 A Chapter of the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) |
Featured memberMember NEWS❑ The Westchester Women's Bar Association Foundation (WWBAF) has awarded the Justice Sondra M. Miller Scholarship in honor of WWBA founding member and past President Hon. Sondra M. Miller to two Haub Law students, Andrea Barba Sánchez and Alicia Scampoli. Susan Corcoran, President of the WWBAF, proudly stated: “Both award recipients exhibit extraordinary dedication to community service and the study of law. They clearly fulfill the mission of the WWBAF - ‘…to promote the fair and equal treatment of all people in society, the workplace, schools and court system.’” ❑ Leason Ellis congratulates Elizabeth Barnhard on her inclusion in the 2025 IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists, where she is ranked in IP management consultancy. The IAM Strategy 300 highlights professionals worldwide who help organizations protect innovation and realize the business value of their intellectual property. Selected through peer nominations and rigorous research, those named to the list are recognized for their insight and impact in shaping effective IP strategies. Elizabeth’s inclusion reflects her broad experience guiding clients across industries to develop strong IP portfolios that support growth and innovation. We congratulate her on this well-deserved honor and celebrate her continued leadership in shaping the value of intellectual property on a global scale. Congratulations Elizabeth! ❑ Orange Bank appoints WWBA member Stephanie Melowsky to Lead Legal Services Division, Overseen by Industry Veteran Joseph Ruhl. See full press release HERE. Congratulations Stephanie! ❑ WWBA Past President, Elizabeth Z. Marcus, Esq., has been appointed as the Principal Law Clerk to the Honorable Anne B. Bianchi, Westchester County Court Judge. ❑ In January, WWBA member Norma Lopez began a new position as Court Attorney-Referee with the Westchester Supreme Court, Law Department- 9th Judicial District. Congratulations Norma! ❑Susan L. Pollet, Past President of the WWBA and Archive and Historian Chair, published an ebook poetry collection entitled “Menagerie of Musings", which can be found on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Menagerie-Musings-Susan-Pollet-ebook/dp/B0DRYZJPM9/ Each poem appears in the theme where its primary message or imagery is most strongly represented. The sections progress from personal and familial relationships through broader social issues, natural observations, and finally to spiritual contemplation, creating a journey from the concrete to the abstract, from the personal to the universal. Congratulations to Susan! ❑ WWBA member and Co-Chair to the WWBA's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, Melissa G. Andrieux, Esq. was promoted to Partner at Dorf Nelson & Zauderer LLP! As shared by Dorf Nelson & Zauderer LLP on LinkedIn: "Melissa began her career at Dorf Nelson & Zauderer LLP in 2018 as an Associate in the Commercial Litigation Department. Since that time, she has been an invaluable member of our team, consistently going above and beyond with her hard work and dedication. Melissa’s role at DNZ evolved and she transitioned from litigation associate to a valued member of the management team. This promotion is a reflection of her incredible contributions to the growth and reputation of the firm and we are thrilled to see Melissa take on this new role.[...]" The WWBA congratulates Melissa on this accomplishment! | Calendar
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| President's Messageby Shari R. Gordon 
It is with deep gratitude that I stand before you today as the incoming—and 34th—President of the Westchester Women’s Bar Association, a proud chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York. Thank you for the confidence you have placed in me and for the honor and privilege of serving this organization, whose legacy, purpose, and members continue to shape the legal profession in Westchester County and far beyond. Today is an especially meaningful one. Just last year, we marked the fiftieth anniversary of this Association—five decades of service, leadership, mentorship, and advocacy. That milestone was more than a celebration. It was an invitation to reflect on where we have been, to honor those who brought us here, and to consider carefully the kind of profession—and the kind of legacy—we hope to leave to those who follow us. Exactly 31 days from today, we will celebrate the 250th birthday of our nation. Let us not forget the important involvement of women at the time of our nation’s founding and ever since in defining and determining our own and our country’s destiny. During the Revolutionary War, several wives of prominent patriots wrote letters and commentary providing prescient insight into how women should fit into the new republic. Perhaps most well-known was Abigal Adams. In a letter to John Adams dated March 31, 1776, she wrote: “Remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors”. She then warned her husband: “Do not put such unlimited power in the hands of the husbands. Remember all men would be tyrants if they could”. And she also warned him: “If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a revolution”. And we’ve been doing that ever since when proper attention was not paid to us. Abigal Adams and others envisioned a new nation where women were viewed and treated differently, including: Legal protections: She wanted laws to be more favorable to women, especially married women, who at that time had very few property or legal rights. Political awareness: While she did not explicitly demand full voting rights, she insisted women deserved a say in laws that governed them. Yet, in his April 14, 1776 reply, John Adams responded playfully—but dismissively—to the letter from his beloved Abigail. He wrote that he could not help but “laugh” at her request. He insisted that men would not give up their “supremacy,” though he suggested it was not exercised harshly. While affectionate in tone, his reply made clear that, he like others did not support expanding women’s legal or political rights at that time, highlighting that even those who led our American revolution limited their idealism when it came to gender equality. Despite this, Abigal Adams’ words became an early and influential statement of women’s rights in the United States. They served as a precursor to later movements, such as the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, the first organized women’s rights convention in the United States, a two-day meeting attended by 300 people. That convention took place only 50 miles from where we just held our annual WBASNY convention right here in our home state of New York. [...] Member Login
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