New York, NY, Wednesday, February 19, 2025 –

The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (“WBASNY”), whose mission is to promote the fair and equal administration of justice, is committed to upholding the rule of law as a cornerstone of a peaceful government. We support the Constitution, including its system of checks and balances and the rule of law.

In recent weeks, the new Federal administration has taken several actions, including orders to subvert birthright citizenship, “close” Federal agencies, fire Federal employees en masse, and halt Congressionally-approved expenditures. These actions undermine the rule of law and threaten the balance of power in our government.

The United States is a constitutional republic with specific roles for each of its three co-equal branches of government. No one branch supersedes the other branches. The Courts, as the interpreters of the law, play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of power. Each branch must respect the co-equal branches of government and their authority, which is the basis of our democracy. Our elected officials and Courts must ensure adherence to the rule of law. As citizens and attorneys, we must hold our elected officials accountable.

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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.