Women in Law Section

Women in Law Section

WHO WE ARE

Welcome to the New York State Bar Association’s Women in Law Section (also WILS or Section). WILS is a dynamic group of attorneys – both women and men – and serves as a powerful advocate for professional women. Our mission is to advance women in the legal profession and all women under the law.

SECTION BENEFITS

Joining WILS opens doors to a wealth of opportunities, addressing the professional, legal, policy, and legislative issues that impact women. As a member, you will benefit from:

Educational programs: Including the prestigious annual Edith I. Spivack Symposium — WILS’ Annual Meeting CLE, and Women on the Move.
Networking: Connect and build relationships with other attorneys in your region and across the state.
FREE for Members – Continuing Legal Education: Stay ahead with our cutting-edge CLE offerings.
Service and Growth: Engage in meaningful service projects and grow professionally.
Online Community: Access our vibrant online Section community.

Educational Programs

Our Section offers comprehensive educational forums on key issues such as career development, gender issues, sexual harassment in the workplace, balancing professional and family responsibilities, women in politics, and seeking judicial positions. We also provide valuable forums for women law students, focusing on career development and opportunities. These programs are included – WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL CHARGE – with your NYSBA membership.

SECTION COMMITTEES

We invite you to join one of our committees, which will give you an opportunity to be part of an engaging group, use your voice, talent and passion to benefit women; interact with members and leaders of our Section and the legal profession; expand your individual network and develop your career; and advance critical change in the legal profession and for all women under the law. Our committees include:

Annual Meeting and Programming Committee: Overseeing programs like the Annual Meeting, Women on the Move, Awards and other events.
Champions Committee: Engaging men as allies to support women in the profession.
Communications Committee: Enhancing our outreach and communication efforts.
Development & Sponsorship Committee: Fostering growth and securing sponsorships.
Emerging Lawyers Committee: Supporting the next generation of legal professionals.
Equity in the Legal Profession Committee: Advocating for women’s advancement in the legal field.
Gender Issues Committee: Addressing gender issues impacting women, children, and families.
General Counsels Committee: Focusing on the needs of in-house counsel.
Legislative Committee: Shaping our legislative agenda and monitoring relevant legislation.
Membership and Engagement Committee: Enhancing member engagement and satisfaction.
Partners Committee: Tackling unique challenges faced by female partners in law firms.
Reports, Surveys and Publications Committee: Producing impactful research and publications, including WILS Connect.
Women in the Association Committee: Promoting women’s issues within the association

The Women in Law Section is a dynamic and engaging community, and we look forward to welcoming you as a member and seeing your active participation in our events and initiatives. Join us and be part of a transformative movement for women in the legal profession!

Contact the Women In Law Section Liaison

To learn more about this Section, please contact Ernesto Guerrero
eguerrero@nysba.org
(518) 487-5535

Please do not contact the Section liaison with a request for legal advice or an attorney referral. You can instead visit our ‘Public Resources’ or ‘Lawyer Referral Service’ page for this type of request.

Kaelyn E. Gustafson, Esq.

Kaelyn Gustafson is a commercial litigator and white collar criminal defense attorney at Friedman Kaplan Seiler Adelman & Robbins LLP.

Prior to joining Friedman Kaplan, Kaelyn was a litigation associate at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP where she handled a range of matters, including government and internal investigations, securities and shareholder litigation, and commercial litigation. Prior to that, she clerked for the Honorable James Orenstein of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and the Honorable Rebecca Freyre of the Colorado Court of Appeals. Kaelyn has been a member of the New York State Bar Association since 2018 and has been an active member of the Women in Law Section since 2019, organizing and moderating webinars as a member and co-chair of the Section’s Legislative Affairs Committee. In addition to her legal practice, Kaelyn volunteers for Kelleigh’s Cause, a 501(c)(3), which raises funds to research rare and life-threatening illness arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).

Online Community

Access Here

Women in Law Section Publications

Newly released issues are restricted to Section & Committee Members only for the first 90 days, after which they become available to all members.

WILS Connect - Vol. 5 No. 1

View Latest Issue

WILS Connect Archive

Since becoming a Section in June 2018, WILS has grown from a small committee limited to 50 members to more than 1,000 members and includes women and men from upstate and downstate, states across the U.S. and from countries around the world. WILS focuses on current issues facing women lawyers and women generally, such as sexual harassment, domestic violence, reproductive rights, equal rights (including equal pay), paid family leave, professional development, business development, mentorship, workplace re-entry, and legislation relating to issues of interest to women. WILS also provides programs on such issues and a popular virtual book club. In 2020, we launched the WILS Connect e-newsletter (one of our many initiatives) to also address these issues, as well as the work of WILS committees, spotlight members of WILS, and to cover the programs held (and to be held) by the Section. We currently publish two issues a year. If you are interested in submitting an article, working on future issues of WILS Connect, and/or joining the Reports, Surveys and Publications Committee, please contact our Section Liaison, the WILS Section Chair or the Chair of WILS Reports, Surveys and Publications Committee.

Submit an article for consideration for WILS Connect

Article Library

Looking for specific articles from our issues? Explore our library of individual articles, available from current and past editions.

View article library

Author Guidelines

NYSBA has created comprehensive author guidelines, with information regarding our reprint policy, style guidelines, and obtaining MCLE Author Credits.

View the author guidelines

Bylaws of the Women in Law Section

Approved on November 15, 2018 and amended on October 28, 2019.

View the bylaws

Nominating Committee Report

In accordance with Article IV, Section 1 of the Section’s bylaws, here is the nominating report for the June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025 term. The nominations have been voted on and approved at the Business portion of the Women in Law Section’s Annual Meeting on January 18, 2024 at 4:20 p.m. immediately following the Women in Law Section’s Virtual Annual Meeting CLE program.

View the report here

Legislative Matters

Opinions expressed are those of the Section/Committee preparing this memorandum/report and do not represent those of the New York State Bar Association unless and until they have been adopted by its House of Delegates or Executive Committee.

Salary Memo
Check out our memorandum in support to amend the Executive Law in relation to prohibiting employers from seeking salary history from prospective employees.

Domestic Violence Final Report
Read our memorandum in support of the New York State Bar Association and Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York Domestic Violence Initiative’s Final Report to provide greater access to legal services to victims of domestic violence in New York State.

Women in Law Section Committee

Awards

Ruth G. Schapiro Award
To provide recognition for exemplary achievement by a male or female member of the Association in addressing the concerns of women, an Association award was established in honor of the Committee on Women in the Law’s first Chair, Ruth G. Schapiro. The annual award was proposed and is administered by the Women in Law Section. The first recipient of this award in 1992 was The Honorable Judith S. Kaye.

Ruth Schapiro Award 2023 Winner

Kay Crawford Murray Award
To honor women in the profession who recognize the value of diversity in the legal profession and have dedicated their time to advancing the professional development of women attorneys, the section has established the Kay Crawford Murray Award. Future recipients will possess the following characteristics: A distinguished legal career or a rising star in the profession; An active member of bar associations for the purpose of advancing the professional and personal development of women attorneys; An active mentor to women attorneys.

Kay Crawford Murray Award Winner

Prop 1 Fact Sheet

Proposal 1 is on the ballot this election year. Learn the facts.

Download Fact Sheet (PDF)

Free Virtual Book Club Meetings

The Women in Law Section (WILS) holds free virtual book club meetings on a monthly or bi-monthly basis, so please check the WILS Upcoming Events page for dates and times. This is a great opportunity to take some time for yourself to read new books and discuss them with colleagues and friends!

Here is the list of our past book club meetings:

#Networked: Women Lawyers Build Connections in COVID-19 (May 13, 2021)
Featuring the book “#Networked” by Shari Belitz, Laura Gregory and Winter Wheeler

When Life Hands You Lemons: An Attorney’s Journey Through Quarantine As An At Home Chef (April 8, 2021)
Featuring the cookbook “When Life Hands You Lemons” by Jennifer Brown

Women Struggling and Sometimes Overcoming (February 4, 2021)
Featuring the book “Women in Crisis: Stories From the Edge” by Susan L. Pollet

A Lawyer’s Journey: Turning Fact Into Fiction (December 10, 2020)
Featuring the book “Failure to Protect” by Pamela Samuels Young

Women in Law Section “The Midnight Call” Virtual Book Club (September 24, 2020)
Featuring the book “The Midnight Call” by Jode Millman

Women in Law Section “The Lies that Bind” Virtual Book Club Meeting (August 20, 2020)
Featuring the book “The Lies that Bind: by Emily Giffin

Unreasonable Doubts (June 4, 2020)
Featuring the book Reyna Marder Gentin

CYBERSECURITY & INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY

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PODCASTS

Women in Law Chair Discuss #MeToo

Women in Law Chair Discusses Sexual Harassment

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Become a Sponsor of the Women in Law Section, Annual Meeting, Luncheon, Reception and Programs.

Your sponsorship helps advance women in the legal profession and all women under the law.

Click here to learn more.

Women in Law Section’s Virtual Book Club Meeting: Counting Backwards

WILS Counting Backwards

Presented on June 11, 2025

Contact the Women In Law Section Liaison

Online Community

Women in Law Section Publications

WILS Connect - Vol. 5 No. 1

Article Library

Author Guidelines

Bylaws of the Women in Law Section

Nominating Committee Report

Legislative Matters

Women in Law Section Committee

Awards

Prop 1 Fact Sheet

Free Virtual Book Club Meetings

CYBERSECURITY & INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY

PODCASTS

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

The Civil Rights Act at 60: A Conversation with Dr. John Coverdale

Virtual Tour: NYPL’s Equal Rights Amendment: A Century of Speaking Out

Sports Betting in New York State: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Financial Empowerment for Women in Law

Banning Rosa Parks: The Impact of Book Banning on Civil Liberties

Medication Abortion in the Post Dobbs World: Current Litigation and its Effects on Access to an Abortion

Too Young to Be Old: How to Stay Vibrant, Visible, and Forever in Blue Jeans

Getting To Ellen: A Memoir About Love, Honesty And Gender Change

What’s Next: Alternative Careers For Lawyers

Reclaim Your Calendar: Productivity & Time Management Tactics For Lawyers – Part 2

Changing The Narrative: An Uplifting Story About Climate Change

Reclaim Your Calendar: Productivity & Time Management Tactics For Lawyers – Part 1

Women in Law Section’s Virtual Book Club Meeting: Fractured Power

Dobbs: Historical Context and Future Implications

What to do After Dobbs: Access to Reproductive Healthcare and How to Help

A Virtual Juneteenth Celebration with NAACP National President and CEO Derrick Johnson

Women in Law Section’s Virtual Book Club Meeting: 30 Days to Courage: A Step-by-Step Guidebook

Women in Law Section’s Virtual Book Club Meeting: Both Are True

Strategies for Thriving in the Workplace: A Fireside Chat with Carla Harris

Virtual Visit to National Women’s Hall of Fame

Divorce Changes Everything: How Women Can Find Their Independence

Self-Advocacy: The Key to Accelerate Career Success

Finding Self-Worth and Empowerment in African-American History

Knowledge is Power: Financial Strategies for Women

Executive Presence, Leadership Voice, And Effective Speaking

Bad Blood: The Role of Gender in the Elizabeth Holmes Trial

Breaking the Stigma of Addiction and Recovery in the Legal Profession

When Life Hands You Lemons: An Attorney’s Journey Through Quarantine As An At Home Chef (Book Club)

#Networked: Women Lawyers Build Connections in COVID-19

Let The Youth Lead The Way: A Dialogue with Future Lawyers

Women Struggling and Sometimes Overcoming (Book Club)

A Lawyer’s Journey: Turning Fact into Fiction (Book Club)

Owning Your Confidence and Leading with Brilliance

The Midnight Call Virtual Book Club

Campaigning While Female: Congresswoman Kathleen Rice Speaks On Gender And Diversity Issues Facing Vice Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris

The Unusual Firing of US Attorney Geoffrey Berman: The Process and is Justice at Stake?

Celebrating Juneteenth: A Conversation With Cheryl Wills

Suffrage: Celebration of the Centennial of New York State’s Ratification of the 19th Amendment

Civil Rights & Systemic Racism: Introspection In a Time of Crisis

Law Day Virtual Program: Women in Mediation, Arbitration and in Court

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