New York, NY, Friday, October 18, 2024 – The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (“WBASNY”) is saddened to learn of the passing of the Honorable Lisa Margaret Smith. She was a beloved member of WBASNY and Past President of the Westchester Women’s Bar Association (“WWBA”), a Chapter of WBASNY. Together, we extend our deepest condolences to her family and friends.

Judge Smith served for 25 years as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of New York until her retirement in 2020. During her tenure with the SDNY, Judge Smith served as the Chief Magistrate Judge from 2006 – 2008. Judge Smith taught Evidence, Federal Courts, and Civil Procedure as an Adjunct Professor at Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University from 2006 to 2020. She enjoyed mentoring attorneys and regularly welcomed student groups into her courtroom, where she would speak to them about their goals. She also guided the Rye Neck High School Mock Trial Team.

Judge Smith’s devotion to her profession and community continued after she retired from the bench. Judge Smith’s steady leadership as president guided the WWBA through the pandemic. Judge Smith also served as Vice President, Chair of the Community Outreach Committee, and member of the Executive Committee of the WWBA.

Judge Smith’s strength of character and willingness to serve others remain fresh in our memories. WBASNY extends its thoughts and prayers to Judge Smith’s husband, Bill, and her two children, JT and Kinsey. The family will be holding a private funeral and respectfully requests that contributions in memory of Judge Smith be made to The American Breast Cancer Foundation https://www.abcf.org/beat-breast-cancer/ or the South Salem Presbyterian Church https://www.southsalempc.org/contribute-to-the-church/

Please join the WWBA at the American Cancer Society 2024 Walk – Making Strides Against Breast Cancer on October 20th. TEAM ORBACH will be walking in memory of Judge Lisa Margaret Smith. To register and make a donation, please click HERE.

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The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) is the professional membership organization of choice for nearly 4,000 attorneys throughout New York State and the largest statewide women’s bar association in the country. For more than four decades, WBASNY has been a singularly important resource for women lawyers, providing 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.