New York State Bar Association Honors Kareen Zeitounzian for her Commitment To Mentoring Women in Law
1.15.2026
The Kay Crawford Murray Memorial Award was presented to Kareen Zeitounzian for the work she has done to advance women and people with disabilities in the legal profession.
“At a time when steadiness and connection can feel fragile, it is a privilege to be in this room with so many who care deeply about the future of our profession and the people it serves,” Zeitounzian said when accepting the award at the New York State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting. “To receive an award in memory of the extraordinary Kay Crawford Murray and to join the ranks of the remarkable women who have been honored before me is profoundly humbling.”
Zeitounzian 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 is deeply involved in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys. It is because of her that the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys started marching in the Rochester Pride Parade, a tradition they have kept up ever since.
She facilitated speakers and events for Disability Awareness Month and Arab-American Heritage Month and organized an annual day of service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
While accepting the award, Zeitounzian noted that it would soon be 45 years since her family immigrated to the United States from Greece. She said that as immigrants and descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors, they chose care, dignity, and hope over bitterness.
“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.”
Zeitounzian has led accessibility efforts and advocated for inclusive practices, informed by her lived experience with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She successfully advocated for her own workplace accommodation, including adaptive technologies.
“I am beyond grateful to work along colleagues who do more than accommodate my needs or my differences,” said Zeitounzian. “They invest in my potential. And in doing so, they strengthen the room for everyone who follows… [Kay Crawford Murray’s] legacy reminds us that law is at its best when it protects the vulnerable, expands opportunities, and reflects the full range of human experience.”
