The purpose of the Section is to promote equality in the law for LGBTQ+ people; to combat the tide of anti-LGBTQ+, including transphobic, laws and regulations; eliminate discrimination against LGBTQ+ attorneys and litigants; support equality of opportunity for, and increase the visibility of, contributions made by LGBTQ+ attorneys; and promote diversity within the judiciary by inclusion of all underrepresented groups, including LGBTQ+ people.
To learn more about this Section, please contact Ernesto Guerrero
[email protected]
(518) 487-5535
Sam Buchbauer
Sam currently serves as the Chair of the LGBTQ+ Law Section of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA). He has moderated virtual CLEs for the Section, including “Representing LGBTQ Clients and Ethical Considerations”. He has also been panelist for the CLE program entitled “LGBTQ+ Estate Planning: Inclusivity Considerations When Planning for LGBTQ+ Clients” before the Schenectady Bar Association. He has previously served as Chair of the Membership Committee for the LGBTQ+ Law Section and the Co-Chair of NYSBA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
Sam Buchbauer is an associate attorney at Capell Barnett Matalon & Schoenfeld LLP and practices in the areas of estate planning, estate administration, and residential real estate. He regularly assists clients in meeting their estate planning goals and guiding Executors through the estate administration process. Sam also represents clients in real estate matters, including coops, condos, houses, and HDFCs in the New York metropolitan area.
Sam received his J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law and his Masters in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He received his B.A. from Syracuse University.
Online Community
New York State Bar Association Argues in Supreme Court Amicus Brief That No One Should Be Discriminated Against in Public Accomodations
New York State Bar Association Files Amicus Brief With U.S. Supreme Court To Protect LGBTQ Rights And Foster Children
State Bar endorses civil marriage to provide full equity to same-sex couples and families – June 2009
Report of the Special Committee to Study Issues Affecting Same-Sex Couples – 2004
Marriage Equality Act – 2011
LGBTQ+ Law Section Committee
LGBTQ+ Vanguard Award
The 2025 LGBTQ+ Vanguard Award
The LGBTQ+ Law Section wishes to celebrate the amazing dedication and achievement that members of the community have given to the legal profession. As more LGBTQ+ persons attend law school, join NYSBA, seek leadership positions and career support, and demand greater equality in the law and parity in the workforce, we have a responsibility to celebrate those LGBTQ+ and allied lawyers in their tireless work in ensuring the future prosperity and success of the LGBTQ+ community.
There are thousands of LGBTQ+ lawyers and allies in New York, who for decades have been at the forefront of the profession. In many cases, they have been the lawyers and advocates who have made social change possible at the state and national level. It is critical to celebrate these incredible people for their drive and ambition that has made it possible for the LGBTQ+ community to come closer to true equality.
Contact: [email protected]
Nomination Deadline: TBD
Date Presented: 2025 Annual Meeting
Prize Awarded: The recipient will receive a recognition award and a complimentary one-year membership in the Association and the LGBTQ+ Law Section
2024 LGBTQ+ Vanguard Award Winner
Wesley R. Powell, Esq.
Partner, Litigation, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
A partner in the Litigation Department of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Wes Powell serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Practice, where he leads pro bono efforts on a broad range of groundbreaking civil rights matters that advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, low-income New Yorkers, asylum seekers and others. Throughout his 30+ year legal career, Wes has maintained a longstanding commitment to social justice, and played a lead role in landmark cases involving LGBTQ+ rights. He is a member of Willkie’s DEI Committee and partner liaison to the LGBTQ+ affinity group. He is also Co-Chair of the firm’s Antitrust Practice Group.
As part of his ongoing work for LGBTQ+ rights and healthcare equality, Wes successfully led a Willkie team, along with TLDEF, in Lange v. Houston County, Georgia, seeking healthcare coverage for transition-related, medically-necessary surgery and treatments for Sgt. Anna Lange, a transgender Sheriff’s Deputy. The court’s landmark ruling held that defendants had violated Title VII by maintaining a health plan excluding coverage for gender-affirming care. Wes also co-led a federal class action, Toomey v. Arizona, with the ACLU, which challenged a coverage exclusion for transition-related medical care imposed on transgender employees in Arizona’s state university system and resulted in a class settlement eliminating the challenged exclusion. These wins follow his groundbreaking work in the landmark case Cruz v. Zucker (SDNY), with the Legal Aid Society of New York and the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, which resulted in a NYS Medicaid coverage requirement of medically necessary care for gender dysphoria.
In immigration matters, Wes has advocated for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ refugees fleeing persecution in their home countries, through individual representations of LGBTQ+ individuals seeking immigration relief.
Outside of his legal practice, Wes serves on the board of the NYC AIDS Memorial, helping to develop the physical memorial into a significant cultural and educational institution in the West Village. He previously served for nine years on the board (including three years as Chair) of the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI), a leading provider of services to at-risk LGBTQ+ youth and home of Harvey Milk High School, a New York City public high school for at-risk students, many of whom are LGBTQ+. He is a past chair of the Partners Group of the LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York; as chair, Wes led the Partner Group’s advocacy for more LGBT+ members of the state and federal judiciary.
Wes has received numerous awards in recognition of his pro bono advocacy. In 2023, he received NYSBA’s Outstanding Pro Bono Volunteer Award, and Legal Aid Society’s Public Interest Law Leadership Award. He was also a driving force behind Willkie’s 2023 Pro Bono Innovator award by Bloomberg Law. Wes was named Chambers’ LGBTQ+ Equality Lawyer of the Year in 2019, and a Crain’s New York Business Notable LGBTQ Leader in 2022.
Wes is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and Duke University School of Law. Wes, his husband Michael Rourke, and his children Beckett (15) and Olivia (9) live in NYC.
PAST RECIPIENTS
2023- Amy E. Schwartz-Wallace, Esq., Empire Justice Center
2022- Michelle Kahn, Esq., Kahn & Goldberg, LLP (Inaugural Award)
More LGTBTQ+ Youth Are in Foster Care and They Need Support
What This Pride Month Means to Me
Divorce Can Be Difficult for Same-Sex Couples
LGBTQ+ Asylum Seekers Face Extra Challenges
NYSBA Pledges To Continue Its Fight for Equal Rights in Wake of U.S. Supreme Court Decision in LGBTQ+ Public Accommodations Case
At urging of the NY State Bar Association, ABA Votes To Support LGBTQ Inclusive Language in Court Proceedings Nationwide
Fulton V. City of Philadelphia: What It Really Means
LGBTQ Chair Sam Buchbauer Provides Strong Voice for LGBTQ+ Community
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lgbtq-chair-sam-buchbauer-provides-strong/
Incoming LGBTQ Law Section Chair Sam Buchbauer Says NYSBA Membership Makes National Impact
Incoming LGBTQ Law Section Chair Sam Buchbauer Says NYSBA Membership Makes National Impact
As in the U.S., Battle for Marriage Equality in Japan Takes on Many Fronts
As in the U.S., Battle for Marriage Equality in Japan Takes Place on Many Fronts
LGBTQ Law Section Chair Christopher Riano Makes History
NYSBA Member Spotlight: Jacqueline J. Drohan
President Karson’s Statement on President Biden’s Decision to Lift Restrictions on Transgender Service Members
LGBTQ Youth in the Foster Care System
Breathe Into It: How Intentional Breathing Can Help You Manage Stress
The Rainbow Workforce: Panel Discussion with LGBTQ+ Identified Recent Grads and Law Students
NY Law Student Virtual Coffee Hour: LGBTQ+ Law and Policy During the Biden Administration
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