U.S. Attorney Trini Ross To Receive Diversity Award from New York State Bar Association for Mentoring Female Attorneys
12.26.2024
The New York State Bar Association is honoring the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York Trini Ross for her commitment to mentoring and promoting female attorneys in the legal profession.
“There is an explosion of women in leadership roles in the U.S. Attorney’s office under the direction of Trini Ross,” said New York State Bar Association President Domenick Napoletano. “Before Ross, there were three women in leadership in the Western New York office. Now, 12 of the 19 supervisory positions are held by women.”
Ross is a 30-year public servant who dedicated her career to litigation. The U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed her as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York in 2021, making her the first African American woman to hold that position.
“Mentorship and inclusivity are woven into the office culture, and we are all better for it,” said Frettra DeSilva, the chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Women in Law Section, which will present the Kay Crawford Murray Memorial Award during the association’s Annual Meeting in January in New York City.
The award honors an individual who recognizes the value of diversity in the legal profession and is committed to advancing attorneys who are women. Murray, who died in 2018, was the first recipient of the diversity award in 2008.
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.
In addition, former Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court Bridget McCormack 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.
