(New York, NY, January 8, 2021) – The members of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) are stunned and saddened by the shameful and reckless attack on our nation’s Capitol on January 6, 2021. We condemn attempts to subvert the rule of law and the will of the people by incitement to or participation in an insurrection to undermine the foundations of our democracy. As an organization celebrating its 40th anniversary, our members are keenly mindful of the value of the right to fully participate in the selection of our government leaders, which was too-long denied to many Americans because of our sex, national origin, or the color of our skin. We recognize and honor the struggles of generations before us to win the right to vote and to run for government office. The perseverance, creativity and resilience of the mothers and daughters of the Women’s Suffrage Movement, Civil Rights Movement, and Equal Rights Movement are built into our DNA.  Therefore, WBASNY will continue to lift our collective voices in support of the rule of law, the peaceful transition of power to President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, and the swift prosecution of any and all who would threaten the Constitutional foundations of this truly great nation.

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The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) is the professional membership organization of choice for more than 4,000 attorneys throughout New York State, and the largest statewide women’s bar association in the country.  For four decades, WBASNY has been a singularly important resource for women lawyers, with professional networking, continuing legal education programming, leadership training, and advocacy for the rights of women, children, and families.  Through involvement with WBASNY’s 20 regional chapters and its 40-plus substantive law committees, WBASNY’s members collaborate with one another on a variety of issues and perform public and community service, in furtherance of its mission to promote the advancement of the status of women in society and women in the legal profession; to promote the fair and equal administration of justice; and to act as a unified voice for its members with respect to issues of statewide, national and international significance to women generally and women attorneys in particular. WBASNY holds United Nations NGO status with the U.N.’s Department of Public Information, and Special Consultative status in association with the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). WBASNY is also a founding member of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations.