WWBA Ad Hoc Committees

Annual Dinner [Join]
Committee Chairs: Sherry Bishko, Natanya L. Briendel, Amanda C. Fried, Jennifer L. Gray, Elizabeth Z. Marcus, Amanda R. Rieben
This committee’s purpose is to organize and host the WWBA Annual Dinner, which is held in June every year.

Annual Dinner Souvenir Journal [Join]
Committee Chair: Andrea Friedman, Elise Mahover
The Souvenir Journal contains the program for the dinner, officer and director information, and congratulatory messages.

Appellate Practice [Join]
Committee Chairs: Lisa Florio, Heather Gushue, Hon. Sondra M. Miller, Jill Oziemblewski
This committee provides seminars and programs in the area of appellate litigation, including motion practice and the interrelationship between appellate law and other substantive areas of the law, including matrimonial, real estate, labor, employment, products liability and personal injury, and civil litigation law. This Committee also serves as a resource for members seeking appellate practice advice for their clients and keeps members and their clients advised of the latest changes in appellate law and practice.

Archive & Historian [Join]
Committee Chair: Susan L. Pollet
This committee keeps track of our history by saving and highlighting events and milestones.  Officers, directors and active members are interviewed regularly, and their interviews are published in the WWBA newsletter.

Awards [Join]
Committee Chairs: Elizabeth Barnhard
This committee coordinates our candidates for all NYS legal awards, including packaging the nomination applications and speaking out in favor of all nominees.

Bankruptcy [Join]
Committee Chairs: Susan Mills Richmond
This committee provides seminars and programs in the area of bankruptcy law, especially as it interrelates with other facets of the law, including matrimonial, real estate, collections, labor, employment and general commercial law. This committee also serves as a resource for members seeking bankruptcy practice advice for their clients and keeps members and their clients advised of the latest changes in bankruptcy law and practice.

Breast Cancer Awareness [Join]
Committee Chairs: Adrienne J. Orbach
This committee provides diverse activities throughout the year with a special focus in October, Breast Cancer Awareness month. The activities range from fundraising brunches to five mile walks in support of treatment for breast cancer.

Collaborative Law [Join]
Committee Chairs: Kathleen Donelli, Andrea Friedman, Shara Goldfarb
This committee provides a forum for practitioners of collaborative law. The purpose is to educate and exchange ideas to promote this form of alternative dispute resolution.

Community Outreach [Join]
Committee Chairs: Lisa Denig, Deborah A. Scalise, Hon. Lisa Margaret Smith
This committee is dedicated to involving the community with our bar association and provides an educational yet fun relationship with our local schools and the surrounding community.

Construction Law [Join]
Committee Chairs: Kristen N. Gizzi, Esq.

This committee provides seminars and programs in all areas involving construction law including statutory and regulatory requirements, contracts, risk management, risk transfer, claims and dispute resolution.  We will explore mechanisms for drafting and negotiating contracts unique to large and small scale public and private construction projects, legal issues affecting developers, contractors, suppliers, and design professionals, and disputes that arise in cases involving design liability, breach of construction contracts, and construction defects.  We will provide our members with updates and tips on best practices and the latest changes in the law. 

Continuing Legal Education [Join]
Committee Chair: Ann M. McNulty
This committee acts as a liaison between our chapter and WBASNY. The committee assists and encourages our local committees in providing CLE certified seminars.

Cyber Law [Join]
Committee Chair: Judith Bachman

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion [Join]
Committee Chairs: Melissa G. Andrieux, Jacqueline Hattar, Stephanie Melowsky
This committee is dedicated to reaching out and encouraging more diversity in our local chapter & in our legal community.

Domestic Violence [Join]
Committee Chairs: Marian Genio, Stacey Neumann, Amanda K. Rieben 
This committee collaborate with advocacy and legal organizations dedicated to serving domestic violence victims. Members sponsor civil legal and criminal justice domestic violence trainings. The committee also sponsors activities to promote pro bono representation of victims. 

Education [Join]
Committee Chairs: Alison Morris, Julie P. Passman, Susan Mills Richmond
A substantive law committee whose mission is to provide our membership with information concerningcurrent substantive and procedural developments in the burgeoning area of the law relating to schools and education. Of particular interest will be developments in the laws concerning special education and student rights and discipline, as well as other areas concerning students, teachers, and other school staff. The Chair(s) of the Education Law Committee will hold meetings throughout the year as needed and should be available to present both written and oral reports on its activities to the Board of Directors as needed. The Education Law Committee will work closely with other WWBA substantive committees where there are overlapping areas of interest and also intends to work with the WBASNY Education Law Committee. This Committee will also work with the Continuing Legal Education Committee (CLE) to develop workshops, seminars and written materials of interest to our membership.

Elder, Health & Reproductive Rights [Join]
Committee Chairs: Elizabeth A. Cumming, Moira Laidlaw
This committee centers around rights of the elderly and legal changes in elder law and the health care system. The committee hosts seminars throughout the year focusing on these topics.

Employment Law [Join]
Committee Chairs: Kim Berg, Sara Kula
This committee provides our membership with information in the area of employment law and discrimination in the form of round table discussions, seminars, and lectures.

Environmental & Land Use [Join]
Committee Chairs: Lucia Chiocchio, Jennifer L. Gray, Drew Gamils
This committee explores the ever changing area of Environmental Law and provides a resource to all members.

Gender Dynamics [Join]
Committee Chair: Angela DiBiasi, Elena Goldberg
This committee is especially proud of the 9th Judicial District’s Gender Fairness Essay Contest which our chapter co-sponsors every year. High School students are invited to write about women in non-traditional roles and to explore the resulting consequences.

Holiday Party and Boutique [Join]
Committee Chairs: Michelle A. Calvi, Natanya Briendel, Jennifer Netrosio Johnson
This committee plans the annual holiday party and arranges for vendors to participate in the shopping boutique, which is held in December.

Immigration [Join]
Committee Chair: Karin Anderson, Elizabeth Mastropolo, Martine Cuomo

Insurance [Join]
Committee Chair: Michele Kern-Rappy

Intellectual Property [Join]
Committee Chairs: Elizabeth M. Barnhard, Annmary Ittan
This committee provides educational programs and articles to introduce members of the WWBA to the areas of law which govern the valuable assets known as intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing and Internet intellectual property law.  The committee also provides opportunities for member discussions about best practices and changes in the law. 

Judgment Enforcement and Collections [Join]
Committee Chairs: Michelle Tarson
This committee endeavors to educate and assist members of the WWBA in the representation of creditors and debtors in consumer and commercial debt litigation and judgment enforcement proceedings.

Litigation [Join]
Committee Chairs: Angela Morcone Giannini, Elena Goldberg, Jacqueline Hattar, Hon. Eileen N. Nadelson 
This committee explores and examines tactics and strategies for a successful litigation practice.

Long Range Planning [Join]
Committee Chairs: Lisa Denig, Linda Markowitz
This committee is devoted to developing and planning a strategy that will allow growth in accordance with the WWBA’s long-term goals.

Mediation [Join]
Committee Chairs: Lisa Dorman, Hon. Sondra M. Miller, Abby Rosmarin
A group comprised of legal practitioners of civil mediation to provide a forum for best practice ideas and educate other members of the bar and their guests about this form of alternative dispute resolution.

Mentorship [Join]
Committee Chairs: Kim Berg, Christine Paska

Past Presidents [Join]
Committee Chairs: Angela Giannini Morcone, Deborah Scalise, Lisa Margaret Smith
This committee organizes programs and a Past Presidents' luncheon each year and assists and mentors newly-installed Presidents and Officers.

Practice Management [Join]
Committee Chairs: Wendy Marie Weathers
The practice management committee focuses on all of the "business" aspects of a law practice. This can be broken down further into implementing systems and controls to reduce risk and increase efficiency; business development and marketing; bookkeeping, billing and collections; client relations; personnel management; and using technology (such as calendaring and case management software). Practice management knowledge is especially important for sole practitioners and small firms, since large firms typically have more resources to hire administrative employees and outside management consultants to free up their lawyers to focus more on lawyering. Solos and managers of small firms, on the other hand, have to be jacks of all trades.

Pro Bono [Join]
Committee Chair: Marian Genio, Andrea Putnam, Natalie Sobchak
The pro bono committee of the WWBA shall explore and establish means to encourage members of the WWBA and the legal community to provide legal services and access to the legal system to persons of limited means, and individuals and groups who might otherwise find it difficult to pursue their legal rights or claims. The pro bono committee shall also strive to promote a culture of support for pro bono in the WWBA and in our community.

Reproductive Rights [Join]
Committee Chairs: Natanya Briendel, Juliet Gobler

Social Media [Join]
Committee Chair: Jessica Monastra 

Technology/Website [Join]
Committee Chairs: TBD

WWBA 50th Anniversary [Join]

Committee Chairs: Linda Markowitz, Jill Ozieblewski, Deborah Scalise 

Wellness [Join]
Committee Chair: Jennifer Netrosio Johnson, Jill Oziemblewski, Susan Mills Richmond 

Women in Leadership [Join]
Committee Chair: Adrienne Arkontaky

DELEGATES 

Network of Bar Leaders
Angela Morcone Giannini, Robin Carton, Elizabeth Z. Marcus
The delegate for WWBA attends various bar leader meetings and conferences and reports back to the board as needed.

Pace Board of Visitors 
Lisa Denig
The delegates represent the WWBA on this prestigious board that advises and supports the governance of Pace Law School.

WWBA Representative Director to WCBA Board
Jennifer Gray
The WWBA representative director acts as a liaison between the two boards, attending meetings and reporting.

9th Judicial District Representative
Amanda Fried, Lisa Margaret Smith

WWBA Foundation President
Susan M. Corcoran
The WWBA Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to:  foster a better understanding of the law, the legal profession, and the role of women in society and the legal profession; promote the fair and equal treatment of all people in society, including in the workplace, schools and courts; and eliminate gender bias.   All donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible and are used to support the Foundation’s mission by granting funds to organizations which promote our goals and by providing the Justice Sondra M. Miller Scholarship to a Pace University Law School student who has a record of academic success, community/public service, clinic or internship experience, the ability to balance school, life and work responsibilities, and who has overcome personal adversity to follow a legal career.