Highlights of Presidency:

The 2022-2023 year was an extremely successful and transformative year for WBASNY. We created three new committees: Social Action, Business Development and Torts. The Social Action Committee institutionalized the many programs WBASNY and its chapters have initiated to heal the world and improve our communities. Each board meeting was accompanied by a social action project, including the award-winning “Buy a Gift for a Domestic Violence Survivor Project,” now called the WBASNY Domestic Violence Victim Norejko Schwaeber Gift Drive, which has already raised thousands of dollars for victims of domestic violence. You can find a link to this program here.

The Business Development Committee created a list-serv which allows our members to communicate across the State and provide business referrals. You can join the list serve here. The Torts Committee was busy promoting one of our legislative priorities the Grieving Families Act, which would increase the categories of individuals whose death entitles their next-of-kin damages in wrongful death cases. We also met with the staff of the Governor’s Office and the State Assembly and Senate regarding passage of the Grieving Families Act.

The 2022-2023 fiscal year marked the first full year after the Dobbs decision overturned the right to abortion in the United States. As part of our legislative agenda, WBASNY supported eight bills, many of which became law, expanding access to New Yorkers, college students and those visiting New York to abortions and reproductive health services.

WBASNY also lobbied to increase 18-b rates for assigned counsel. We met with the staff of the Governor’s office, the State Senate and the Assembly to explain the necessity for this increase. Towards the end of the legislative session, the rates of assigned counsel were increased to be on parity with the Federal rates. We also supported increased security for judges and court staff.

One of the most important initiatives during the 2022-2023 year was to increase the quantity and diversity of continuing legal education topics presented free to our members, with a goal of educating our members on topics that are integral to our mission to improve the status of women in the legal profession and in society at large. Among the CLE’s that were presented were the following: Effective and Ethical Marketing Strategies; Marijuana the Workplace, From Roe to Dobbs; Caste Discrimination; and Cyber Security. As a result of this initiative, WBASNY provided over 800 hours of free CLEs to our members and retained a $10,000 CLE sponsorship.

In addition to the CLE sponsorship, we raised over $11,000 from the WBASNY Gives campaign and assisted the WBASNY Foundation in raising over $4,500 in its second jewelry auction. As a result of the engagement we had with our members, we increased membership by over 300 members from the prior year, bringing our membership numbers to pre-Covid levels — all while having all of our meetings and programs virtually (except for convention).

Deborah G. Rosenthal was honored and proud to serve as President for the 2022-2023 year. The foregoing could not have been accomplished without the engagement of our Officers, Board and Membership. Thank you.