WWBA October 2019 Newsletter

SPECIAL ISSUE IN RECOGNITION OF BREAST CANCER AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH 

WWBA 

news 

Westchester Women’s Bar Association 

OCTOBER 2019 

www.wwbany.org 

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING: 

Expanded Mandatory Employer Obligations 

Under New York Harassment Laws 

T 

he Employment Law Committee 

co-chairs, Kim Berg and and 

Sara D. Kula, presented an informative 

and well attended program at 

the WWBA’s first General Membership 

Meeting, held on September 4, 2019 at 

BNY Mellon Offices in White Plains. The 

program, titled Expanded Mandatory Employer 

Obligations under New York Harassment 

Laws, qualified for 1 CLE Credit 

in the area of Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination 

of Bias and was sponsored by 

Gould & Berg, LLP. 

This CLE was a terrific way to kick off 

WWBA President Angela Morcone 

Giannini’s term as President and certainly 

demonstrates her commitment to diversity and inclusion. President Giannini moderated 

the program with thought provoking questions, eliciting discussion from the panel about 

the far-reaching impact of these changes and an analysis of the pros and cons we expect 

to see from these recent amendments. 

Sara Kula presented a thorough overview of the recent amendments which have 

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 


WWBA Foundation 

Mocktail Raises $27,000 

(page 4) 

Cocktails and Conversation 

at Red Hat on the River 

(page 5) 

An Interview with 

Neil E. Kozek 

(page 7) 

Upcoming Events 

(page 12) 

September 2019 CLE: Expanded Mandatory 

Employer Obligations under New York 

Harassment Laws 

SAVE THE DATE 

MAKING STRIDES 

AGAINST BREAST 

CANCER WALK 

October 20, 2019 

Purchase, New York 

Westchester Women’s Bar Association News 

continued on page 6 ➥ 

JUDGES & LAWYERS 

BREAST CANCER ALERT 

LUNCH AND LEARN 


White Plains, New York 

WWBA MENTOR 

KICK OFF EVENT 


White Plains, New York 

PRESIDENT’S 

MESSAGE 

As the daughter 

of a history professor, 

I learned at 

a very young age 

to appreciate history 

for what it 

teaches us and 

how it brings about 

change and 

progress in our society. 

I share with 

Angela Morcone 

Giannini 

you one of those historical accomplishments 

that occurred 150 years 

ago that has paved the way for 

women lawyers and other minority 

groups and continues to bring about 

change and progress in the legal 

profession. 

Belle Aurelia Babb later known 

as “Arabella” Babb Mansfield was 

born in 1846 in Burlington, Iowa. 

Her father was a foreman miner and 

killed in a mining tunnel cave collapse. 

He, however, was certainly 

ahead of his time in not only recognizing 

the value of an education but 

also recognizing that his daughter, as 

well as his son, should be educated. 

He provided in his Will that both his 

children, Belle and her brother would 

be educated. They both enrolled in 

Iowa Wesleyan University in Mount 

Pleasant, Iowa. One of Mansfield’s 

first acts of independence was to start 

calling herself “Arabella” not her 

given name of Belle. She did very 

well in her studies and was the valedictorian 

of her class. At age 21, 

she started to study law at the law 


Page 1 

The Westchester Women’s Bar Association is a Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York

WWBA Member Newsletter 


Published Monthly by the 

Westchester Women’s 

Bar Association, a Chapter of 

the Women’s Bar Association 

of the State of New York 

~ 2019/2020 Officers and Directors ~ 

President ANGELA MORCONE GIANNINI 

President-Elect HON. LISA M. SMITH 

Vice Presidents 

AMANDA C. FRIED JENNIFER GRAY JACQUELINE HATTAR 

Treasurer 

NATANYA L. BRIENDEL Recording Secretary ELIZABETH Z. MARCUS 

Corresponding Secretary JENNIFER ROBINSON 

Immediate Past ast President 

KIM BERG 

Elected Directors Westchester Board 

KIM BERG LISA M. BLUESTEIN LUCIA CHIOCCHIO 

LISA M. DENIG LONYA A. GILBERT 

State Directors Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York 

ROBIN D. CARTON DEBORAH FARBER-KAISER MARIAN GENIO 

SHARI GORDON ANN M. McNULTY 

SUSAN MILLS RICHMOND KRISTEN MOTEL 

Executive Director ELISABETH CAMPOS 

© Copyright 2019 Westchester Women’s Bar Association. All rights reserved. 

The opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) only and do not reflect the official position of the Association. 

Editor-in-Chief: Jennifer Robinson • Designed and Printed by IPM Media Group, Inc. (516) 809-0501 

2019-2020 WWBA Committee Chairs 

S T A N D I N G C O M M I T T E E S 

By-Laws ............................................. Hélène Côté, Anna L. Georgiou 

Corporate & Commercial ................ Lisa M. Bluestein, Virginia Trunkes 

Criminal Law ........... Lisa M. Denig, Hon. Sandra A. Forster, Amy Puerto 

Families’, Children & the Courts .......... Joy S. Joseph, Lauren Morrissey 

Amanda Rieben 

Grievance/Ethics ................................................... Deborah A. Scalise 

Judicial Screening ................ Hon. Sandra A. Forster, Kimberly Sheehan 

Judiciary ........................................................ Hon. Linda S. Jamieson 

Lawyering & Parenting .......................... Joelle M. Burton, Jennifer Gray 

Legislation ...................................... Natanya L. Briendel, Kitley Covill, 

Angela Morcone Giannini 

Matrimonial ...... Robin D. Carton, Dolores Gebhardt, Lonya A. Gilbert 

Annual Dinner .................... Kim Berg, Robin D. Carton, Lisa M. Denig 

Amanda C. Fried, Andrea B. Friedman, Angela Morcone Giannini, 

Jennifer L. Gray, Jennifer N. Netrosio, Katie Wendle 

Annual Dinner Souvenir Journal ........................... Andrea B. Friedman 

Allison Sloto 

Appellate Practice ......................... Lisa M. Denig, Hon. Mark C. Dillon, 

Hon. Sondra M. Miller 

Archive & Historian ...................................................... Susan L. Pollet 

Awards .............................. Elizabeth Barnhard, Deborah Farber-Kaiser 

Bankruptcy .................... Susan Mills Richmond, Wendy Marie Weathers 

Breast Cancer Awareness ....................................... Adrienne J. Orbach 

Collaborative Law ............................ Kathleen Donelli, Michelle Lewis, 

Lynn J. Maier, Hon. Sondra M. Miller 

Community Outreach ... Deborah A. Scalise, Hon. Lisa Margaret Smith 

Construction Law ...................................... Aisling Brady, Sushmita Roy 

Continuing Legal Education ..................................... Ann M. McNulty 

Cyber Law .............................................................. Georgea Mancuso 

Diversity and Inclusion ............. Jacqueline Hattar, Stephanie Melowsky 

Domestic Violence ............ Lydia S. Antoncic, Beth Levy, Amanda Zane 

Education ............................... Adrienne J. Arkontaky, Julie P. Passman, 

Susan Mills Richmond 

Elder & Health Law & Reproductive Rights ....... Elizabeth A. Cumming, 

Moira Laidlaw 

Employment Law .................................................. Kim Berg, Sara Kula 

Environmental & Land Use .......... Lucia Chiocchio, Anna L. Georgiou, 

Jennifer L. Gray, Katherine Zalantis 

Gender Dynamics ....................................... Hon. Terry Jane Ruderman 

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 

A D H O C C O M M I T T E E S 

Membership ....................... Sherry Bishko, Marian Genio, Kristen Motel 

Networking ...................... Jennifer Robinson, Alsion Sloto, Erica Sattler 

New Lawyers ................................... Elizabeth Z. Marcus, Katie Wendle 

Professional Development/Placement ............... Susan Edwards Colson, 

Stephanie Melowsky 

Programs .................................. Natanya L. Briendel, Amanda C. Fried 

Public Relations ............................... Joelle M. Burton, Jennifer L. Gray 

Real Property ...................................... Allyson Lanahan, Michele Luzio 

Sponsorship ......................... Lucia Chiocchio, Susan Edwards Colson, 

Deborah Farber-Kaiser, Marian Genio 

Taxation ........................................................... Patricia Rusch Bellucci 

Trusts & Estates ........ Gail M. Boggio, Nancy J. Rudolph, Karen J. Walsh 

Holiday Party and Boutique ...... Dolores Gebhardt, Jennifer N. Netrosio 

Immigration ..................................................................... Nicole Feit 

Intellectual Property .. Elizabeth M. Barnhard, Theresa O’Rourke Nugent 

Judgment Enforcement & Collections ...................... Daniel F. Florio, Jr. 

Litigation ....................... Angela Morcone Giannini, Jacqueline Hattar 

Kimberly Sheehan 

Long Range Planning ............... Susan Edwards Colson, Lisa M. Denig 

Linda Markowitz 

Mediation ........................... Hon. Sondra M. Miller, Lauren S. Morrissey 

Donna Erez Navot, Abby Rosmarin 

Mentor .......................... Kim Berg, Sherry Bishko, Hon. Christine Sproat 

Past Presidents ............ Jane Bilus Gould, Mary F. Kelly, Linda Markowitz 

Practice Management ......... Jamieson L. Keiser, Wendy Marie Weathers 

Pro Bono ........................................... Marian Genio, Natalie Sobchak 

Social Media .................................. Kristen Motel, Jennifer N. Netrosio 

Technology/Website .......... Donna E. Frosco, Theresa O’Rourke Nugent 

Wellness ................................ Jennifer Netrosio, Susan Mills Richmond 

Women in Leadership Delegate ............................. Adrienne Arkontaky 

Network of Bar Leaders Delegate ................................................... TBD 

Pace Board of Visitors Delegate ......... Gail M. Boggio, Lonya A. Gilbert 

WBASNY Judicial Screening Committee Delegates . Gail M. Boggio, 

Lisa M. Bluestein 

WBASNY Nominations Committee Delegates .............. Gail M. Boggio 

Lisa M. Bluestein 

WBASNY Health Law/Reproductive Rights Committee ..... Shari Gordin 

WWBA Foundation President ...................................... Susan S. Brown 

WWBA Representative Director to the WCBA Board .. Dolores Gebhardt 

Page 2 

Westchester Women’s Bar Association News

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President’s Message 

from page 1 

“The Mansfield Rule 

requires that law 

firms consider at 

least 30% women, 

LGBTQ+ and 

minority lawyers 

for significant 

leadership roles.” 

office of H. & R. Ambler in Iowa. At 

that time, the study of law was accomplished 

by apprenticeship. Her soon to 

be husband Johns Mansfield also 

joined the office and studied law. 

Both her and her husband took the 

bar examination and were admitted in 

June, 1869. However, Arabella’s admission 

was not automatic. Iowa Code 

Section 2,700 provided admission was 

limited to “white male persons.” 

Arabella apparently took issue with this 

and it is said she criticized this prohibition 

in her bar examination. Despite 

her intellect and wit, her admission appears 

to be based upon the examining 

board’s recognition of the state’s construction 

statute. Section 29 of the Iowa 

statute provided that “words importing 

the masculine gender only may be extended 

to females.” (Chicago Law 

Times 1887). Thus, the examining 

board relying on the construction statute 

recommended to the court that the 

Iowa Code did not exclude women 

from the practice of law. 

After being admitted, Arabella 

worked on behalf of the Women’s Suffrage 

movement and also chaired 

Iowa’s first suffrage convention. She did 

not continue with a career in lobbying 

and instead turned to education where 

she taught at Iowa Wesleyan and then 

became the Dean of Women at Asbury 

University. Certainly, she was an inspiration 

for the female students on her 

campus and her achievement and 


Editor’s Note 

“October is a symphony of permanence and change.” 

~ Bonaro W. Overstreet 

Making Dates and Getting Published 

NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS 

❑ Deadline for newsletter submissions is the 12th of the month prior to publication (submissions 

received after the deadline are subject to the discretion of the editor). 

❑ Send submissions as email attachments to Jennifer Robinson at secretary@wwbany.org. 

❑ Articles should be 1,000 words or fewer. Remove all pagination, headers, footers or other 

formatting, other than bold, underline or italics. Authors are encouraged to submit photographs 

for publication with their submissions and include a short biographical statement with 

their submissions. 

❑ Materials submitted allow the WWBA a limited copyright and full permission to reprint the 

material in any WWBA publication or on its website without additional consent. 

❑ Photographs must be high-resolution (150 dpi or more) and the subject and all persons in 

each photograph must be fully identified. 

PROGRAM SCHEDULING 

❑ First visit the WWBA website: www.wwbany.org and click on the calendar at the home page to 

view scheduled programs. Conflicts in scheduling will be assessed on a case by case basis, with 

priority for early submissions. 

❑ Contact Jennifer Robinson at secretary@wwbany.org to schedule a WWBA sponsored or cosponsored 

program, including committee meetings, CLE programs, etc. 

❑ Once you have reserved the date with Jennifer Robinson, proceed with planning your program 

and creating your flyer. 

❑ Flyers must be approved by the Programs Committee. In advance of the 12th of the month, 

please send your flyer to the Program Committee Co-chairs for review and copy the Executive 

Director. Once approved, please send your final flyer to the Executive Director, Elisabeth Campos 

and the President for publication on the website calendar and the newsletter calendar. The 

final flyer will also be emailed to the membership. 

❑ We will also consider publicizing programs from outside organizations that may be of interest 

to our members. 

❑ Post-event: You may report on the success of your program and provide photographs of the 

speakers and participants that can be included in an upcoming newsletter. Send your submission 

to Jennifer Robinson, following the guidelines above. 

A d v e r t i s i n g R a t e s 

Full Page Display Ad 

5-10 Issues - $525.00 per issue 


Half Page Display Ad 



Contacts 

Jennifer Robinson, Corresponding Secretary and Newsletter Editor-in-Chief: secretary@wwbany.org 

Natanya L. Briendel, Programs Committee Co-Chair: tanyabriendel@gmail.com 

Amanda C. Fried, Programs Committee Co-Chair: afried@cartonrosoff.com 

Angela Morcone Giannini, President: president@wwbany.org 

Ann M. McNulty, CLE Chair: ann.m.mcnulty@morganstanley.com 

Elisabeth Campos, Executive Director: executivedirector@wwbany.org 

Quarter Page Display Ad 



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5-10 Issues - $650.00 per issue; 1-4 Issues - $700.00 per issue 

Deadline for all ads is the 12th of the month prior to publication. Ads are subject to space limitations. 

Contact Jennifer Robinson at secretary@wwbany.org for any questions regarding advertising. 


Page 3

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WE OUTDID OURSELVES! 

WWBA Foundation Mocktail Raised Over $27,000.00 

Susan S. Brown 

President, WWBAF 

I am pleased and proud to 

announce that in 2019, 

OUR Westchester Women’s 

Bar Association Foundation 

awarded $5,000.00 to the 

Justice Sondra Miller Scholarship 

Winner and 

$17,600.00 in Grants. 

Thank you to the WWBAF 

Board members for your 

hard work and generous donations 

that made it possible 

Julian Allison 

Every day, 100 Americans 

die from gun violence, 

according to Everytown for 

Gun Safety. As of June 13, 

2019, over 6,000 people 

have died from gun violence; 

over 12,000 have been injured, 

about 1,500 of whom 

were children under the age 

of 18. Further research leads 

to even more troubling data, 

which is why I felt the need to 

research and discuss this issue 

as I prepare to leave for 

college and for an appearance 

on a local radio show. 

In late April of my senior 

year at Rye Neck High 

School, I began my senior 

internship with Deborah A. 

Scalise at Scalise and 

Hamilton PC. At this internship, 

I have been awarded 

many opportunities, including 

observing Yonkers City Court 

as well as the US Federal 

District Court and one of Ms. 

Scalise’s CLE lectures. However, 

the event that stands out 

the most is when I appeared 

on “Don’t Worry Murray,” a 

and thank you to all of the 

WWBA members for your 

support and contributions. 

Without you, we would not 

be able do the rewarding 

work of selecting the students 

and organizations that benefit 

from our own WWBA 

Foundation. 

In particular, I would like 

to thank the sponsors of our 

successful 20th anniversary 

Mocktail fundraiser: PA- 

TRONS: Margaret Neubart 

Foundation and Hon. Justice 

Sondra Miller; BENEFAC- 

TORS: Gould & Berg, LLP; 

Jackson Lewis; Kramer 

Kozek LLP; Law Office of 

Milton M. Kreppel & Julie S. 

Kattan, Esq.; Rosenthal & 

Markowitz. LLP and Walsh & 

Amicucci, LLP; FRIENDS: 

Tamara Mitchel, Esq.; Christopher 

L. Mangold, PLLC; 

Court Street Abstract; Welby 

Brady & Greenblatt, LLP; 

Benchmark Title Agency, 

LLC; Alan Weil, Esq. (Sidley 

Austin, LLP); Fontana 

Giannini, LLP; Glassman & 

Brown, LLP; McCarthy 

Fingar, LLP; Delbello 

Donnellan Weingarten Wise 

& Weiderkehr, LLP; Eve 

Bunting Smith, Esq.; Black, 

Marjieh & Sanford; 

Danziger & Markhoff, LLP 

and Daniel Kolko, Esq. 


WWBA COMMUNITY OUTREACH 

Deborah A. Scalise and High School Intern Julian Allison Appear on 

WVOC Radio to Discuss Gun Violence 

show on local radio station 

WVOX in New Rochelle, 

hosted by famed criminal 

defense attorney Murray 

Richman, Ms. Scalise’s friend 

and colleague. On his show, 

Mr. Richman discusses many 

topics affecting the world today, 

including: sexting, 

cyberbullying, and 

cybersecurity. In preparation 

to appear on the show, Ms. 

Scalise let me research any 

topic of my choice to talk 

about with Murray, so I decided 

to pursue a topic that I 

am passionate about and 

which, as Ms. Scalise says, 

would be “very controversial.” 

Given the almost daily 

coverage on the news, I chose 

“gun violence.” Along with 

the aforementioned data, I 

discovered many other staggering 

statistics, like the fact 

that only seven (7) of the fifty 

(50) states have a law banning 

assault weapons (to my 

relief, New York was included 

in those seven). 

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The day of the show, I 

dressed professionally, as 

recommended by Ms. 

Scalise. I had listened to previous 

shows that Ms. Richman 

had done with other interns; I 

couldn’t help but be nervous 

as the time for the show 

neared. When we arrived, 

we were kindly welcomed by 

the WVOX staff. I met Mr. 

Richman and we prepared to 

start the show. I knew Mr. 

Richman, Ms. Scalise, and 

myself would discuss the topics, 

but I also knew we might 

have a caller from the public 

who would want to be heard 

about the topics. I was a little 

nervous to be live on the air, 

especially with two very esteemed 

lawyers and unpredictable 

callers. 

For the first segment, Ms. 

Scalise and Mr. Richman 

talked about the Central Park 

Five, as Netflix recently released 

a series called When 

They See Us, documenting 

parts of the case. I sat in awe 

of the two professionals, who 


Page 4 


COCKTAILS AND CONVERSATION AT 

RED HAT ON THE RIVER 

On August 15, 2019, WWBA 

members gathered together for the 

Third Annual “Cocktails and Conversation” 

event at the Red Hat Restaurant 

in Irvington, New York. Co-sponsored 

with the Rockland County 

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 

Women’s Bar Association, the event 

was the perfect way to celebrate summer. 

Members networked and socialized 

while overlooking the beautiful 

Hudson River. Stay tuned for more 

WWBA fun-filled events! ◗ 


Page 5

Expanded Mandatory Employer Obligations Under 

New York Harassment Laws 

from page 1 

been codified in the New York State Executive 

Law, Labor Law, General Obligations 

Law, and CPLR. As Ms. Kula explained, 

the far reach of New York’s harassment and 

discrimination laws will now impact all employers 

in New York State regardless of size 

and is no longer limited to those with at 

least four employees. In addition, the protections 

of the law reach now apply to nonemployees 

who are contractors, subcontractors, 

vendors, consultants or other persons 

providing services pursuant to a contract in 

the workplace or who is an employee of 

such person. 

Ms. Kula also provided valuable and 

in-depth information for those WWBA 

attordard that sexual harassment in the 

workplace needs to be ’severe or pervasive’ 

and making it easier for workplace 

sexual harassment claims to be brought 

forward, we are sending a strong message 

that time is up on sexual harassment in the 

workplace and setting the standard of equality 

for women.” 

The program also examined the New 

York’s prohibition on the use of mandatory 

arbitration clauses in claims of harassment 

and discrimination, noting that recent federal 

case law has determined the New York 

State law unlawfully preempted the Federal 

Arbitration Act and thus these claims were 

subject to mandatory arbitration. 

Finally, the panel examined New York 

State’s ban set forth in General Obligations 

Law §5-336 and NY CPLR 5003-B on the 

use of confidentiality clauses and non-disclosure 

agreements except where the employee/complainant 

has a preference for 

said provisions. Obligations similar to those 

required for a release of an age discrimination 

claim under federal law are mandated 

when confidentiality is a term of the agreement, 

such as providing the employee/complainant 

21 days to consider the agreement 

and seven days to revoke its acceptance. 

Audience participation through 

thoughtful questions posed to the panel 

sparked even more discussion relating to 

practical tips in assisting employers when 

navigating this new legal landscape. The 

program was certainly very timely as most 

of the provisions discussed become effective 

October 11, 2019. ◗ 

Page 6 


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An Interview with Neil E. Kozek 

Susan L. Pollet 

Chair of the Archive and 

Historian Committee 

Q: When did you join the 

WWBA, and why did you 

join a woman’s bar association? 

A: I joined the WWBA in 

1995 when I became Georgia 

Kramer’s associate at 

Hall Dickler Kent Friedman 

and Wood, LLP. Georgia 

was an active member and 

co-chair of the matrimonial 

committee with Rita K. Gilbert. 

I of course followed 

Georgia everywhere she 

went including monthly 

meetings for Chinese food, 

networking and CLE credits. 

I have been a member 

ever since. 

Q: You are on the Board of 

Directors and Leadership 

Committee of the 

Westchester Women’s Bar 

Association Foundation. 

How have you contributed 

to the Board’s efforts, and 

are you involved in other 

WWBA activities? 

A: As a board member of 

the WWBA Foundation, I 

support the foundation and 

its efforts in awarding scholarships 

and grants to notfor-profit 

organizations 

whose missions are primarily 

helping women and 

families. The board meets 

approximately 6 times per 

year. I attend annual dinners 

for Pace Women’s Justice 

Center and the annual 

Women’s Bar Installation of 

Officer’s Dinner at 

Mamaroneck Beach and 

Yacht Club where our firm 

often sponsors tables and 

contributes to support the 

Honorees. 

“Over the 20+ years I have been 

in New York, both men and 

women have become more 

collaborative and settlement has 

become the goal . . . Women 

lawyers in Westchester have led 

the innovation of Collaborative 

Practice and I am very proud to 

have been a part of it.” 

Q: Please tell our members 

about your legal career. 

A: I was principle law Secretary 

for the presiding Judge 

of the Superior Court of New 

Jersey, Matrimonial Part in 

Camden, New Jersey from 

1988-89; I was an attorney 

with Stern Steiger Croland in 

Paramus, New Jersey where I 

was a partner from 1989- 

1995; I worked briefly on 

Park Avenue in NYC while I 

earned membership to the 

New York Bar with Sheresky 

Aronson Mayefsky in 1995- 

1996; then I joined Hall 

Dickler Kent Friedman and 

Wood where I became a 

partner (1996-2003); Georgia 

Kramer and I founded 

Kramer Kozek LLP in 2003 

where we both continue to 

practice today. I am an avid 

Collaborative attorney having 

served on the boards of 

the International Academy of 

Collaborative Professionals 

for three years, a founding 

member of the New York Association 

of Collaborative 

Professionals where I sat on 

the board for approximately 

18 years and had the privilege 

of being its President for 

two years; I am a fellow of 

the American Academy of 

Matrimonial Lawyers and the 

International Academy of 

Family Lawyers, Nominated 

and included in the Best Lawyers 

of America, Best Attorneys 

in America, and a 

founding member of the 

American Academy for Certified 

Financial Litigators. I 

served on the Executive Committee 

of the Family Law Section 

of the Westchester 

County Bar Association, and 

have been an active member 

of and frequent lecturer 

for the Family Law Sections 

of the New York, New Jersey 

and American Bar Associations. 

I have been recognized 

by New York Metropolitan 

Superlawyers since its inception 

for the past 13 years. 

I am a Phi Beta Kappa 

graduate of Rutgers University 

in 1985 and received my 

JD from Temple University 

School of Law in Philadelphia, 

Pennsylvania in 1988. 

Q: In your experience, how 

has the landscape changed 

over the course of your legal 

career, if at all, for women lawyers 

in Westchester County. 

A: When I first landed in New 

Neil E. Kozek 

York in 1995 I felt like Dorothy 

in the Wizard of Oz. 

New Jersey was like Kansas 

and I knew I was no longer in 

Kansas. Where was the collegiality? 

When I discovered 

Collaborative Practice, I knew 

that this was to be my mission: 

to make practicing 

matrimonial law in New York 

a more collaborative and collegial 

place to practice. I introduced 

collaborative Practice 

to the Westchester County 

and New York County 

Women’s Bar Associations in 

2002. The Women’s Bar of 

Westchester County embraced 

the opportunity and 

Westchester County became 

the leader in the New York 

Collaborative movement. 

New York County was slower 

to make the move, as has 

been the pattern throughout 

the world. Suburban practices 

are more open to 

change, and larger metropolitan 

cities are slower to shift 

their comfortable paradigm. 

Over the 20+ years I have 

been in New York, both men 

and women have become 

more collaborative and settlement 

has become the goal 

rather than heavy motion 



Page 7

October Litigation Tip 

✦ TOPIC: PRESUMPTIVE ADR 

Last spring, in what has been referred to as “a transformational move to advance the delivery and 

quality of civil justice,” Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. 

Marks announced a system-wide initiative to presumptively refer parties to mediation or some other 

form of ADR in civil matters. 

On September 24th, 2019 the WWBA Mediation Committee and the WCBA ADR committee cosponsored 

a free CLE program entitled: The 9th Judicial District Presumptive ADR Programs: 

What You Need To Know. It was attended by over 130 practitioners and Judges, with refreshments 

provided by Sterling Bank. 

The program opened with remarks by the Hon. Kathie E. Davidson, Administrative Judge, 9th JD 

and included as panel participants Lisa M. Courtney, Statewide ADR Coordinator, Lisa M. Denig, 

Special Counsel for ADR Initiatives /Office of Deputy Chief Administrative Judge George Silver, 

Referee Joel R. Kullas, DCAJ’s Office for Courts outside NYC/ ADR Coordinator for the 3rd, 4th, 

9th and 10th JD, and James Garfein, Principal Settlement Coordinator 9th JD/Counsel to Administrative 

Judge. The program was moderated by Abby Rosmarin and Marc Sheridan. 

As of September 24, 2019, the proposed 9th JD ADR plan is awaiting approval by Judge Marks. 

Until that time, it cannot be disseminated. It includes a process for a variety of interventions to be 

implemented (e.g., neutral evaluation, arbitration, settlement conferences and mediation). More 

specific details of the ADR plan will be shared once approved. 

In the meantime, members have inquired about how to participate on mediation rosters. Here is 

some information: The 9th JD currently has 3 existing rosters of mediators in Westchester (Commercial, 

General Civil and Matrimonial). Those already on these panels were sent a letter by Judge 

Davidson asking to certify that that the mediator completed 6 hrs of CLE/mediation training over 

the past two years (in accordance with Uniform Rule §146.5) and inquired of if he/she would be 

willing to serve on other mediation rosters being established for programs in each of the other four 

counties of the 9th JD (Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Dutchess). 

Until the ADR plan has been approved, mediators can be accepted only to the three existing rosters. 

Interest in serving on other rosters (to be established) will be considered once the ADR plan is approved. 

To participate on the rosters, mediators must have to have successfully completed a minimum of 

forty (40) hours of training in an OCA-sponsored or OCA-recognized training program, which 

includes 24 hours of training in basic mediation skills and techniques and 16 hours of training in the 

specific mediation techniques pertaining to the relevant substantive area (see Part 146 of the Rules of 

the Chief Administrator www.nycourts.gov/rules/chiefadmin/146.shtml). 

To apply for a roster, send a letter to Hon. Kathie E. Davidson, Administrative Judge, 9th JD, along 

with a resume or C/V and demonstration of meeting the relevant criteria. 

Written by Abby Rosmarin, Esq., LMHC 

Abby Rosmarin, Esq., LMHC is a partner at Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein, LLP, with offices in Westchester and NYC. 

She concentrates her practice on family conflict resolution, including mediation and parenting coordination. 

Page 8 


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An Interview with Neil E. Kozek 

Q: How have you balanced 

your legal career with your 

family responsibilities over the 

years. 

A: When I began working with 

Mrs. Kramer, my first child was 

4 months old. Adam is now 

23 ½. Along with Georgia, I 

worked weekends, holidays and 

late nights. I brought the baby 

carriage, the diaper bag and 

the formula to work while my 

wife of 27 years, Alison, played 

golf. If I needed to go to the 

doctor with a child, my time was 

flexible, and Georgia knew that 

work-life balance was important. 

I drove all three of our 

children to pre-school and elementary 

school since Alison 

worked in New York City. Workfrom 

page 7 

practice, positional bargaining 

and trial work. Women lawyers 

in Westchester have led the 

innovation of Collaborative 

Practice and I am very proud 

to have been a part of it. 

Q: What are your other community 

activities when you 

are not practicing law or contributing 

to the WWBA? 

A: I have served on the board 

of Temple Emanu-El of 

Westchester County, I have 

coached soccer for all three 

of my now grown children and 

I work with various community 

not-for-profit organizations 

including the Westchester 

Family Share House, a group 

that provides fresh furniture 

and furnishings to give women 

and families of domestic violence 

and natural disaster a 

fresh start. 

ing in White Plains afforded our 

family the flexibility to both work 

full time and to both be active 

participants in our children’s 

activities and education. Full 

time live-in child care helped 

a lot too! Kramer Kozek has 

the exact same family friendly 

philosophy and congenial family-oriented 

work environment 

for all of our employees. 

Kramer Kozek was nominated 

by our staff and recognized by 

the Westchester Women’s Bar 

Association for our dedication 

to families a few years ago. 

Q: What advice would you 

like to give to women lawyers 

entering the legal profession. 

A: If you are going to be a 

parent and a professional at the 

same time, then you will need 

a good partner-whether that 

means a good business partner 

who understands the complexities 

of raising a family 

while working or a life partner 

who can help share the labor 

both at home and in the work 

place. Balancing family life 

and work is not an easy task. 

Men and women MUST begin 

to realize that the family 

and the workplace are both 

the jobs of life partners regardless 

of gender, family orientation 

or sexual orientation. The 

sooner we all realize that family 

and marriage is truly an equal 

partnership, the sooner New 

York will join the new millennium. 

I am not suggesting that 

every divorce case is 50/50 but 

I do urge the judiciary to recognize 

the herculean efforts of 

both spouses in our ongoing 

jurisprudence. ◗ 

Jamie O’Connell 

Wealth Director 

701 Westchester Avenue 

White Plains, NY 10604 

T 914 299 3050 F 955 498 2839 

jamie.o’connell@bnymellon.com 

www.bnymellonwealth.com 

A Leader in Serving the 

Legal Services Community. 

That’s Sterling. 

Expect the highest caliber of personal service and 

banking expertise. 

Expect extraordinary. 

Contact banking professionals experienced in 

serving your unique needs at 914-367-9000, 

or email team556@snb.com 

Larry McElroen, Senior Managing Director 

Michael Henderson, Senior Managing Director 

Anthony Forgione, Managing Director 

Moira Kiernan, Managing Director 

Luis Rivera, Associate Managing Director 

To learn about Sterling’s full suite 

of services, visit snb.com. 

Member 

FDIC 


Page 9

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Chapter News and Announcements 

President’s Message 

from page 3 

legacy lives on in today’s Mansfield Rule. 

The Mansfield Rule was piloted in 2017 by Diversity Lab as a pilot rule for 

large law firms. It was modeled after the Rooney Rule. In 2003, the late Dan 

Rooney created the Rooney Rule in the NFL which requires every NFL team to 

interview at least one minority candidate for head coach vacancies. The Mansfield 

Rule requires that law firms consider at least 30% women, LGBTQ+ and minority 

lawyers for significant leadership roles. This year the rule has been extended to 

the “Mansfield Rule: Legal Department Edition” which will require participating 

in-house legal teams to consider at least 50% women, minority lawyers, LGBTQ+ 

lawyers and lawyers with disabilities as applicants for key leadership roles. 

Arabella Babb Mansfield’s accomplishments continue to inspire change and 

progress to close the gaps for women, minorities and other groups some 150 

years after her admission to the bar. ◗ 

WWBA Foundation Mocktail Raised Over 

$27,000.00 

from page 4 

At this year’s WWBA’s annual dinner, 

I was honored to award the annual 

Justice Sondra M. Miller Scholarship 

to Ms. Kellie Rivera, a 2nd year 

Pace Law student whose personal sacrifice 

enhanced and enriched her legal 

education and whose academic 

achievements, extracurriculars, community 

and pro bono service gave her the 

edge over the other very impressive 

candidates for this prestigious award. 

At our July meeting the WWBAF 

Board chose the worthy organizations 

to which this year’s grants were 

awarded: ACDS (Early intervention services 

for low income/developmentally 

disabled children); FamilyKind (Divorced 

and separated parent education 

classes); Furniture Sharehouse (furnishings 

for domestic violence and disaster 

victims); Hope’s Door (intervention 

and prevention assistance to victims 

of domestic violence); Hudson Link 

for Higher Education in Prison (academic 

credit-courses for incarcerated 

women); Legal Services of the Hudson 

Valley (Housing Stability Program for 

Westchester families); Mental Health 

Association of Westchester (Court Appointed 

Special Advocates); My Sister’s 

Place in memory of former WWBA Executive 

Director Linda Wiley (representing 

victims of domestic violence and 

human trafficking); Pace Public Interest 

Law Center (public interest law student 

internships); Pace Women’s Justice 

Center in memory of former 

WWBA President Karen Z. Bell (Moderate 

Means Program); Scales of Justice 

Academy (life skills course for 

underserved high school women); 

Student Advocacy (Mother/daughter 

educational justice initiative); and 

White Plains YWCA (“Girls Empowered 

Through Meaningful Support” 

college preparatory program and 

“Reading is Fundamental” which provides 

children’s’ books to Family Court 

waiting rooms.) It is an honor to support 

these organizations whose programs 

make a clear difference to the 

populations they serve. 

Please continue to generously support 

WWBA’s own Foundation! Your 

dollars and your support reflects your 

pride and commitment to the WWBAF 

mission to eliminate artificial barriers 

to advancement in the workplace, 

schools and courts by supporting local 

organizations that provide legal, 

employment education and support 

services to disadvantaged persons of 

our community as well funding the 

annual Justice Sondra M. Miller Scholarship 

award given to a deserving Pace 

Law School student. Thank you from 

the bottom of my heart. ◗ 

Become a New 

Member Today 

RENEW YOUR 

WWBA MEMBERSHIP TODAY 

FOR THE PERIOD 

JUNE 1, 2019 TO MAY 31, 2020. 

RENEW NOW! DON’T WAIT! 

WWBA Membership includes 

membership to the Women’s Bar 

Association of the State of New York 

(WBASNY). 

January 31, 2020 is the closing date in 

order to count the WWBA members 

towards our certification to WBASNY and 

assure our number of delegates. 

Renewing before this date will allow our 

Westchester Chapter (WWBA) to continue 

to be a strong presence in our statewide 

organization (WBASNY) while you will 

enjoy its many benefits, events, 

newsletter and CLE programming. 

Hélène Côté, Sherry A. Bishko, 

Elisabeth Campos 

It is easy to renew by going to the 

WWBA Website at www.WWBANY.org. 

You can use a credit card or 

PayPal to make payment. 

Page 10 


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Westchester Women’s Bar Association New Members 

The Westchester Women’s Bar Association proudly welcomes our newest members: 

TO PROTECT THE PRIVACY OF OUR MEMBERS, 

THIS INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE WWBA ONLY. 

Deborah A. Scalise and High School Intern Julian Allison 

Appear on WVOC Radio to Discuss Gun Violence 

from page 4 

knew all the details and people involved 

with the case because they were lawyers 

when the trial occurred. I thought I 

was knowledgeable about the facts, 

but after hearing their conversation, I’m 

not sure I knew as much as I thought I 

did. 

After the commercial break, Mr. 

Richman began talking about my research. 

Admittedly, it took a few moments 

for me to register that I was on 

the air, so I had to glance down at my 

notes in order to talk about what I had 

learned. Slowly, I lost my anxiety and 

eased into the conversation. We discussed 

how gun violence can affect not 

just homicide, but suicides as well. In 

fact, of all gun deaths that occur in the 

United States, about two-thirds were attributed 

to suicides. I discussed my view 

that if access to guns was restricted, 

maybe with stricter background checks, 

these numbers would go down. 

We soon started talking about the 

focus of the day: mass shootings. In 

the wake of the Virginia Beach shooting, 

we discussed measures that could 

be taken to prevent future shootings. 

With the work of groups such as March 

for Our Lives, led by the teenage victims 

of the Parkland shootings, many 

strides are being made in order to 

bring attention to gun violence in 

America, with the hope of changing the 

laws and lessening the violence that has 

become all too familiar. The Parkland 

students were able to pass legislation 

in Florida tightening gun laws, such as 

extending waiting periods and raising 

the age to purchase a weapon. I am 

proud that teenage students like me are 

being heard. And, other states are following 

suit, as New Jersey Governor 

Phil Murphy stated he would like to sign 

six more statutes focused on gun control. 

Further, earlier this year, in February, 

the U.S. House of Representatives 

passed stricter gun legislation, which 

would increase the time allotted to 

background checks from three (3) days 

to ten (10) days. The legislation has 

yet to be considered in the Senate. 

While these are small victories, they are 

hopefully indicative of a major change 

on the horizon. 

Mr. Richman’s show allowed me to 

discuss a very important topic in 

America today. As a recent high school 

graduate and soon-to-be college student, 

I have learned that gun violence 

is something that plays a distinct role 

in my life. In my formative school 

years, I’ve sat through more lockdown 

drills than I can count, and as I am 

going to college near Virginia Tech, the 

location of one of the deadliest school 

shootings in America, I am mindful that 

shootings can occur any time or place. 

My hope is that conversations like the 

one I had with Mr. Richman and Ms. 

Scalise can lead to actual change. ◗ 

As part of the WWBA Outreach Committee’s mission, 

Mr. Allison was appointed to be a high school 

intern in the Law Office of Scalise & Hamilton PC. 

Mr. Allison is a graduate of Rye Neck High School 

and will attend the College of William and Mary in 

the Fall. 


Page 11

WWBA Schedule of Upcoming Events 

COMMITTEE DATE/TIME PLACE TOPIC RSVP (also online at www.wwbany.org) 

WWBA 10/20/19 

9:30AM 

Judges & Lawyers Breast 

Cancer Alert (JALBCA) and 

the WWBA 

10/30/19 

12:30 PM- 

2:00 PM 

Mentorship Committee 10/30/19 

5:30PM-8:00 PM 

Manhattanville College 

2900 Purchase Street 

Purchase, NY 

Westchester County 

Courthouse, 9th Floor 

Conference Room 

The Brazen Fox, 

175 Mamaroneck 

Avenue, White Plains, 

NY 

American Cancer 

Society 2019 Walk- 

Team ORBACH 

Making Strides Against 

Breast Cancer 

Lunch and Learn: 

Breast Cancer 

Awareness 

A Night of Networking 

$30 attorney mentors 

and invited guests 

FREE to law student 

mentees 

Online at www.wwbany.org 

RSVP Online at www.wwbany.org 

or email 

executivedirector@wwbany.org 

Space is limited. 

No charge. 

Please register online by October 

23, 2019 

or email 

executivedirector@wwbany.org 

Unless otherwise indicated, events are for WWBA members and invited guests only. 

The opinions expressed by any program presenter are the presenter’s own, and do not reflect 

the official position of the WWBA. 

WWBA is a chapter of WBASNY, which is an approved provider of CLE credit. Full and partial scholarships for CLE programs based 

on financial need are available. For information on the guidelines and procedures for applying, please contact the person running 

the program. All requests are strictly confidential. All programs are for transitional credit unless the program states otherwise. 

REMEMBER, YOU CAN FIND THE WBASNY WEB PAGE 

AT WWW.WBASNY.ORG. 

PLEASE REMEMBER TO RECYCLE 

Connect 

with 

us 

THE WWBA MEMBERSHIP PERIOD FOR 

2019-2020 BEGINS ON JUNE 1, 2019. 

PLEASE RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP TOD 

ODAY AT 

WWW.WWBANY 

.WWBANY.ORG 

.ORG

WWBA October 2019 Newsletter

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