The second panel at the 2022 WILS Annual Meeting Program was a virtual panel discussion entitled “Speaking Up and Speaking Out: Using Our Voices To Combat Sexual Harassment.” The panelists began by reviewing current laws to combat sexual harassment in the workplace, including mandatory reporting and laws against retaliation. They discussed current issues involving remote … Continued

As alternative dispute resolution (ADR)—the resolution of disputes through arbitration, mediation, and other non-litigation methods—continues to grow in popularity, many leaders of the ADR community are focused more than ever on diversity efforts, including efforts to increase the number of women serving as neutrals. Although reliable statistics on women’s participation in ADR are hard to … Continued

Picture it: A stranger jumps out from behind a bush, attacks a woman walking alone on campus, and rapes her at knifepoint in the dark of night. That is what most people envision when they hear the term “rape.” However, the majority of rapes and sexual assaults are committed by acquaintances or former intimate partners … Continued

In general, Title IX applies to educational institutions who receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education.1 The purpose of Title IX is to prevent discrimination based on sex in educational programs.2 Obligations that arise from Title IX cover many areas, including but not limited to athletics, admissions, treatment of LGBTQI+ students, employment, and … Continued

In 1977, I was finishing up my freshman year at American University (AU) and returning for my second year as a pool lifeguard at Jones Beach. At AU one of the classes I took focused on Title IX. Title IX states: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded … Continued

“While we are impressed with your credentials, we are looking to hire a man for this position.” My grandmother Ada practiced law starting in the late 1940s in Brooklyn, New York. Grandma was born in Southern Italy and moved to the United States through Ellis Island when she was four years old. Her family settled … Continued

NYSBA has honored several WILS members with prestigious awards this year. Kathleen Scott: David S. Caplan Award for Meritorious Service, Business Law Section Kathleen Scott, the deputy superintendent of banking at the New York State Department of Financial Services, received the David S. Caplan Award for Meritorious Service during the Business Law Section’s Annual Meeting … Continued

ED NOTE: This article originally appeared at NYSBA.ORG on Dec. 16, 2021. The New York State Bar Association has just entered into a cooperation agreement, called a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with the Ukrainian Bar Association. This collaboration is the latest in a series of such agreements NYSBA has reached with bar associations around the … Continued

ED NOTE: This article first appeared at NYSBA.ORG on Feb. 24, 2022. T. Andrew Brown, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued the following statement on the invasion of Ukraine: The New York State Bar Association strongly condemns the Russian Federation’s criminal invasion of Ukraine. This act of unwarranted and illegal military aggression against a … Continued

The Women in Law Section (WILS) is pleased to share that one of the bills it supported in 2021—Assembly Bill No. A2035-B/Senate Bill No. S.812-B—an act to establish a toll-free hotline for complaints of workplace sexual harassment—was signed into law by Governor Hochul on March 16, 2022. This legislation was initially identified by the Section’s … Continued