national level.
    Through WILS and its programs, I have met so many
                                                                    I also have been following reports and studies about
women who inspire me: women who choose to serve the
                                                                the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on women at-
public interest through careers in government and the
                                                                torneys in the workforce. The pandemic pushed more
judiciary, women who fight for voting rights and equal
                                                                women than men out of the workforce and increased
rights, women who have risen to the highest levels of law
                                                                women’s share of responsibilities for family care. But
firm management, and women who started their own
                                                                we also know that the pandemic has caused many
firms, sometimes in areas of practice that I never knew
                                                                employers to recognize the value of remote work and
existed. Mostly, I have been inspired by our members
                                                                flexible work schedules. So while I am concerned about
who spend every day juggling family and careers. For
                                                                the negative effects of the pandemic on women in the
many of them, this past year has brought a whole new set
                                                                workforce, I am hopeful that there will be a silver lining
of challenges.
                                                                here.
Q: Why is WILS so important for NYSBA and the legal
                                                                Q: Has the Section enhanced your practice/career/enthu-
community at large?
                                                                siasm for the law in some way? If so, how?
A: Our members are diverse, not only in terms of their
                                                                A: Definitely! When I decided to transition my practice
personal characteristics but in their roles in the profession
                                                                from commercial litigation to employment law, I knew I
and their practice areas. This gives our Section insights
                                                                could reach out to friends I had met through WILS and
into the various challenges facing women attorneys and,
                                                                LELS. They were happy to share advice from their own
hopefully, how to move forward.
                                                                career moves and their experiences founding their own

10                                                                        NYSBA WILS Connect | 2021 | Vol. 2 | No. 1
firms, and make connections for me. I also benefited from       Endnotes
NYSBA’s programs on how to start and build your own             1.    Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of
practice and its guidance for solo practitioners and small            Politics, Rutgers University, Results: Women Candidates in the 2020
firms.                                                                Elections, November 4, 2020, https://cawp.rutgers.edu/election-
                                                                      analysis/results-women-candidates-2020-elections.
    WILS also provides me with the big picture on the           2.    Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of
laws that I deal with every day in my practice. My days               Politics, Rutgers University, Results: A Record Number of Women Will
                                                                      Serve in State Legislatures in 2021, https://cawp.rutgers.edu/
might include conducting anti-harassment training,
                                                                      election-analysis/record-number-women-state-legislatures-2021.
drafting sick and family leave policies or reviewing vot-
                                                                3.    Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of
ing leave provisions in employee handbooks. Through                   Politics, Rutgers University, Results: Women Candidates in the 2020
WILS, I have met the people who advocated for our                     Elections, November 4, 2020, https://cawp.rutgers.edu/election-
anti-harassment and leave laws, and the legislators who               analysis/results-women-candidates-2020-elections.
sponsored and passed them. This has given me addi-              4.    See, e.g., https://www.forbes.com/sites/avivahwittenbergcox/
tional insights into the law that I can use to advise my              2020/04/13/what-do-countries-with-the-best-coronavirus-
clients. I was able to explore those issues in greater detail         reponses-have-in-common-women-leaders/?sh=1d6226d73dec;
                                                                      https://ideas.ted.com/6-things-we-can-learn-from-how-women-
when I wrote articles for the NYSBA Journal regarding                 leaders-have-handled-the-pandemic/; https://www.theguardian.
the Family Leave Benefits Law and sexual harassment in                com/society/2020/dec/16/female-leaders-make-a-real-
law firms.                                                            difference-covid-may-be-the-proof.
                                                                5.    https://nowthisnews.com/news/dr-fauci-spotlights-young-
     WILS also allows me, on a regular basis, to speak                black-woman-who-helped-develop-covid-19-vaccine-dr-
with women attorneys who are leaders and trailblaz-                   kizzmekia-corbett.
ers. The best among them not only lead but help others          6.    https://www.fastcompany.com/90573460/kathrin-jansen-pfizer-
to make connections, develop skills, take on challenges               covid-19-vaccine-scientist; https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/
and step into leadership roles. They inspire me to do the             articles/2020-12-03/why-are-all-the-prominent-covid-vaccines-
                                                                      developed-by-women.
same.
                                                                7.    LeanIn.org., Women in the Workplace Study 2020, Introduction,
Q: As you take on the role of Section Chair, what in                  https://leanin.org/women-in-the-workplace-report-2020/
your view are the Section’s priorities for the upcoming               introduction; McKinsey & Co., Sept. 30, 2020, https://www.
                                                                      mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/
year?                                                                 women-in-the-workplace (“due to the challenges created by the
                                                                      COVID-19 crisis, as many as two million women are considering
A: Three come to mind:                                                leaving the workforce.”).
    First, to build on what we have always done:                8.    National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), 2020 Survey On
identify legislative, social and political issues affecting           The Promotion and Retention of Women In Law Firms, at 29-30, https://
                                                                      www.nawl.org/page/nawl-survey (equity partner compensation)
women in law and women generally, bring together                      (“NAWL 2020 Survey”).
thought leaders on these issues and explore solutions
                                                                9.    Roberta D. Lieberman and Stephanie A. Scharf, Walking Out the
through our webinars, programs, journal articles and                  Door: The Facts, Figures, and Future of Experienced Women Lawyers in
advocacy.                                                             Private Practice, ABA and ALM Intelligence Report, at 9 (Nov. 2019)
                                                                      (citing The American Lawyer, Special Report: Big Law Is Failing
    Second, to offer our members, especially those whose              Women (May 28, 2015)), https://www.americanbar.org/content/
careers were adversely affected by the events of the past             dam/aba/administrative/women/walking-out-the-door-4920053.
                                                                      pdf.
year, webinars on how to build their brand and enhance
their skills, as well as programs to network and connect        10.   NYSBA, Commercial & Federal Litigation Section Task Force on
                                                                      Women’s Initiatives, The Time Is Now: Achieving Equality for Women
with each other.                                                      Attorneys in the Courtroom and in ADR, at 13 (May 11, 2020) (“2020
                                                                      Report”),https://nysba.org/app/uploads/2020/05/ComFed_-
    Last, but certainly not least, to reach out to more of            WomensInitiatives_Report-Cover_5.28-merged.pdf ABA; see also
our members and encourage them to get involved. We                    ABA, Cynthia L. Cooper, Broken Rung on the Career Ladder, A New
want to hear from our members about their interests and               Analysis of Problems Encountered by Women Lawyers in Private Practice,
concerns, and what programs we can offer that will be                 Jan. 21, 2020, https://www.americanbar.org/groups/diversity/
                                                                      women/publications/perspectives/2020/january/broken-rungs-
most useful to them.                                                  the-career-ladder-new-analysis-problems-encountered-women-
                                                                      lawyers-private-practice/#:~:text=Men%20earned%20
    WILS has 15 different committees offering at
                                                                      % 2 4 9 5 9 % 2 C 0 0 0 % 2 0 o n % 2 0 a v e r a g e , f o u r % 2 0 p re v i o u s % 2 0
least 15 different ways to get involved with the Sec-                 surveys%20since%202010.
tion and our mission, and multiple opportunities for            11.   NYSBA, Commercial & Federal Litigation Section Task Force on
public speaking, writing, advocacy, networking and                    Women’s Initiatives, 2020 Report, at 13, https://nysba.org/app/
leadership.                                                           uploads/2020/05/ComFed_-WomensInitiatives_Report-
                                                                      Cover_5.28-merged.pdf ABA; see also NAWL 2020 Survey, at 24, 36,
    We invite anyone who wants to get involved with the               https://www.nawl.org/page/nawl-survey (equity partner compen-
Section to reach out to me or any of our Section chairs. We           sation).
look forward to connecting with our members!

NYSBA WILS Connect | 2021 | Vol. 2 | No. 1                                                                                                                 11
Member Spotlight:
Kim Wolf Price, Chair-Elect of WILS
By Linda Redlisky

     Kim Wolf Price, a member of the Executive                                      Q: You returned to the private sector
Committee of NYSBA’s Women in Law Section                                       in January 2020 at Bond, Schoeneck &
and currently WILS’ Alternate to NYSBA’s                                        King. What prompted that change and
House of Delegates, will serve as Chair-Elect of                                what’s your role there?
WILS starting June 1, 2021 and become Chair
of the Section on June 1, 2023.                                                      A: My role with Bond is a new role
                                                                                for the firm. I am serving as the attorney
     Q: How did your career in law begin?                                       professional development and diversity
                                                                                officer. Bond and I started talking about
     A: Throughout my 17-year career as an
                                                                                the opportunity in June 2019 and I joined
attorney, I have always been guided by the
                                                                                at the start of 2020. The role fits my passion
idea of staying open to new opportunities.
                                                                                for making our profession more inclusive.
I began my legal career as a litigation and
                                                                                There is a great deal of work to be done.
dispute resolution associate at the New
                                                                                This move, even during 2020, has been
York City office of Clifford Chance. After a
                                                                                challenging, but incredibly rewarding. It
few years in practice, and the birth of my
                                                                                was absolutely the right move.
oldest child, my husband Fred received an
opportunity at a firm outside of New York                                              Q: It’s no surprise you are a mem-
City. We decided to take the opportunity                Kim Wolf Price            ber  of NYSBA’s Diversity and Inclusion
and move closer to family. In Syracuse, I                                         (D&I) Committee. Did your job at Bond
began working for a small environmental law firm where           drive your interest in the committee or did your interest
they encouraged me to become more active in the New              in D&I influence your job choice?
York State Bar Association, an opportunity I happily took.
Commercial and Federal Litigation was the first Section               A: The need for equity and access in the legal profes-
I was part of, attending events and Annual Meeting,              sion  and beyond has always been important to me. My
including the luncheon.                                          involvement    with the D&I Committee all starts with the
                                                                 Lawyers in Transition Committee. I became an active
     Q: How did you start your career in higher                  member of NYSBA by volunteering to review resumes at
education?                                                       the Career Development Conference at Annual Meeting.
                                                                 Within a year, I was organizing panels and presentations.
     A: After a year at the firm, another opportunity
                                                                 Not long after, I was deputy chair and then chair of the
arose during a phone call with a mentor and friend from
                                                                 Lawyers in Transition Committee. I was part of the team
Syracuse University College of Law. They were looking
                                                                 planning Annual Meeting’s Career Development Confer-
for someone to join the professional development office
                                                                 ence. We were planning with the Diversity and Inclusion
to work with law students. One of my friends and former
                                                                 Committee. The D&I team was fantastic. Sandy Buchanan
office mates at Clifford Chance used to say I should
                                                                 and I worked really well together. I knew she was in
charge the other associates for the career advice I would
                                                                 line to be chair, so I asked her if I could be appointed to
give them. It seemed like an interesting transition, so I
                                                                 NYSBA’s D&I Committee, and then she asked the NYSBA
made the move.
                                                                 president and made it happen. I’ve also been part of
     During my time at Syracuse Law, I served in several         planning and moderating the Constance Baker Motley
roles, including the assistant dean for professional and         Symposium in past years, I currently chair the Youth Law
career development. My last role at Syracuse Law was             Day Subcommittee, and I’m assisting the D&I Committee
director of externship programs. In that role I taught           Chairs on other programming.
lawyering seminars, worked closely with students on
                                                                      Q: How did you come to WILS? What committees or
research papers, advised the Pro Bono Fellow, taught the
                                                                 activities are you involved in for WILS?
Pro Bono Scholars Seminar and created the full semester
in New York City externship program.                                  A: I will say that former NYSBA presidents Glenn
                                                                 Lau Kee, David Miranda and Claire Gutekunst were all
                                                                 instrumental in keeping me engaged and helping me find
                                                                 places within NYSBA where I could be of service. When I
                                                                 mentioned my interest in the then Committee on Women
                                                                 in the Law, much like with Lawyers in Transition and Di-

12                                                                          NYSBA WILS Connect | 2021 | Vol. 2 | No. 1
versity & Inclusion, I received tremendous support. So, as        Being an active member of the Women in Law Section
for the Women in Law Section, I was part of the group un-     gives you access to talented, smart and creative women
der our then Chair and leader, Susan Harper, who helped       attorneys—people making a difference to their clients and
in the transition from Committee to Section. I would be       our profession every day. I am grateful for this opportu-
remiss if I didn’t mention that it was my work on the         nity to continue to learn and grow in our profession and
Women on the Move (WOM) planning committee that re-           to work with others to make it more inclusive, equitable
ally brought me into the group. I volunteered to join and     and accessible.
found Linda Redlisky and Debra Hamilton, then Chairs
of WOM and current WILS Executive Committee (EC)                  Q: As you take on the role of Chair-Elect of WILS,
members, to be creative, smart, welcoming and support-        what are the issues you plan to focus on in the upcom-
ive. I ended up co-chairing WOM with Morghan Rich-            ing year?
ardson (also a WILS EC member) after Linda and Deb.                A: First and foremost is to continue the excellent work
Those programs—and planning them— were inspiring              of our current Chair, Terri Mazur, and current Chair-
and truly helped me build my network within WILS and          Elect, Sheryl Galler. They are doing amazing work and I
NYSBA. I currently serve as the Alternate to the House of     am grateful for their leadership. I am looking forward to
Delegates, working with WILS Delegate Susan Harper to         working with Laura Sulem (Executive Committee mem-
monitor activities that impact the Section and the Bar, and   ber, WILS member at large and Co-Chair of the Program-
I will become Section Chair in June 2023.                     ming Committee) on programming and I hope to focus on
                                                              continuing our efforts to make sure the Section is diverse
                                                              and inclusive, in both membership and leadership.

WILS launched a networking series in
2020. These interactive programs focused
on speed networking, supercharging
networking skills and how to open and
close networking conversations, as well as
the next steps people should take.

NYSBA WILS Connect | 2021 | Vol. 2 | No. 1                                                                             13
WILS Members Contribute to NYSBA’s First-of-Its-Kind
Publication: Virtual Lawyering: A Practical Guide
     This summer, NYSBA published a first-in-the-nation         vides general practice tips as well
book on how lawyering has been affected by the pandemic         as practical tips specific to matri-
and the future of virtual lawyering, entitled Virtual Lawyer-   monial and family law attorneys.
                                                                                                         Virtual
                                                                                                         Lawyering:
ing: A Practical Guide. As editor of the e-book, Mark A. Ber-   As new virtual options became            A Practical Guide
man, partner at Ganfer Shore Leeds & Zauderer, proudly          available for divorce and family       Editor
                                                                                                       Mark A. Berman, Esq.

asked several of his colleagues on NYSBA’s Women in             cases, many attorneys resorted
Law Section’s Executive Committee to contribute chapters.       to alternative dispute resolution
These authors wrote on the most sensitive issues attorneys      options, briefly discussed in the
and clients have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic,            chapter. The matrimonial courts
topics that will remain in the forefront for the foreseeable    for New York City have all started,
future: elder law counseling, the effect of the pandemic on     in varying phases, to include
family and children, and matrimonial law.                       routes to mediation or neutral
                                                                court evaluation, in aiding parties             NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION

Chapter 17: Elder Law Counseling Post COVID-19:                 to come to compromises more
A Practical Approach, by Linda Redlisky                         quickly and without the necessity of a trial. What are the
     Chapter 17 is authored by Linda A. Redlisky, who con-      best methods and options available to divorce and family
centrates her practice in elder law. This chapter focuses on    lawyers as they navigate this new virtual framework and
the practice of elder law during a pandemic, explores how       how can lawyers keep their cases moving forward? While
to deliver elder planning services to a vulnerable popula-      no one can predict with accuracy the long-term results
tion, and describes the challenges of pivoting to a virtual     of the courts’ shift to a virtual world, to view this seismic
method of counseling. Specifically discussed are issues         flex as a trend reserved strictly for emergencies would be
relating to the ethical representation of clients with dimin-   folly—the benefits of virtual lawyering are here to stay.
ished capacity with suggested methods and protocols to
ensure the maintenance of a “normal client-lawyer relation-     Virtual Lawyering Contributors
ship.” Other topics include strategies to ensure communica-          Mark A. Berman (editor) is a partner in the commercial
tions are confidential and without undue influence when         litigation practice of Ganfer Shore Leeds & Zauderer. Mark
counseling clients remotely, and tips for curbside or virtual   is on the Executive Committee of NYSBA and is the found-
execution of documents in a safe but compliant manner.          ing Chair of its Committee on Technology and the Legal
Lastly, the author offers advice regarding ways to address      Profession. He is also the former Chair of NYSBA’s Com-
elder abuse and exploitation under the cover of COVID—          mercial and Federal Litigation Section. Mark is co-chair of
the mandate and duty of an elder law practitioner. We re-       the Technology Working Group of Chief Judge DiFiore’s
main in the eye of the storm, working with the elderly, who     Commission to Reimagine the Future of New York’s Courts.
are directly in the crosshairs of the current pandemic. They        Leona Krasner is founder and managing partner of
need to know we are here even if they can’t see us.             Krasner Law, a matrimonial and mediation law firm that
Chapter 18: The Effect of COVID-19 on Family                    assists clients in New York and New Jersey. Leona is also
Law and Children, by Leona Krasner                              Chair of Communications of NYSBA’s Women in Law
                                                                Section. She lives in New York City with her husband.
     This chapter by Leona Krasner, founder of a fam-           You can learn more about Leona at www.Lkrasner.com.
ily law practice, describes how COVID-19 took the legal
world by surprise and how the profession largely went               Linda A. Redlisky is a partner at Rafferty & Redlisky,
virtual in the spring and summer of 2020. Matrimonial           concentrating in elder law, including contested guardian-
and family law in particular were significantly affected,       ships, appeals, and Medicaid planning. She is a member of
especially in the following four types of cases: enforce-       the Executive Committee of NYSBA’s Elder Law and Special
ment of a court order, modification of visitation, modi-        Needs Section and co-chairs its Client and Consumer Affairs
fication of custody, and modification of child support.         Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on Community Out-
Wherever possible, parents should be encouraged to find         reach. She is also the secretary of the Women in Law Section.
middle ground, and execute a consent agreement instead               Morghan Leia Richardson is a matrimonial partner at
of waiting additional weeks and months for a court date.        the firm Davidoff, Hutcher & Citron. She was named by
   Chapter 19: Virtual Tips for Matrimonial and                 Super Lawyers for 2020, and has previously been listed as
                                                                a Super Lawyers Rising Star and by the American Society
Family Lawyers, by Morghan Richardson
                                                                of Legal Advocates as a Top 40 Family Lawyer in New
    This chapter on virtual lawyering, written by Morghan       York. Morghan is an active member of NYSBA’s Women
Richardson, Esq., a matrimonial partner at Davidoff Hutch-      in Law Section and nonprofit organization Lawyer Moms
er & Citron, reviews available tools and software and pro-      of America. See her blog at www.TheDivorceArtist.com.

14                                                                          NYSBA WILS Connect | 2021 | Vol. 2 | No. 1
You can also read