President Biden has signed a historic bill enshrining the right to marry into law. All states will be required to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, and same-sex marriage will be recognized at the federal level. “With President Biden signing the Respect for Marriage Act today, the right to marry has now been enshrined … Continued
I. New York State Pay Transparency Law On December 21, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the long-anticipated New York State pay transparency bill into law. The bill amends New York State Labor Law by adding a new § 194-b, which takes effect on September 17, 2023. Labor Law § 194-b continues a recent trend toward … Continued
The New York State Bar Association voted Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022 to support a federal right to an abortion and said it would lobby for Congressional passage of a law prohibiting restrictions on a woman’s right to choose to end a pregnancy. “I am deeply concerned that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson … Continued
Sherry Levin Wallach, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued the following statement about the state Legislature’s passage of the ERA: “The New York State Bar Association commends the state Legislature for deciding today to put the ERA, a crucial amendment to the state Constitution, before voters. The Equal Rights Amendment extends protections … Continued
NYSBA President Sherry Levin Wallach and NYSBA Women in Law Section Chair Sheryl B. Galler testified before the New York State Department of Labor regarding the gender wage gap. Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon chaired the hearing, which was held on January 31, 2023, in Albany. President Levin Wallach testified that equal pay for … Continued
NAACP President Derrick Johnson called white supremacy the most significant threat to democracy at a New York State Bar Association event in celebration of the first federally recognized holiday of Juneteenth. “The white supremacist dogma dominating the public square is pulling democracy apart,” Johnson said. “What we witnessed on Jan. 6th is an example of what individuals … Continued
On November 5, 2022, the Women in Law Section successfully petitioned the New York State Bar Association’s House of Delegates (HOD) to adopt a policy supporting reproductive health care rights, including abortion, and the New York State Equal Rights Amendment (NYS ERA), which includes protection for reproductive health care rights. The HOD’s vote approving WILS’ … Continued
In a midtown elevator the other day, I met a friend I haven’t seen in years (blame the pandemic). Catching up, I mentioned that I chair the New York State Bar Association’s Women in Law Section. “Interesting,” said my friend, “but what are you accomplishing?” A lot, actually. More than I could squeeze into an … Continued
Laura Sulem is a senior director at Practical Law, a Thomson Reuters company. She oversees editorial content and business strategy for the 60-member U.S. litigation service and looks after the teams who publish Practical Law The Journal, and create Practical Law’s audio and video content. Laura is also a senior advisory council member of Women@TR, … Continued
If you’ve walked around New York City recently, you may have heard the rallying slogan of “Women, Life, Freedom,” or, in Persian, “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi.” From Washington Square to Times Square, demonstrations and rallies are calling for support of Iranian women who have, since Sept. 16, been leading a renewed revolution against the fundamentalist Islamic … Continued