Women In Law Section Chair Encourages Lawyers To Enter the Arena
6.12.2025
Kaelyn Gustafson, the new chair of the Women in Law Section, wants to reach out to members from all backgrounds and with all different political views. The commercial litigation and white-collar criminal defense attorney at Friedman Kaplan enjoys working on issues impacting women in her volunteer work at the New York State Bar Association. The section boasts more than 2,000 members and welcomes all genders to join in its work on critical issues affecting women.
“There are attorneys from New York City and from outside the city that want their voices heard. I want to engage them and have a productive dialogue,” Gustafson said.
Before her election as section chair, Gustafson served as co-chair of the Legislative Affairs Committee of the section and was instrumental in coordinating an educational campaign on New York’s ERA initiative. New York voters passed the constitutional amendment in November 2024.
“I became very active when I learned that New York did not have an Equal Rights Amendment,” she said. “It shocked me because I had lived in Michigan and Colorado previously, and they had an Equal Rights Amendment.”
One of Gustafson’s first programs of her term, “From Courtrooms to the Campaign Trail: Empowering Women to Enter the Political Arena,” provided practical advice for attorneys who wanted to get more involved in local and state issues. She plans to host similar programs and include a wide range of political perspectives. She grew up in a politically active family, surrounded by policy debates and community activism, and encouraging discussion on tough topics is a natural fit for her.
“We can’t have an echo chamber,” she said. “We can’t be good activists and good lawyers if we don’t seek to understand the other arguments.”
In addition to urging lawyers to enter the political arena, Gustafson supports the New York State Bar Association’s legislative priorities such as the Family Miranda Act, which requires that parents involved in child custody cases be informed of their legal rights. She says access to a lawyer is an issue for the entire profession and hopes that members seek opportunities to serve that might be outside their traditional practices.
“Use the skills you have with your JD and your experience as a lawyer to contribute to your community,” she said.
