New York State Bar Association Honors Kareen Zeitounzian for her Commitment To Mentoring Women in Law
1.13.2026
The Kay Crawford Murray Memorial Award is being presented to Kareen Zeitounzian for the work she has done to advance women and the people with disabilities in the legal profession.
Kareen is senior counsel in Harris Beach Murtha’s business litigation practice group. She co-chairs the firm’s attorney training committee, which connects female attorneys and lawyers who follow non-traditional paths with seasoned mentors. She organizes community events promoting Arab American heritage, disability awareness and LGBTQ+ pride.
“Kareen knows first-hand the importance of inclusion for lawyers of all backgrounds and those with physical challenges,” said Kathleen Sweet, president of the New York State Bar Association. “She has shown all of us that attorneys with disabilities remain underrepresented. And how we can improve accommodations and attitudes.”
Kareen has led accessibility efforts and advocated for inclusive practices, informed by her lived experience with SMA. She successfully advocated for her own workplace accommodation, including adaptive technologies.
“There seems to be a misconception that removing physical barriers suffice to make a work environment inclusive,” Zeitounzian wrote for the American Bar Association. “It is just as important for law firms to have policies that demonstrate a commitment both to hire talent from the disability community and afford employees with a disability an opportunity to develop their full potential.”
Honoring attorneys who render extraordinary service to the public and the profession is part of NYSBA’s Annual Meeting tradition. This year’s event promises to be dynamic and informative, featuring a wide range of sessions and activities tailored to the diverse interests and needs of lawyers practicing in New York. Annual Meeting takes place Jan. 13 to 16 at the New York Hilton Midtown.
Highlights of Annual Meeting include the Presidential Gala celebrating the association’s 150th Anniversary. The gala is on Thursday, Jan. 15, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., at The Plaza Hotel. The association will honor Governor Kathy Hochul – who is receiving the Gold Medal – and its past presidents at the gala.
The Presidential Summit, the marquee event of the New York State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting, is on Wednesday, Jan. 14, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Panelists will discuss “The Case for Constitutional Failure,” focusing on whether the three branches of government have fulfilled their Constitutional duties.
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jack Rakove of Stanford University and Yale University Rule of Law Clinic Co-Director, former Assistant United States Attorney, and January 6 Prosecutor Sonia Mittal will lead this important, timely conversation. Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNOW television anchor and commentator, will moderate the discussion.
