Women in Law Section

2025 Ruth G. Schapiro Memorial Award Winner

Hon. Thérèse Wiley Dancks

Thérèse Wiley Dancks is a United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of New York.  She graduated magna cum laude from Le Moyne College in 1985 and earned her J.D. degree cum laude from Syracuse University College of Law in 1991.At the time of her appointment to the federal bench in February of 2012, Judge Dancks was a co-founding partner in the law firm of Gale & Dancks, LLC, where her practice centered on civil litigation and trial work. She was associated with the law firm of Mackenzie Hughes, LLP from 1991 to 1997.  As a practicing attorney, she represented a variety of medical and other professionals, individuals, municipal entities, corporations, and small businesses in state and federal courts.  As a Magistrate Judge, her docket includes a variety of criminal and civil matters.Judge Dancks has always been an active member of state, local, and specialty bar associations.  In addition to serving as chair of several bar association committees in the past, she served on the Board of Directors of the Central New York Women’s Bar Association and the Onondaga County Bar Association.  Judge Dancks is a past president of the Central New York Women’s Bar Association and established the organization’s award winning Domestic Violence Legal Assistance Clinic during her term.  Currently, she serves on district-wide court committees, and U.S. Second Circuit court committees.  As an advocate of promoting public confidence in the courts through diversity on the bench, she has been a member of the Federal Magistrate Judges Association Diversity Committee since 2012 and is a past chair of that committee.Dancks is a native Central New Yorker and has been a board member of several charitable and community organizations.  She lends her time and energy to local community and professional organizations, with an emphasis on helping providers of legal services to the indigent and poor and educational institutions. She served as Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Hiscock Legal Aid Society and as Secretary of the Board of Directors of St. Elizabeth College of Nursing.  She is a past member of the Le Moyne College Board of Regents and a past director of the Volunteer Lawyers Project of CNY, Inc.  She regularly helps train future lawyers by participating in externship programs for law students throughout the academic year, as well as summer internship programs.Judge Dancks has co-authored articles for the Syracuse Law Review, and she frequently lectures for federal, state, and local bar associations on various substantive law topics.  She often participates as a guest speaker and lecturer at primary, secondary, and higher educational institutions, including Syracuse University College of Law, and regularly participates as a moot court judge for high school, college, and law school programs.  An avid promoter of civics education, Judge Dancks regularly helps organize and participates in school visits to the federal courthouse and frequently does outreach visits at the schools.Over her career, Judge Dancks has received numerous honors including Vera House’s Sister Mary Vera Award for her work to prevent domestic violence, the Central New York Business Journal’s Women in Business Award, the Syracuse University College of Law’s Moot Court Society Honored Alumni Award, SUNY Upstate Medical Center President’s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Faculty Service, the Syracuse Law Honors Award presented on behalf of the Syracuse University Law Alumni Association, the Le Moyne College Ignatian Award for Community Service, and the Onondaga County Bar Associations’ inaugural Champion of the Law Award.Aside from her work, Judge Dancks enjoys spending time on the water with her family, and many other outdoor activities.

2026 Kay Crawford Murray Memorial Award Winner

Kareen V. Zeitounzian, Esq.
Senior Counsel
Harris Beach Murtha Cullina PLLC

Kareen V. Zeitounzian is Senior Counsel at Harris Beach Murtha, where she has built a nearly two-decade career in business and commercial litigation, with experience spanning health care, matrimonial, and education law. She advises clients on litigation strategy and risk management and has authored appellate briefs and legal memoranda on complex issues including insurance subrogation, commercial contract disputes, and regulatory compliance.

Born in Athens, Greece, of Armenian heritage and living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type II, Kareen brings a perspective shaped by diverse cultural and personal experiences. At Harris Beach Murtha, she co-chairs the Attorney Training Committee, where she develops onboarding programs and leads the firm’s Mentorship Program to support attorney growth and retention. She also participates in the firm’s Women Connect initiative, helping create opportunities for women and attorneys with nontraditional career paths.

Kareen’s commitment to service extends beyond the firm. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys (GRAWA) Chapter and co-chaired its Diversity Committee, contributing to programs that advance equity and volunteerism. In the community, she has held leadership roles including President and Director with Rotary International (Fairport Chapter) and Director with Neuromuscular Disability United, Inc., while remaining active in organizations such as Rochester Accessible Adventures.

Her work has been recognized with honors such as the Rochester Business Journal Impact and Inclusion Award (2025), GRAWA’s Champion of Diversity Award (2024), and the Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow Award (2015, 2023). Kareen is also a published contributor to legal scholarship, with works appearing in the New York State Bar Journal and the ABA Commission on Disability Rights.

She earned her Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo School of Law, where she received the Faculty Award and served as Associate Editor of the Human Rights Law Review. Her career reflects resilience, professionalism, and a steady commitment to strengthening the legal community through collaboration, education, and advocacy.