New York State Bar Association To Honor Three Attorneys for their Impact on the Lives of Women and Young People
1.10.2025
The New York State Bar Association will honor three attorneys for their work in improving the lives of women and young people through innovative and ground-breaking programs.
“These three distinguished individuals have devoted their careers to lifting up others to help them reach their full potential,” said Domenick Napoletano, president of the New York State Bar Association. “They have followed their passions and created new programs with remarkable results that are improving the lives of so many New Yorkers.”
Mirna Santiago, founder of Girls Rule the Law, will receive the John E. Higgins Diversity Trailblazer Award for founding Girls Rule the Law, a career exploration and mentorship program introducing girls to a legal career. Girls in middle school and high school connect with professionals in the field, creating a pipeline from middle school to law school.
The Higgins Award recognizes exceptional efforts to promote the full and equal participation of diverse people at all levels of the legal profession.
A.J. Bosman, founder of the Children’s Rights Initiative, is receiving the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Beacon Award for creating the Oneida County organization, which promotes the right of children a role to choose their own attorneys in Family Court matters.
The Beacon Award was created following the 2020 death of U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It honors an individual who is honest, direct and courageous in the face of opposition and is an outspoken advocate for those less privileged.
Madjeen Garcon-Bonneau will receive the Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year Award for her contributions to mentoring young lawyers while also serving the Haitian American community in New York. Her work for both the Metropolitan Black Bar Association and the Haitian American Lawyers Association of New York helps young legal professionals blossom in their careers.
The New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion honors attorneys each year during NYSBA’s Annual Meeting. The recipients are recognized at the Constance Baker Motley Symposium, a joint effort by the Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Equal Opportunity Law Committee of the Labor and Employment Law Section. The awards will be presented at the association’s Annual Meeting in New York City Jan. 15.
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. 14 to 17 at the New York Hilton Midtown.
Highlights of Annual Meeting include the Presidential Gala, where retired Associate Justice Stephen Breyer of the Supreme Court of the United States will receive the association’s most prestigious award, the Gold Medal. The gala is on Thursday, Jan. 16, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., at The Plaza Hotel. Justice Breyer will speak about his career, judicial philosophy and his recent book during a fireside chat at the gala.
The Presidential Summit, the marquee event of the New York State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting, is on Wednesday, Jan. 15, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The summit, entitled “Securing Justice: Addressing Sexual Violence and the Weaponization of Individuals and Groups During Conflicts and Wars,” will focus on justice for the victims of wartime human trafficking and sexual violence.
Distinguished guests include Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, international human rights law expert and founder and chair of the Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children; Susana SáCouto, director of the War Crimes Research Office of the American University Washington College of Law; and Abid Shamdeen, advocate for Yazidi genocide survivors and co-founder of Nadia’s Initiative. Susan Harper, treasurer of the New York State Bar Association, will moderate the discussion.
In addition, former Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court Bridget McCormack and Jennifer Leonard, legal tech expert and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, will present on the impact AI has had on the legal profession, and how lawyers are navigating changing regulations related to privacy and data security.
Each year, more than 120 different panels and social events make up the New York State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting and some 4,000 lawyers participate. For more information on NYSBA’s Annual Meeting, click here. Media are invited to attend programs, but please notify Susan DeSantis at [email protected] or 201-575-5756.
