A Chapter of the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY)
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Interview of the Month


An Interview with Elise Mahover

Susan L. Pollet, Chair of the Archive and Historian Committee


Q:  When and why did you become involved with the WWBA?

A: In August of 2017, at the start of my 2L law school year, I transferred to Pace Law   from Vermont Law School and joined The Women’s Association of Law Students (WALS) as the Vice President. During my tenure we were actively involved with WWBA and through WALS I became a member of WWBA.

Q:  In what ways have you been active in the WWBA?

A: Throughout the years as the Vice President of WALS I attended and coordinated events with WWBA and connected with WWBA members. I also joined the Mentor/Mentee Program offered by WWBA where I continued building personal and professional relationships with members of WWBA. I am participating in the WWBA’s Mentor/Mentee Program with one mentee from Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and previously served as a Co-Chair of the WWBA’s New Lawyers Committee. Currently, I am assisting with the Dinner Journal for the 2024 Annual Dinner.

Q: Why do you think there is still a need for a women’s bar association?

A: A women’s bar association is a necessity in the legal field. Through the WWBA, I have been able to connect with other attorneys from all levels in their career that have provided me with resources, information, and their experiences which have helped guide and enable me to grow professionally and personally as a female attorney. Many of the events have been geared towards providing attorneys with relevant information, building professional relationships, and cultivating a positive outlook as an attorney. I have joined several bar associations throughout my legal career and WWBA has been the most fulfilling.

Q:  Please tell us about your legal career.

A: Prior to becoming an attorney, I worked as a legal assistant/paralegal for about 9 years for solo general law practitioners in Westchester County.

      After I graduated law school I joined an education law firm, which represented school districts throughout New York, as a junior associate. At this firm I wore many hats, I was involved in arbitration and employee discipline actions; tuition reimbursement actions; general litigation matters; contract matters and handled the majority of the tax certiorari proceedings on behalf of the school districts. Although I really enjoyed working at this firm, my goal as an attorney was to always go out on my own and “hang my shingle.” In July of 2021 I joined a colleague from Pace Law at his new firm as a partner practicing in the areas of real estate (commercial and residential); general litigation, probate and administrations proceedings, matrimonial/family law and estate planning. After one year, I relocated to New Jersey and began running a solo private practice spanning across  both NJ and NY law as a consultant reviewing commercial contracts for corporations in a variety of industries and Trust and Estate Law and Real Estate. Currently, I am living back in Westchester County and have a physical law office in White Plains. I feel most at home here in New York. Drawing from my professional journey, I am passionate about the intricacies of commercial contracts and find fulfillment in guiding families through estate planning and probate proceedings.

Q:  Which community activities are you involved in?

A:  This has been a challenging year or so for me – I have been focused on balancing my legal career, raising a toddler on my own and fitting in some time for self-care. Now that I have settled back into Westchester, I am actively seeking opportunities to be more involved in my community and in the legal community. If I am able to help out other law students or peers, I try to make myself available. Community is extremely important to my own growth and the growth of the environment.

Q:  How have you balanced your legal career with your personal life?

A: As a single mother, I am working towards effectively balancing running my own firm and being a mother while still making time for self-care. As this career is extremely demanding, I have a reliable network of family and close friends/colleagues who serve as my support system.  Asking and accepting help is essential and I make sure to ask when I need it.

Q:  What do you wish to accomplish in the future?

A: I continue to build my personal firm and am narrowing my focus to the areas of

contract law and Trusts & Estates law. 


PO Box 926, Hartsdale, NY 10530
Phone: (914) 505-6045
executivedirector@wwbany.org

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