WWBA September 2020 Newsletter - M
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Westchester Women’s Bar Association<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />
<strong>WWBA</strong><br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> VOLUNTEERS KICK OFF<br />
A YEAR OF GIVING BACK<br />
Lisa M. Denig<br />
I<br />
n her induction<br />
speech in<br />
June, President<br />
Lisa M. Smith highlighted<br />
“Giving Back” as<br />
one of her themes for the<br />
upcoming year. It did not<br />
take long for the members<br />
of the <strong>WWBA</strong> to put<br />
President Smith’s words<br />
into action!<br />
On Friday, July 24,<br />
<strong>2020</strong>, volunteers from the <strong>WWBA</strong> met at Hillside Food Outreach’s warehouse in Elmsford<br />
to stock shelves. Hillside Food Outreach is a food pantry where volunteers come and<br />
pack up boxes and bags of food that they then deliver to homebound, elderly or ill<br />
clients. While most food pantries require clients to come to their facilities to get what<br />
they need, Hillside has an army of trained volunteers that “shop” for their families every<br />
month at the warehouse and deliver the food right to the client’s doorstep.<br />
Hillside has been fortunate to receive donations of food from local businesses but<br />
these donations generally arrive on large pallets that are dropped at the Hillside ware-<br />
INSIDE THIS ISSUE<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />
Uncertainty is the New<br />
Normal<br />
(page 5)<br />
A Panel Discussion on<br />
Police Reform<br />
(page 6)<br />
An Interview with Angela<br />
Morcone Giannini<br />
(page 7)<br />
Upcoming Events<br />
(page 14)<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
news<br />
www.wwbany.org<br />
continued on page 4 ➥<br />
SAVE THE DATE<br />
CELEBRATING HISPANIC<br />
HERITAGE MONTH<br />
<strong>September</strong> 22, <strong>2020</strong><br />
Zoom<br />
WESTCHESTER<br />
WOMEN’S BAR<br />
ASSOCIATION<br />
VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB<br />
October 6, <strong>2020</strong><br />
Zoom<br />
AMERICAN CANCER<br />
SOCIETY <strong>2020</strong> WALK<br />
October 18, <strong>2020</strong><br />
Manhattanville College<br />
Purchase, New York<br />
PRESIDENT’S<br />
MESSAGE<br />
Wow. Until the<br />
last five or six<br />
months none of us<br />
could have imagined<br />
that our <strong>2020</strong><br />
Annual Dinner in<br />
June would be held<br />
remotely, complete<br />
with a beautiful rendition<br />
of the Star<br />
Spangled Banner<br />
Hon. Lisa<br />
Margaret Smith<br />
(thank you to Jennifer Brett and her<br />
accompanist, Silverio Mazzella), a terrific<br />
speech from outgoing President<br />
Angela Morcone Giannini, an amazing<br />
introduction and oath administration<br />
for me as <strong>WWBA</strong> President by the<br />
Honorable Colleen McMahon, Chief<br />
Judge of the Southern District of New<br />
York, and an equally amazing swearing-in<br />
by our very own foremother, the<br />
Honorable Sondra Miller, of our other<br />
Officers and Directors. There were traditional<br />
gifts given to Angela and to our<br />
amazing Executive Director, Elisabeth<br />
Campos; bouquets were delivered<br />
(mostly as a surprise for the recipients,<br />
and arranging that was a challenge of<br />
its own, thank you to Jen Netrosio); and<br />
it was all delivered to our virtual audience<br />
with panache by our fabulous<br />
Mistress of Ceremonies, President-Elect<br />
Amanda Fried. What an amazing night<br />
we had, despite the challenges of stayat-home<br />
orders resulting from the<br />
COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, and<br />
I extend my sincerest thanks to all those<br />
who participated. There are photographs<br />
in this issue in celebration of<br />
the wonderful occasion!<br />
continued on page 3 ➥<br />
Page 1<br />
The Westchester Women’s Bar Association is a Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York
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<strong>WWBA</strong> Member <strong>Newsletter</strong><br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />
Published Monthly by the<br />
Westchester Women’s<br />
Bar Association, a Chapter of<br />
the Women’s Bar Association<br />
of the State of New York<br />
~ <strong>2020</strong>/2021 Officers and Directors ~<br />
President HON. LISA MARGARET SMITH<br />
President-Elect AMANDA C. FRIED<br />
Vice Presidents<br />
NATANYA L. BRIENDEL JENNIFER GRAY JACQUELINE HATTAR<br />
Treasurer<br />
ELIZABETH Z. MARCUS Recording Secretary ELIZABETH Z. MARCUS<br />
Corresponding Secretary JENNIFER ROBINSON<br />
Immediate Past ast President<br />
ANGELA MORCONE GIANNINI<br />
Elected Directors Westchester Board<br />
KIM BERG LISA M. DENIG CARLA GLASSMAN<br />
ANNETTE HASAPIDIS JILL OZIEMBLEWSKI<br />
State Directors Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York<br />
LUCIA CHIOCCHIO DEBORAH FARBER-KAISER ANN M. McNULTY<br />
SHARI GORDON ANGELA MORCONE GIANNINI<br />
ADRIENNE ORBACH SUSAN MILLS RICHMOND JANEEN THOMAS<br />
Executive Director ELISABETH CAMPOS<br />
© Copyright <strong>2020</strong> Westchester Women’s Bar Association. All rights reserved.<br />
The opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) only and do not reflect the official position of the Association.<br />
Editor-in-Chief: Jennifer Robinson • Designed and Printed by IPM Media Group, Inc. (516) 809-0501<br />
<strong>2020</strong>-2021 <strong>WWBA</strong> Committee Chairs<br />
S T A N D I N G C O M M I T T E E S<br />
By-Laws ................................................................................... Kim Berg<br />
Corporate & Commercial .......................... Lisa M. Bluestein, Virginia Trunkes<br />
Criminal Law ................... Elizabeth Gazay, Hon. Sandra A. Forster, Amy Puerto<br />
Families, Children & the Courts .................... Joy S. Joseph, Lauren Morrissey<br />
Amanda Rieben<br />
Grievance/Ethics .......................................................... Deborah A. Scalise<br />
Judicial Screening ..................... Hon. Sandra A. Forster, Kimberly C. Sheehan<br />
Judiciary .............................................................. Hon. Linda S. Jamieson<br />
Lawyering & Parenting ................................... Joelle M. Burton, Jennifer Gray<br />
Legislation ............................. Natanya L. Briendel, Angela Morcone Giannini<br />
Matrimonial .......................................... Robin D. Carton, Dolores Gebhardt<br />
Lonya A. Gilbert, Andrea Friedman<br />
Annual Dinner ............... Robin D. Carton, Amanda Fried, Andrea B. Friedman,<br />
Jennifer L. Gray, Jennifer Netrosio, Lisa Margaret Smith<br />
Annual Dinner Souvenir Journal ................ Andrea B. Friedmanm Allison Sloto<br />
Appellate Practice .......... Lisa M. Denig, Hon. Sondra M. Miller, Heather Gushue<br />
Archive & Historian .............................................................. Susan L. Pollet<br />
Awards ....................................... Elizabeth Barnhard, Deborah Farber-Kaiser<br />
Bankruptcy ............................. Wendy Marie Weathers, Susan Mills Richmond<br />
Breast Cancer Awareness ............... Adrienne J. Orbach, Hon. Sandra Forster<br />
Collaborative Law ........................... Kathleen Donelli, Hon. Sondra M. Miller,<br />
Lynn J. Maier<br />
Community Outreach .............. Hon. Lisa Margaret Smith, Deborah A. Scalise<br />
Construction Law .............................................................................. TBD<br />
Continuing Legal Education ................................................ Ann M. McNulty<br />
Cyber Law ....................................................................................... TBD<br />
Diversity and Inclusion ........................ Jacqueline Hattar, Stephanie Melowsky,<br />
Janeen Thomas<br />
Domestic Violence ....................... Marian Genio, Beth Levy, Stacey Neumann<br />
Education .................. Allison Morris, Julie P. Passman, , Susan Mills Richmond<br />
Elder & Health Law & Reproductive Rights ..................... Elizabeth A. Cumming,<br />
Moira Laidlaw<br />
Employment Law ........................................................ Kim Berg, Sara Kula<br />
Environmental & Land Use ........................ Lucia Chiocchio, Jennifer L. Gray,<br />
Katherine Zalantis<br />
Gender Dynamics .............................................. Hon. Terry Jane Ruderman<br />
Holiday Party and Boutique ................. Dolores Gebhardt, Jennifer N. Netrosio<br />
Immigration .............................. Karin Anderson Ponzer, Elizabeth Mastropolo<br />
Insurance ........................................... Michelle Kolodny, Julie A. Mickiewicz<br />
Intellectual Property ............. Elizabeth M. Barnhard, Theresa O’Rourke Nugent<br />
A D H O C C O M M I T T E E S<br />
Membership ............................... Sherry Bishko, Marian Genio, Kristen Motel<br />
Networking ...................................................................................... TBD<br />
New Lawyers ..................................................... Katie Wendle, Kristen Motel<br />
Professional Development ............. Susan Edwards Colson, Stephanie Melowsky<br />
Programs ........................................... Natanya L. Briendel, Amanda C. Fried<br />
Public Relations ................................................................................ TBD<br />
Real Property ................. Anne R. Aicher, Allyson Lanahan, Robbin E. Sweeney<br />
Sponsorship .................................. Lucia Chiocchio, Susan Edwards Colson,<br />
Deborah Farber-Kaiser, Marian Genio<br />
Taxation .................................................................. Patricia Rusch Bellucci<br />
Trusts & Estates ...................................... Lonya A. Gilbert, Nancy J. Rudolph,<br />
Karen J. Walsh<br />
Judgment Enforcement & Collections ..... Daniel F. Florio, Jr., Michael Giannini<br />
Litigation .................................. Angela Morcone Giannini, Jacqueline Hattar,<br />
Rebecca McCloskey<br />
Long Range Planning ..................................... Lisa M. Denig, Linda Markowitz<br />
Mediation ......................... Hon. Sondra M. Miller, Abby Rosmarin, Lisa Denig<br />
Mentor ................................................................ Kim Berg, Sherry Bishko<br />
Past Presidents ..................................................... Angela Morcone Giannini<br />
Practice Management ............................................... Wendy Marie Weathers<br />
Pro Bono ................................................... Marian Genio, Natalie Sobchak<br />
Social Media .......................................... Kristen Motel, Jennifer N. Netrosio<br />
Technology/Website ................... Donna E. Frosco, Theresa O’Rourke Nugent<br />
Wellness ........................................ Jennifer Netrosio, Susan Mills Richmond<br />
Women in Leadership ................................................... Adrienne Arkontaky<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong><br />
Representatives<br />
Network of Bar Leaders ................................................... Angela Morcone Giannini<br />
Pace Board of Visitors .............................................................................. Lisa Denig<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> Foundation President ........................................................... Susan S. Brown<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> Representative Director to the WCBA Board ....................... Dolores Gebhardt<br />
WBASNY Judicial Screening Committee .......... Gail M. Boggio, Lisa M. Bluestein<br />
WBASNY Nominations Committee ....................... Gail M. Boggio, Lisa M. Bluestein<br />
WBASNY Awards Committee ............................................................ Deborah Scalise<br />
WBASNY Health Law/Reproductive Rights Committee ........................... Shari Gordin<br />
WBASNY Fundraising Committee .................................................. Andrea Friedman<br />
WBASNY ERA/Women’s Civil Rights Committee ......................................... Kim Berg<br />
WBASNY Labor and Employment Law ....................................................... Kim Berg<br />
WBASNY Legislation Committee .................................................... Natanya Briendel<br />
WBASNY LGBTQ+ Committee ...................................................... Adrienne Orbach<br />
WBASNY Domestic Violence Committee .............................. Susan Pollet, Alayne Katz<br />
WBASNY Press and Public Relations ................................ Angela Morcone Giannini<br />
9th Judicial District Representative .................................... Angela Morcone Giannini<br />
Page 2<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News
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President’s Message<br />
from page 1<br />
“I am especially<br />
thrilled to repeat<br />
the goal that I set<br />
during my installation<br />
remarks, that is that<br />
we of the <strong>WWBA</strong><br />
must use this year<br />
to ‘Give Back.’”<br />
The <strong>2020</strong>-21 year thus began for<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> with clear recognition that this will<br />
be a year of firsts, and also of formidable<br />
barriers for us to overcome. We have already<br />
held web-based programs that have<br />
been exceedingly successful, including a<br />
presentation by the Education and Wellness<br />
Committees entitled “Uncertainty is the New<br />
Normal: What does that mean for Parents<br />
and Students,” and an equally impressive<br />
presentation by the Diversity & Inclusion<br />
Committee entitled “A Panel Discussion on<br />
Police Reform: New York’s Executive Order<br />
for Necessary Change.” The New Lawyers<br />
Committee is planning to transform<br />
our traditional Red Hat social event into<br />
an online social event to include our law<br />
student mentees from the Haub Law School,<br />
with the possibility of a trivia contest and<br />
prizes! Our Book Club and Coffeehouse<br />
Conversations have been ongoing remotely,<br />
with wide varieties of people participating<br />
in both. In these ways we have begun to<br />
overcome the barriers that face us, and I<br />
have no doubt that we will prevail with<br />
many more events during the coming year.<br />
I challenge our committee chairs and cochairs<br />
to be creative in your use of distance<br />
communication to create CLE events,<br />
social occasions, networking opportunities,<br />
and just plain fun things to do.<br />
I am especially thrilled to repeat the<br />
goal that I set during my installation remarks,<br />
that is that we of the <strong>WWBA</strong> must<br />
use this year to “Give Back.” The individual<br />
neighborhoods where we live, our<br />
community in Westchester County, our<br />
country, and our world, are in crisis, faccontinued<br />
on page 5 ➥<br />
Editor’s Note<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies.<br />
I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name<br />
and address.”<br />
~ Nora Ephron<br />
Making Dates and Getting Published<br />
NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS<br />
❑ Deadline for newsletter submissions is the 12th of the month prior to publication (submissions<br />
received after the deadline are subject to the discretion of the editor).<br />
❑ Send submissions as email attachments to Jennifer Robinson at secretary@wwbany.org.<br />
❑ Articles should be 1,000 words or fewer. Remove all pagination, headers, footers or other<br />
formatting, other than bold, underline or italics. Authors are encouraged to submit photographs<br />
for publication with their submissions and include a short biographical statement with<br />
their submissions.<br />
❑ Materials submitted allow the <strong>WWBA</strong> a limited copyright and full permission to reprint the<br />
material in any <strong>WWBA</strong> publication or on its website without additional consent.<br />
❑ Photographs must be high-resolution (150 dpi or more) and the subject and all persons in<br />
each photograph must be fully identified.<br />
PROGRAM SCHEDULING<br />
❑ First visit the <strong>WWBA</strong> website: www.wwbany.org and click on the calendar at the home page to<br />
view scheduled programs. Conflicts in scheduling will be assessed on a case by case basis, with<br />
priority for early submissions.<br />
❑ Contact Jennifer Robinson at secretary@wwbany.org to schedule a <strong>WWBA</strong> sponsored or cosponsored<br />
program, including committee meetings, CLE programs, etc.<br />
❑ Once you have reserved the date with Jennifer Robinson, proceed with planning your program<br />
and creating your flyer.<br />
❑ Flyers must be approved by the Programs Committee. In advance of the 12th of the month,<br />
please send your flyer to the Program Committee Co-chairs for review and copy the Executive<br />
Director. Once approved, please send your final flyer to the Executive Director, Elisabeth Campos<br />
and the President for publication on the website calendar and the newsletter calendar. The<br />
final flyer will also be emailed to the membership.<br />
❑ We will also consider publicizing programs from outside organizations that may be of interest<br />
to our members.<br />
❑ Post-event: You may report on the success of your program and provide photographs of the<br />
speakers and participants that can be included in an upcoming newsletter. Send your submission<br />
to Jennifer Robinson, following the guidelines above.<br />
A d v e r t i s i n g R a t e s<br />
Full Page Display Ad<br />
5-10 Issues - $525.00 per issue<br />
1-4 Issues - $575.00 per issue<br />
Half Page Display Ad<br />
5-10 Issues - $275.00 per issue<br />
1-4 Issues - $300.00 per issue<br />
Contacts<br />
Jennifer Robinson, Corresponding Secretary and <strong>Newsletter</strong> Editor-in-Chief: secretary@wwbany.org<br />
Natanya L. Briendel, Programs Committee Co-Chair: tanyabriendel@gmail.com<br />
Amanda C. Fried, Programs Committee Co-Chair: afried@cartonrosoff.com<br />
Hon. Lisa Margaret Smith, President: president@wwbany.org<br />
Ann M. McNulty, CLE Chair: ann.m.mcnulty@morganstanley.com<br />
Elisabeth Campos, Executive Director: executivedirector@wwbany.org<br />
Quarter Page Display Ad<br />
5-10 Issues - $165.00 per issue<br />
1-4 Issues - $180.00 per issue<br />
Business Card Ad<br />
5-10 Issues - $60.00 per issue<br />
1-4 Issues - $75.00 per issue<br />
Classified – office space, furniture/equipment, employment & situation wanted (up to 5 lines)<br />
Members - $50.00 first issue; $25.00 each succeeding issue; Non-Members - $75.00 per issue<br />
Back Cover (3/4 page)<br />
5-10 Issues - $650.00 per issue; 1-4 Issues - $700.00 per issue<br />
Deadline for all ads is the 12th of the month prior to publication. Ads are subject to space limitations.<br />
Contact Jennifer Robinson at secretary@wwbany.org for any questions regarding advertising.<br />
Page 3
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<strong>WWBA</strong> VOLUNTEERS KICK OFF A YEAR OF GIVING BACK<br />
from page 1<br />
house. That’s where the <strong>WWBA</strong><br />
stepped in! After a particularly<br />
large donation by Shop-Rite,<br />
volunteers from the <strong>WWBA</strong> descended<br />
on the warehouse and<br />
sorted and shelved all of the<br />
items so that the deliverers could<br />
easily create their care packages<br />
the next day. Literally thousands<br />
of cans and boxes were neatly<br />
stacked and arranged during<br />
the roughly two hours that the<br />
volunteers were there. Several<br />
volunteers even broke out their<br />
winter coats and gloves and<br />
happily stocked items in the<br />
walk-in freezer!<br />
Hillside is thrilled to partner<br />
with the Westchester<br />
Women’s Bar Association in efforts<br />
like this so watch your<br />
email for future opportunities to<br />
serve. And for more about Hillside<br />
Food Outreach, visit<br />
hillsidefoodoutreach.org. ◗<br />
Giving Back: My Work with Hillside Food Outreach<br />
Lisa M. Denig<br />
[Setting: the basement of<br />
a community center, a<br />
group of people in a circle<br />
of chairs]<br />
“Hi, my name is Lisa D.<br />
and I’m a Chronic Volunteer.”<br />
“Hi Lisa!”<br />
Ok, so perhaps there<br />
isn’t a support group for my<br />
particular malady but if<br />
there were, I envision that it<br />
would have to meet at 3 AM,<br />
since that is probably the<br />
only free time Chronic Volunteers<br />
like myself have.<br />
However, when <strong>WWBA</strong><br />
President Lisa M. Smith<br />
asked if I would write the<br />
inaugural article for the<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong>’s “Giving<br />
Back” column, I jumped<br />
at the chance.<br />
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“Volunteers do not necessarily have the<br />
time; they just have the heart.”<br />
~Elizabeth Andrews<br />
While my volunteer exploits<br />
range from walking dogs at the<br />
Animal Haven shelter in New<br />
York City to serving on numerous<br />
non-profit boards and<br />
committees, one that has become<br />
an even bigger part of<br />
my life since the Covid-19<br />
pandemic is my work with Hillside<br />
Food Outreach.<br />
Hillside is not just a food<br />
pantry. Most food pantries require<br />
clients to come to the<br />
pantry and pack up the food<br />
they need. Hillside’s mission<br />
is completely different-they deliver<br />
food to the elderly, sick or<br />
shut-ins that do not have the<br />
ability to get to a pantry. They<br />
also focus on providing<br />
healthier alternatives than traditional<br />
food pantries such as<br />
fresh fruits and vegetables and<br />
sugar-free, low-sodium, and<br />
gluten-free foods. This is particularly<br />
important for clients<br />
who suffer from chronic health<br />
issues such as diabetes and<br />
high blood pressure.<br />
My husband, Jim<br />
Carpiniello, and I volunteer<br />
with Hillside as food deliverers.<br />
One Saturday a month,<br />
we pack up boxes and bags<br />
from the warehouse and deliver<br />
them to our five, regular<br />
families. Currently, we can<br />
only drop the food off on the<br />
front step but before the<br />
pandemic, these families<br />
looked forward to our<br />
monthly visit, as many of<br />
them do not have family or<br />
friends who stop by. For<br />
some, we are their only connection<br />
to the outside<br />
world. We have gotten to<br />
know them, their life stories<br />
and situations, and their<br />
food likes and dislikes (one<br />
of our clients hates cereal!).<br />
When the Corona virus<br />
hit with full force, Hillside<br />
took on another role-delivering<br />
food to those who were<br />
ill or quarantined due to<br />
possible exposure. Because<br />
Hillside already had a decontinued<br />
on page 11 ➥<br />
Page 4<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News
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UNCERTAINTY IS THE NEW NORMAL<br />
What Does This Mean for Parents and Students?<br />
Jennifer N. Netrosio, Julie<br />
Passman, Alison Morris, and<br />
Susan Mills Richmond<br />
On July 14, <strong>2020</strong>,<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong>’s Education and<br />
Wellness Committees hosted a<br />
virtual lunchtime program via<br />
ZOOM: Uncertainty is the<br />
New Normal: What does that<br />
mean for Parents and Students?<br />
Panelists Sarah Rubin,<br />
Psy.D, school psychologist at<br />
Todd Elementary School in<br />
Briarcliff Manor and Director of<br />
Child and Adolescent Counseling<br />
at The Center for Behavior<br />
Therapy in White Plains, and<br />
Linda Bond, Ph.D., licensed<br />
psychologist specializing the<br />
Cognitive Behavior Therapy,<br />
working with adolescents and<br />
adults. Both psychologists offered<br />
strategies to help parents<br />
manage stress, balance work<br />
with parenting (and possibly<br />
home-schooling again), accept<br />
Linda Bond, Ph.D.<br />
uncertainty, and support the developmental<br />
needs of their children<br />
during this uncertain time.<br />
A prevailing theme from<br />
both panelists is that parents<br />
should prioritize self-care. Both<br />
psychologists agree that the<br />
more care you give yourself the<br />
better able you are to support<br />
your children and family. Selfcare<br />
recommendations: exercise,<br />
practice yoga, meditate,<br />
journal, be aware of your social<br />
needs, and create a new<br />
schedule that fits the family’s<br />
needs right now.<br />
Dr. Rubin, who works<br />
Sarah Rubin, Psy.D.<br />
largely with children in grades<br />
K-8, offers parents the following<br />
tips to help young children<br />
cope with frustration and anxiety,<br />
due to uncertainty stemming<br />
from COVID-19:<br />
1. Develop a concrete plan<br />
with your child for when your<br />
child becomes frustrated.<br />
Have your child brainstorm<br />
their top two frustrations along<br />
with strategies to handle those<br />
frustrations; then, write these on<br />
a piece paper and post the<br />
paper on the computer: “When<br />
I get frustrated, I will take deeps<br />
breaths.”<br />
2. Name the skills you are trying<br />
to strengthen in your child,<br />
i.e., positive thinking and resilience.<br />
Discuss and explain<br />
those skills in age appropriate<br />
language.<br />
3. Identify negative thoughts<br />
and brainstorm together with<br />
your child a positive replacement<br />
thought. Your child can<br />
keep a journal that they decorate!<br />
4. Parents and children can<br />
keep a daily gratitude journal.<br />
5. Book recommendation: My<br />
Hero is You, How kids can fight<br />
COVID-19! by the World<br />
Health Organization.<br />
6. Acknowledge and empathize<br />
with your child’s feelings of uncertainty,<br />
but also remind them<br />
that this is a “temporary” or<br />
“time limited” situation in the<br />
world that will pass.<br />
continued on page 8 ➥<br />
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President’s message<br />
from page 3<br />
ing a once in a lifetime pandemic,<br />
racial unrest and extreme<br />
inequity, and unsettling<br />
political polarization. One<br />
event that jumpstarted our efforts<br />
to Give Back this summer<br />
is highlighted in this newsletter;<br />
on Friday, July 24, a group<br />
of about a dozen <strong>WWBA</strong> volunteers<br />
gathered at Hillside<br />
Food Pantry to unpack and organize<br />
a large quantity of food<br />
that would subsequently be distributed<br />
to those most in need<br />
of assistance in our County. It<br />
took almost exactly 90 minutes,<br />
and everyone not only felt good<br />
about having volunteered, we<br />
also had a great deal of fun.<br />
Another important <strong>WWBA</strong><br />
effort that has recently begun is<br />
to encourage voter registration<br />
across the County, in a bipartisan<br />
way. In this way, too, we<br />
can Give Back to our community,<br />
and to our entire country.<br />
I recently had the pleasure of<br />
swearing in 120 brand new citizens<br />
of the United States, from<br />
countries all around the world.<br />
They were from Bangladesh,<br />
Ghana, the Dominican Republic<br />
and the Philippines, South<br />
Korea and Ecuador, among<br />
many others, and I assure you<br />
that each of them will treasure<br />
the opportunity to cast a ballot<br />
in November. In 2016 only<br />
58.1 percent of eligible voters<br />
cast a presidential ballot. By<br />
comparison 73 percent of the<br />
voting age population of Finland<br />
voted in 2015; 87 percent<br />
of the voting age population of<br />
Belgium voted in 2014; 78 percent<br />
of the voting age population<br />
of South Korea voted in<br />
2017; 73 percent of the voting<br />
age population of New Zealand<br />
voted in 2014; 65 percent of<br />
the voting age population of the<br />
U.K. voted in 2016. We can<br />
and must do better than 58.1<br />
percent. It is crucial that everyone<br />
has a say in selecting<br />
our leaders in government, and<br />
the way to do that is to vote;<br />
the precursor to voting is to register.<br />
So please help <strong>WWBA</strong>’s<br />
efforts in this regard by talking<br />
to your families, your friends,<br />
your book club and dog walking<br />
colleagues, anyone you can<br />
think of, to make sure they are<br />
registered, and that everyone<br />
they know is registered. We<br />
have included registration information<br />
and flyers in a recent<br />
email blast, and <strong>WWBA</strong> will<br />
happily provide additional registration<br />
documents to any<br />
group, organization, or locale<br />
that you identify. Completed<br />
registration forms should be<br />
delivered or mailed to the<br />
Board of Elections at 25<br />
Quarropas Street in White<br />
Plains, by the registrant.<br />
Mailed applications must be<br />
postmarked no later than October<br />
9, <strong>2020</strong>, and received by<br />
the Board of Elections no later<br />
than October 14, <strong>2020</strong> for a<br />
newly registered voter to be eligible<br />
to vote in the November<br />
election. In person registration<br />
must be completed no later<br />
than October 9, <strong>2020</strong>. Registration<br />
is the first step, and when<br />
election day comes around<br />
make sure that you encourage<br />
those you know to vote, even if<br />
you disagree with them politically<br />
B because every citizen<br />
continued on page 13 ➥<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
Page 5
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<strong>WWBA</strong>’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee Presents:<br />
A Panel Discussion on Police Reform – New York’s<br />
Executive Order for Necessary Change<br />
Stephanie Melowsky<br />
On July 22, <strong>2020</strong> the <strong>WWBA</strong> Diversity<br />
and Inclusion committee hosted a panel<br />
discussion via Zoom on Police Reform:<br />
New York’s Executive Order for Necessary<br />
Change. The program was co-sponsored<br />
by the Westchester County Bar Association,<br />
White Plains Bar Association, Brooklyn<br />
Womens Bar Association, Metropolitan<br />
Black Bar Association, Hudson Valley<br />
Hispanic Bar Association and PCSB Bank.<br />
The program, which was very well attended,<br />
is part of the kick off for Judge<br />
Lisa Smith’s new term as <strong>WWBA</strong> President<br />
and mission to strongly promote diversity<br />
and inclusion in the legal profession with<br />
the overarching theme of giving back.<br />
Sitting on the distinguished panel for this<br />
program was Dr. Jim Bostic, TH.DS., Minister,<br />
Author and Executive Director of the<br />
Nepperhan Community Center in Yonkers,<br />
which runs many youth programs and is<br />
the largest provider of afterschool programs<br />
in Yonkers and the surrounding area; Ja-<br />
son Myles Clark Esq., Immediate Past President,<br />
Metropolitan Black Bar Association<br />
and Deputy, New York State Attorney<br />
General’s Harlem Regional Office where<br />
he serves a large constituency in Upper<br />
Manhattan and the Bronx by prosecuting<br />
violators of New York State’s labor, consumer<br />
and civil rights laws; the Hon. Kitley<br />
S. Covill, Esq, Westchester County Legislator<br />
who represents the Town of Bedford,<br />
Lewisboro, Mt. Kisco, North Salem, Pound<br />
Ridge and part of Somers and chairs the<br />
Legislation committee, and is a member of<br />
the Westchester County Board of Ethics,<br />
Community Service Board and Police Safety<br />
Board; and Prof. Randolph McLaughlin,<br />
full-time professor at Pace University Law<br />
School and Of Counsel, Newman Ferrara<br />
LLP where he maintains a selective civil<br />
rights caseload and has many notable victories.<br />
Serving as moderator was Maria L.<br />
Imperial, CEO of the YWCA of White Plains<br />
and Central Westchester, whose mission is<br />
eliminating racism and empowering<br />
women. Ms. Imperial also serves on the<br />
Board of Directors of Non-profit<br />
Westchester, the Fund for Modern Courts<br />
continued on page 11 ➥<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> <strong>2020</strong> VIRTUAL INSTALLATION OF<br />
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS<br />
June 17, <strong>2020</strong><br />
Hon. Judge Lisa Smith During<br />
Installation Speech<br />
Hon. Judge Lisa Smith taking the<br />
Oath as <strong>WWBA</strong> President<br />
Hon. Judge Lisa Smith with<br />
Bouquet<br />
Hon. Judge Lisa Smith with<br />
her husband, Bill<br />
Page 6<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News
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An Interview with Angela Morcone Giannini<br />
Susan L. Pollet<br />
Chair of the Archive and<br />
Historian Committee<br />
Q: Your Presidency occurred<br />
during a difficult, challenging<br />
year. What impact did<br />
the coronavirus pandemic<br />
have upon the usual workings<br />
of the <strong>WWBA</strong>, and how<br />
did you deal with it?<br />
A: There is no doubt that<br />
COVID-19 had an impact<br />
upon the <strong>WWBA</strong> as it did on<br />
other bar associations and<br />
the entire world. Our Association<br />
was built on the strong<br />
foundation set in place by our<br />
founding mothers and has<br />
continued to remain strong<br />
and dedicated to our mission<br />
because of the fellowship,<br />
comradery and friendships of<br />
our many members. I am very<br />
proud of how quickly we were<br />
able to adapt to a virtual platform<br />
and serve the needs of<br />
our members and community.<br />
We were one of the first Chapters<br />
in WBASNY to hold virtual<br />
board meetings including<br />
our GMM meeting and<br />
voting for our incoming President<br />
and officers. It was clear<br />
to me from the attendance at<br />
the virtual board meetings<br />
that members were eager to<br />
continue the business of the<br />
association and were so<br />
happy to “see each other” and<br />
engage in thoughtful discussion<br />
and share creative ideas<br />
and suggestions about how<br />
to best represent our clients<br />
and practice law during the<br />
pandemic. We learned<br />
quickly that we do not have<br />
to be in the same room to<br />
promote our mission.<br />
Q: What has the <strong>WWBA</strong><br />
done to help our members<br />
and the community in the<br />
face of the pandemic?<br />
“My mission during my<br />
Presidency was to have the<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> collaborate with other<br />
associations and groups in an<br />
effort to better our community.”<br />
A: One of the first accomplishments<br />
of the <strong>WWBA</strong> during the<br />
pandemic was the establishment<br />
of a COVID-19 Local<br />
Hospital Donation Match Campaign<br />
after member Adrienne<br />
Orbach shared her family members<br />
personal experiences working<br />
on the frontlines in hospital<br />
ERs. The emotional and physical<br />
toll placed upon ER physicians,<br />
nurses and staff during<br />
the pandemic was overwhelming.<br />
The <strong>WWBA</strong> recognized<br />
their heroism and with the very<br />
generous support of the <strong>WWBA</strong><br />
Foundation donations totaling<br />
over $10,000 were made to 8<br />
local hospitals in our county.<br />
While the meals provided<br />
needed nourishment for those<br />
working taxing hours, it was the<br />
recognition and support that<br />
meant so much to the frontline<br />
workers. I am so glad we were<br />
able to be a part of something<br />
that provided encouragement<br />
and made their day a little<br />
brighter in these difficult times.<br />
The <strong>WWBA</strong> and <strong>WWBA</strong> Foundation<br />
also made donations for<br />
law students at Pace Elizabeth<br />
Haub Law School who became<br />
displaced during the pandemic<br />
and were in need of housing<br />
and other financial support.<br />
We also addressed the financial<br />
and business hardships<br />
placed upon our members by<br />
COVID-19. Our past president<br />
Kim Berg and Litigation Cochair<br />
Rebecca McCloskey gave<br />
a timely Zoom CLE program<br />
entitled: What Employers and<br />
Employees Need to Know<br />
about New COVID-19 Employment<br />
Laws and Government<br />
Resources. This program addressed<br />
available resources<br />
and loans offered by the government<br />
to assist members in<br />
running their law practices and<br />
helping their clients maintain<br />
their businesses. Importantly,<br />
we also kept our members current<br />
with email notifications of<br />
Executive Orders issued by the<br />
Governor and Court Orders<br />
applicable to the operations of<br />
the Courts in the 9th Judicial<br />
District and statewide.<br />
Prior to the pandemic,<br />
myself and our Wellness committee<br />
cochairs, Jen Netrosio<br />
and Susan Mills Richmond,<br />
held a Heart Healthy Program<br />
for our members given by the<br />
American Heart Association.<br />
The Pandemic brought about<br />
new health concerns for many<br />
beyond the virus including<br />
stress, anxiety, isolation and<br />
depression. Recognizing the<br />
psychological impact caused by<br />
the virus, the Wellness Committee<br />
offered free Restorative<br />
Yoga sessions and I started a<br />
Coffeehouse Conversation<br />
Zoom program. I realized from<br />
the high attendance at the virtual<br />
board meetings that our<br />
members were looking for the<br />
connection they had come to<br />
expect from the <strong>WWBA</strong>. Simply<br />
put, there is an energy exchanged<br />
between people when<br />
Angela Morcone Giannini<br />
they come together. Energy<br />
given to our members, is energy<br />
received from our members.<br />
Coffeehouse Conversation<br />
has provided that energy<br />
exchange where our<br />
members engage in meaningful<br />
conversations about<br />
practicing law in this very<br />
novel environment.<br />
Q: How do you anticipate that<br />
the pandemic will impact<br />
upon the practice of law in<br />
the future?<br />
A: The virtual, I believe, is now<br />
a reality in the practice of law.<br />
The Pandemic has shown us<br />
what can be accomplished<br />
virtually. It indeed is a change<br />
and change is never easy. But<br />
I do believe that “the virtual”<br />
in some manner will now be a<br />
permanent part of the practice<br />
of law.<br />
Q: What were the highlights<br />
of your Presidency?<br />
A: There were many. My mission<br />
during my Presidency<br />
was to have the <strong>WWBA</strong> collaborate<br />
with other associations<br />
and groups in an effort<br />
to better our community. It<br />
was important to me to have<br />
our members share their<br />
continued on page 9 ➥<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
Page 7
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UNCERTAINTY IS THE NEW NORMAL<br />
from page 5<br />
7. Connect with your school<br />
district to address any concerns<br />
you might have regarding your<br />
child with a disability and/or the<br />
provision of services listed in<br />
their IEP or Section 504 Plan.<br />
8. If you notice marked changes<br />
in your child’s behavior, especially<br />
changes in sleep, eating<br />
and anxiety levels, contact the<br />
school district or seek out other<br />
resources for support.<br />
9. Reach out to your school<br />
district to discuss the supports<br />
available for your child.<br />
10. Create a “cozy corner” in<br />
your home where your child can<br />
go when feeling upset, anxious,<br />
or frustrated. You can build into<br />
the daily schedule 15 minutes<br />
of your undivided attention in<br />
the cozy corner with the certainty<br />
that they can voice their concerns<br />
at a set time during the<br />
day.<br />
Dr. Bond offers strategies<br />
for teens and young adults,<br />
many of whom are also navigating<br />
decreased socialization<br />
at a stage in their development<br />
when social circles and interactions<br />
become very important.<br />
Teens and young adults who<br />
moved into a developmentally<br />
appropriate phase of independence<br />
before COVID-19 have<br />
seen their autonomy and individual<br />
decision-making slide<br />
backwards. The abrupt<br />
changes and disruptions to the<br />
social lives and autonomy of<br />
teens and young adults can<br />
bring on depression and sadness.<br />
Dr. Bond suggests the following<br />
to support and encourage<br />
teens and young adults and<br />
help them take ownership of<br />
caring for themselves physically,<br />
emotionally and socially.<br />
1. Offer empathy and listen,<br />
while being mindful not to tip<br />
into victimhood or dramatization<br />
of the circumstances.<br />
2. Be present-focused, and<br />
teach your child to do the<br />
same. Being present-focused<br />
requires you and your child to<br />
stay in the “now” and be mindful<br />
of the present rather than<br />
focusing on what has been lost<br />
in the past or the anxiety that<br />
may arise in the future. This way,<br />
you and your child can practice<br />
being flexible and avoid<br />
rigid expectations of what the<br />
future may hold. The only certainty<br />
is the present, and focusing<br />
on the present generates a<br />
healthier view.<br />
3. As students enter a college<br />
campus either for the first time<br />
or to return, parents may suggest<br />
the following to their child<br />
to assist them during this transition:<br />
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a. Reassure your child that<br />
that it is completely normal<br />
to experience the array of<br />
feelings they may have -<br />
uncertainty, anxiety, etc.<br />
Encourage them to communicate<br />
with you and others<br />
how they are feeling. If<br />
these feelings worsen or if<br />
they just aren’t feeling like<br />
“themselves,” encourage<br />
them to call the College<br />
Counseling Center.<br />
b. Stress the importance of<br />
having a routine at school.<br />
Encourage your child to<br />
maintain a consistent sleep<br />
schedule, waking up<br />
around the same time every<br />
day. Most colleges are<br />
incorporating virtual classes<br />
into their regular schedules.<br />
It is important to speak to<br />
your child about not attending<br />
virtual classes on their<br />
continued on page 11 ➥<br />
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Wealth Director<br />
701 Westchester Avenue<br />
White Plains, NY 10604<br />
T 914 299 3050 F 955 498 2839<br />
jamie.o’connell@bnymellon.com<br />
www.bnymellonwealth.com<br />
Larry McElroen, Senior Managing Director<br />
Michael Henderson, Senior Managing Director<br />
Anthony Forgione, Managing Director<br />
Moira Kiernan, Managing Director<br />
Luis Rivera, Associate Managing Director<br />
To learn about Sterling’s full suite<br />
of services, visit snb.com.<br />
Member<br />
FDIC<br />
Page 8<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News
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An Interview with Angela Morcone Giannini<br />
from page 7<br />
knowledge and skills not only<br />
with other members in our<br />
association but with our<br />
Westchester community.<br />
Our Annual Law Day /<br />
Take your Children to Work<br />
Day is a perfect example.<br />
Despite COVID-19, with the<br />
help of Past President<br />
Deborah Scalise and President<br />
Lisa Margaret Smith we<br />
were able to host a virtual<br />
event. In collaboration with<br />
the SDNY, we presented a live<br />
webcast program to students<br />
throughout our county which<br />
included a Mock Trial team<br />
presentation on U.S. v. Phoenix<br />
Jones. Magistrate Judge<br />
Lisa Margaret Smith presided,<br />
the Rye Neck High School<br />
Mock trial team played the<br />
roles of prosecutor, defense<br />
attorney and witnesses and<br />
the student attendees throughout<br />
the county participated as<br />
jurors and casted a live electronic<br />
jury vote at the end of<br />
the trial. In addition, there<br />
were presentations by civil and<br />
criminal attorneys on the practice<br />
of law and an FBI agent<br />
on federal investigations. The<br />
program concluded with participants<br />
being presented with<br />
a Proclamation as a remembrance<br />
of their participation<br />
in the “Your Vote, Your Voice,<br />
Our Democracy: The 19th<br />
Amendment.” The program<br />
was recorded with closed caption<br />
for the hearing impaired.<br />
It was huge success with over<br />
300 attendees and will be<br />
stored in the 2d Circuit Educational<br />
Archives.<br />
Another example of our<br />
collaborative effort involved<br />
the <strong>WWBA</strong>’s Wellness and<br />
Domestic Violence Committees<br />
hosting a virtual program<br />
via ZOOM: “Intimate Partner<br />
Violence and the COVID-19<br />
Pandemic in Westchester - A<br />
Panel Discussion from Legal,<br />
Law Enforcement, and Mental<br />
Health Professionals.” The presenters<br />
included the <strong>WWBA</strong>,<br />
Putnam Northern Westchester<br />
Women’s Resource Center,<br />
White Plains Police Department<br />
and Pace Women’s Justice Center.<br />
The program was sponsored<br />
by Sterling National Bank. The<br />
panelists addressed the effect of<br />
“shelter in place orders” on partner<br />
violence and family custody<br />
and support issues. The<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong>’s program not only provided<br />
very important and timely<br />
information to our members, it<br />
permitted the panelists to have<br />
an opportunity to collaborate<br />
with each other and share their<br />
resources to help victims in our<br />
community.<br />
Having been raised the<br />
daughter of a History professor,<br />
I was constantly reminded of the<br />
privilege of living in a democratic<br />
society where one is afforded<br />
the right to vote. It was<br />
instilled in me that we can never<br />
take the right to have our voice<br />
heard for granted. So when<br />
WBASNY called upon Chapters<br />
to take on a voting initiative, I<br />
was committed to our<br />
Westchester Chapter working<br />
hard to promote voter registration.<br />
With the help of student<br />
member Megan Farrell,<br />
Westchester registered the most<br />
voters statewide among all the<br />
chapters in WBASNY and<br />
achieved 1st place in the Voter<br />
Registration Initiative!<br />
Q: What do you believe that<br />
the <strong>WWBA</strong> should be focusing<br />
upon in the future?<br />
A: I believe that the <strong>WWBA</strong><br />
must continue to focus on the<br />
education of our members and<br />
the <strong>WWBA</strong>’s involvement in our<br />
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communities. We must continue<br />
to increase our membership,<br />
encourage mentorship and develop<br />
creative ways to use the<br />
virtual platform to engage our<br />
members and remain a strong<br />
presence in their lives.<br />
Q. Tell us about your legal<br />
background, and the various<br />
accomplishments of your career?<br />
A: I am a graduate of Pace Law<br />
School and had the privilege of<br />
interning for the late Honorable<br />
Judge Isaac Rubin at the Appellate<br />
Division Second Department.<br />
I also was a summer intern<br />
at the prestigious firm of<br />
Clark, Gagliardi & Miller, PC.<br />
and later hired by the firm. I<br />
was fortunate to become a partner<br />
at CGM and worked there<br />
for 28 years learning each day<br />
under the guidance of renowned<br />
trial attorney, the late Henry<br />
Miller and esteemed plaintiff’s<br />
attorney, Lucille Fontana. On<br />
May 1st of 2017, Lucille and I<br />
started our own firm, Fontana<br />
Giannini LLP. Starting a law firm<br />
is an exciting and challenging<br />
endeavor and thanks to my law<br />
partner, it has proved to be very<br />
rewarding. Over the years, I<br />
have mentored many law students<br />
and have truly enjoyed<br />
helping them learn about the<br />
practice of law and establish<br />
their own careers. I have been<br />
fortunate to have been selected<br />
as a Super Lawyer for the past<br />
11 years and inducted as a Fellow<br />
in the International Academy<br />
of Trial Lawyers. Just this<br />
past January, I was honored to<br />
receive the New York State Bar<br />
Association Professionalism<br />
Award, having been nominated<br />
by the <strong>WWBA</strong> and WCBA.<br />
Q: Tell us about your professional<br />
and personal goals.<br />
A: I look forward to continuing<br />
to represent victims of accidents<br />
in the areas of personal<br />
injury, premise, auto, labor<br />
and medical malpractice for<br />
many years. I also look forward<br />
to participating in the<br />
newly established Court Mediation<br />
and ADR programs<br />
and using my learned negotiation<br />
and settlement skills to<br />
help others resolve their disputes.<br />
I plan to continue my<br />
mentorship of law students and<br />
one day, I would like to return<br />
to the classroom and teach a<br />
law class.<br />
Q: How have you balanced<br />
your family and career over<br />
time?<br />
A: The balance question remains<br />
a topic of discussion not<br />
only for those practicing law,<br />
but for all individuals who work<br />
and have a family. I was very<br />
fortunate to have a great family<br />
network who encouraged<br />
and supported me during my<br />
early career years especially<br />
when my children were very<br />
young. There is no doubt in<br />
my mind that I would not have<br />
been able to achieve the successes<br />
in my career if it were<br />
not for my supportive and loving<br />
spouse, Robert who always<br />
supported my career and encouraged<br />
all my efforts in the<br />
practice of law. Now having<br />
practiced over 30 years, I can<br />
share with you that I have<br />
learned that balance involves<br />
“sway.” There is never true<br />
equilibrium of family and career.<br />
Better to embrace “the<br />
sway” and realize that career<br />
and family will never at any<br />
given time be completely balanced.<br />
Doing so gives you<br />
the freedom to do both well<br />
and in fact, for most of us, very<br />
well! ◗<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
Page 9
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The <strong>WWBA</strong> Foundation<br />
Giving Back and Looking Forward!<br />
Susan S. Brown<br />
Our Foundation has always<br />
been a source of great<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> pride! My grateful<br />
thanks go out to the dedicated<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong>F Board and<br />
the <strong>WWBA</strong> members whose<br />
generous support, over more<br />
than twenty years, made it<br />
possible for the Foundation<br />
to rise to the challenges we<br />
faced in the most difficult<br />
year of our twenty year history.<br />
In <strong>2020</strong>, the Foundation<br />
Board took the unprecedented<br />
step of authorizing<br />
the release of <strong>WWBA</strong>F reserve<br />
funds to make immediate<br />
emergency grants in<br />
response to the COVID 19<br />
pandemic. These grants provided<br />
financial assistance to<br />
adversely impacted Pace Law<br />
Students (whose housing,<br />
food security and jobs disappeared<br />
due to the closure of<br />
campus) and made donations<br />
to eight local hospitals<br />
in support of the <strong>WWBA</strong> initiative<br />
to fund relief programs<br />
for front line health care workers.<br />
AND despite the downturn<br />
in the economy our annual<br />
Mocktail fundraiser netted<br />
$25,564 which we were<br />
able to disburse to the winner<br />
of the prestigious Justice<br />
Sondra M. Miller Scholarship<br />
(Pace Law Graduate Rebecka<br />
Palm, now known as Rebecka<br />
Levitt) and among 14 deserving<br />
local non-profits that<br />
carry out our mission “…to<br />
eliminate gender bias and<br />
promote the fair and equal<br />
treatment of all people in<br />
society, the workplace,<br />
schools and court system.”<br />
We thank all of our generous<br />
donors, in particular the<br />
law firms, title companies,<br />
banks and members who<br />
stepped up as sponsors of this<br />
year’s Mocktail fundraiser, that<br />
made this scholarship and<br />
these grants possible.<br />
Finally, I am most proud<br />
to announce that the <strong>WWBA</strong>F<br />
recently received a generous<br />
grant from the Sterling National<br />
Bank Foundation, which we are<br />
charged to distribute to the local<br />
non-profits we support.<br />
As we look ahead to 2021,<br />
we find that the mission of the<br />
p<br />
PATRONS<br />
BENEFACTORS<br />
Law Office of<br />
Milton M. Kreppel & Julie S. Kattan<br />
FRIENDS<br />
Court Street Abstract, Inc.<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> Foundation is aligned<br />
with that of our newly installed<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association<br />
President, the Hon.<br />
Lisa Margaret Smith who has<br />
challenged <strong>WWBA</strong> members to<br />
“Give Back”. And while the<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong>F is grateful for your<br />
generous donations in support<br />
of her challenge, I urge our<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> members to do more<br />
to help us carry out our mission<br />
“… to eliminate gender<br />
bias and promote the fair and<br />
equal treatment of all people<br />
Dalco<br />
Reporting Inc.<br />
Black, Marjieh & Sanford<br />
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in society, the workplace,<br />
schools and court system.”<br />
Help us identify local non-profits<br />
that are deserving of our<br />
support; send their contact information<br />
to Susan Brown at<br />
sbrown@glassmanbrown.com<br />
and I will provide a Grant Request<br />
form for consideration by<br />
the <strong>WWBA</strong>F board.<br />
GIVE BACK by looking forward<br />
to another impactful year<br />
in which the <strong>WWBA</strong> Foundation<br />
makes a meaningful difference!<br />
◗<br />
MARGARET<br />
NEUBART<br />
FOUNDATION<br />
KRAMER KOZEK LLP<br />
ATTORNEYS AT LAW<br />
Hon. Sondra M. Miller<br />
Walsh & Amicucci, LLP<br />
Christopher L. Mangold, PLLC<br />
Welby, Brady &<br />
Greenblatt, LLC<br />
Page 10<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News
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Giving Back: My Work with Hillside Food Outreach<br />
from page 4<br />
livery structure in place and<br />
an army of volunteer deliverers,<br />
the Westchester<br />
County Department of Social<br />
Services began regularly<br />
referring these cases to Hillside.<br />
During the first few<br />
weeks of the pandemic, Jim<br />
and I delivered food everyday<br />
to at least 3 or 4 families<br />
that were not our regular<br />
clients. The numbers<br />
have declined slightly in recent<br />
weeks but we are still<br />
providing this critical service.<br />
We wear gloves and masks<br />
and leave the food on the<br />
doorstep so there is no contact.<br />
We then call and let<br />
the clients know their delivery<br />
is waiting for them. The<br />
“Thank you’s” and “God<br />
bless you’s” that we get on<br />
that brief phone call - some<br />
choked with tears-illustrates<br />
the desperation so many of<br />
“[W]hen Covid-19 hit our region<br />
particularly hard, we were<br />
honored to be able to step up and<br />
deliver much needed food . . . to<br />
those who were ill or included in<br />
high risk groups who could not<br />
leave their homes.”<br />
these families are facing during<br />
this crisis.<br />
I also serve as a Hillside<br />
Hunger Hero, making a regular<br />
monetary donation every<br />
month to help advance<br />
Hillside’s mission. Jim and I<br />
have volunteered for food<br />
drives and I have even conscripted<br />
several <strong>WWBA</strong> members<br />
to help at the warehouse<br />
unpacking food pallets and<br />
shelving items. We also attend<br />
Hillside’s yearly Gala<br />
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Fundraiser in the Fall, although<br />
we assume that it will<br />
be cancelled this year.<br />
Jim and I feel blessed to<br />
have the means and ability to<br />
help those less fortunate than<br />
us on a regular basis, especially<br />
with such an essential<br />
need like healthy food. And<br />
when Covid-19 hit our region<br />
particularly hard, we were honored<br />
to be able to step up and<br />
deliver much needed food<br />
(and Tylenol and disinfectant<br />
wipes) to those who were ill<br />
or included in high risk<br />
groups who could not leave<br />
their homes. We have seen,<br />
firsthand, the devastating toll<br />
this virus has had on our<br />
county, most prominently<br />
among the poor, elderly and<br />
minority communities. We<br />
drive away from every delivery<br />
we make profoundly grateful<br />
for our health, our financial<br />
security and our families.<br />
I am certain that, one day, I<br />
will look back on all the many<br />
accomplishments in my life<br />
and count volunteering with<br />
Hillside-especially during this<br />
challenging time-as one of the<br />
most valuable things I ever<br />
did.<br />
If you would like to volunteer<br />
with or donate to Hillside<br />
Food Outreach, please<br />
visit their website at<br />
www.hillsidefoodoutreach.org. ◗<br />
Panel Discussion on<br />
Police Reform<br />
from page 6<br />
and the Women in the Courts Committee for the Ninth Judicial<br />
District.<br />
This diverse group of panelists all expressed the importance<br />
of this conversation and highlighted several points on police<br />
reform. Key takeaways included that Qualified Immunity needs to<br />
be re-examined and policy needs to be enshrined in law to make<br />
a real difference for victims of police brutality. Another takeaway<br />
is that the phrase “defund the police” is a misnomer. Rather, a<br />
reallocation of resources is necessary so that appropriate resources<br />
are more readily available depending upon the needs of any<br />
given situation. For example, mental health professionals should<br />
be available to address someone having a mental health crisis<br />
rather than being met by law enforcement professionals, who are<br />
not trained mental health professionals. The panel also emphasized<br />
the need to give law enforcement better tools to deescalate<br />
situations.<br />
It was an engaging and educational program that addressed<br />
a timely and difficult topic. Many thanks to the speakers, sponsors<br />
and attendees for their support. ◗<br />
Uncertainty is the New<br />
Normal<br />
from page 8<br />
bed and explain that they will be more productive being dressed<br />
and at a desk as if they were in a classroom. Also encourage<br />
your child to eat three healthy meals per day and try to get in<br />
at least one physical activity each day.<br />
c. Although social opportunities may look different, it is critical<br />
to connect with others and make the effort to be part of those<br />
opportunities. Some students are feeling that they may not want<br />
to join clubs, saying “They are just zoom calls.” Encourage them<br />
to participate and try anything and everything that interests them,<br />
regardless if it is “in person” or “virtual.”<br />
d. Encourage your child to take time for themselves each day.<br />
Step away from the news, coursework and do something that they<br />
enjoy, and find relaxing or rejuvenating. Although college may<br />
look a little different this year, talk to your child about how exciting<br />
and positive the experience is. Encourage them to take in<br />
every moment, learn new things, meet new people, be presentfocused<br />
and enjoy the experience.<br />
The <strong>WWBA</strong> Education and Wellness Committees thank the<br />
panelists and the 22 members and guests in attendance. ◗<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
Page 11
Chapter News and Announcements<br />
Announcements & Notes on Members<br />
❑ The matrimonial and family law firm of Goldschmidt & Genovese, LLP is delighted to<br />
announce the expansion of its firm to include three past presidents of the <strong>WWBA</strong>:<br />
partners Kathleen Donelli and Dolores Gebhardt and Chief Counsel, the Hon.<br />
Sondra Miller (ret.). ◗<br />
Urgent Need for Committee Chairs<br />
Have you ever wanted to be more involved in the Westchester Women’s Bar Association?<br />
NOW IS YOUR CHANCE! We have need of Chairs or Co-chairs of a<br />
number of committees, please consider whether your talents could be shared by volunteering<br />
to serve in that capacity. Being a Committee Chair or Co-chair is fun, sometimes<br />
challenging, and always looks good on your resumé. The requirements include<br />
attending monthly Board Meetings, currently being conducted remotely at 5:30 pm on<br />
the first Wednesday of each month, sponsoring or co-sponsoring at least one program<br />
during the upcoming year between now and June, and bringing in just one new member<br />
for <strong>WWBA</strong> during the year. Programs may provide CLE credit or not, that is the<br />
choice of the organizers of the program; they may feature <strong>WWBA</strong> members or outside<br />
experts in a particular field who are willing to share their expertise; there may be a<br />
charge for the program, in the organizers’ discretion.<br />
The Committees currently in need of Chairs or Co-chairs include Networking (desperately),<br />
Public Relations, also Social Media (Public Relations and Social Media could<br />
work together, and keep in mind that our Executive Director, Elisabeth Campos posts a<br />
lot of <strong>WWBA</strong>’s events on social media), Construction, Cyber Law, Practice Management,<br />
and Women in Leadership. Any <strong>WWBA</strong> member who is interested can volunteer<br />
to serve as a Chair or Co-Chair. We also need Co-chairs for the Past Presidents’<br />
Committee, but of course only past presidents are qualified. Any <strong>WWBA</strong> member who<br />
is inclined to take on one of these positions, or even just to talk about it, should contact<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> President Lisa Margaret Smith at lisamsmith@rocketmail.com. ◗<br />
Giving Back to Our Community<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong>’s Voter Registration Drive<br />
Each <strong>WWBA</strong> member should have received a flyer in late August about voter<br />
registration procedures and deadlines, accompanied by registration forms in both English<br />
and Spanish. If you have not received it, please email President Lisa Smith at<br />
lisamsmith@rocketmail.com, and she will send you a copy. All members are encouraged<br />
to share the flyer and registration documents with family, friends, and any organization<br />
or group you may belong to, in order to encourage every eligible voter to<br />
register to vote. You may be surprised the reasons people often give for not registering<br />
– surveys show that many people are never invited to register, so they don’t; people will<br />
also say they are not interested in politics, or they intended to register but never got<br />
around to it; some will say that no candidate or political issue inspired them to vote, or<br />
that they did not want to register because they are concerned about their personal<br />
information not being adequately protected; one reason given is that registering is not<br />
convenient, or that they do not know how to register. Information from https://<br />
www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2017/06/why-are-millions-ofcitizens-not-registered-to-vote,<br />
last checked 9/1/<strong>2020</strong>. The Voter Registration Drive<br />
being conducted remotely by <strong>WWBA</strong> is intended to overcome all of those reasons, and<br />
to make it as easy as possible for unregistered citizens to register to vote. They may<br />
register online, by mail, or in person, all of the information is in the previously distributed<br />
flyer and accompanying forms. This is a completely nonpartisan effort. Thank you<br />
for participating in this effort on behalf of <strong>WWBA</strong>. ◗<br />
Become a New<br />
Member Today<br />
RENEW YOUR<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> MEMBERSHIP TODAY<br />
FOR THE PERIOD<br />
JUNE 1, <strong>2020</strong> TO MAY 31, 2021.<br />
RENEW NOW! DON’T WAIT!<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> Membership includes<br />
membership to the Women’s Bar<br />
Association of the State of New York<br />
(WBASNY).<br />
January 31, 2021 is the closing date in<br />
order to count the <strong>WWBA</strong> members<br />
towards our certification to WBASNY and<br />
assure our number of delegates.<br />
Renewing before this date will allow our<br />
Westchester Chapter (<strong>WWBA</strong>) to continue<br />
to be a strong presence in our statewide<br />
organization (WBASNY) while you will<br />
enjoy its many benefits, events,<br />
newsletter and CLE programming.<br />
Hélène Côté, Sherry A. Bishko,<br />
Elisabeth Campos<br />
It is easy to renew by going to the<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> Website at www.<strong>WWBA</strong>NY.org.<br />
You can use a credit card or<br />
PayPal to make payment.<br />
Page 12<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News
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Westchester Women’s Bar Association New Members<br />
The Westchester Women’s Bar Association proudly welcomes our newest members:<br />
NATALIE ALIE M. BURKE<br />
Student<br />
ELIZABETH CARLINE, ESQ.<br />
Bronxville, NY<br />
elizabethcarline@gmail.com<br />
SUSAN CARROLL, ESQ.<br />
Pace Women's Justice Center<br />
Elisabeth Haub School of Law<br />
78 North Broadway<br />
White Plains, NY 10603<br />
KRISTIN K. . CHENEY, , ESQ.<br />
Zimmet Law Group P.C.<br />
477 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor<br />
New York, NY 10022<br />
kcheney@zimmetlaw.com<br />
President’s Message<br />
from page 5<br />
who is at least 18 years old can<br />
and should have a say in our<br />
country’s future.<br />
How else can you Give<br />
Back? There are things both<br />
large and small that you can do.<br />
I have been reaching out to a<br />
90 year old member of my<br />
church choir who has sheltered<br />
at home during the pandemic.<br />
I have visited her on Sundays,<br />
sometimes bringing a small gift,<br />
or singing to her, or just chatting,<br />
at a safe distance and<br />
masked, of course. I call her<br />
and send her notes, maybe once<br />
every week or two. It is a small<br />
thing but she cherishes those<br />
human contacts, and I get a<br />
great deal of enjoyment from it<br />
myself. Surely you know someone,<br />
perhaps only an acquaintance,<br />
who is likely to be lonely<br />
during this difficult time. Take a<br />
chance, reach out to that person,<br />
your gesture of Giving<br />
Back will mean more than you<br />
can know. Do you have ideas<br />
for Giving Back? Let us know<br />
what they are, and be creative.<br />
Perhaps you can call a local<br />
SHERINE CUMMINGS, ESQ.<br />
1 South Main Street<br />
New City, NY 10956<br />
ALANA LYMAN<br />
Student<br />
BRIANA T. . MARRONE<br />
Student<br />
ANAR PATEL<br />
TEL, , ESQ.<br />
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP<br />
425 Lexington Avenue<br />
New York, NY 10017<br />
apatel@stblaw.com<br />
<br />
“Surely you know someone,<br />
perhaps only an acquaintance,<br />
who is likely to be lonely during<br />
this difficult time. Take a chance,<br />
reach out to that person, your<br />
gesture of Giving Back will mean<br />
more than you can know.”<br />
elementary school and offer to<br />
read a book over Zoom to a<br />
group of kindergarteners, either<br />
one time or on a regular basis;<br />
perhaps you can take baked<br />
goods or a pizza, to your local<br />
firestation or ambulance corps<br />
or emergency room; perhaps<br />
you can sign up for the first time<br />
to become a mentor to a law<br />
student who undoubtedly needs<br />
extra guidance during this challenging<br />
time; perhaps you can<br />
contact a local youth organization<br />
and offer to give a presentation<br />
about something you are<br />
good at B teach them via Zoom<br />
to knit, or to sew on a button,<br />
or to do calligraphy, or tell them<br />
about the three branches of government;<br />
or just Give Back the<br />
old fashioned way by donating<br />
to the Westchester Women’s Bar<br />
Association Foundation or any<br />
other not for profit that satisfies<br />
your personal standards. I am<br />
very certain that whatever you<br />
choose to do, you will get more<br />
in return than you have given,<br />
just as I have gotten so much<br />
MIA A. RITOTA<br />
Student<br />
MICHELLE STALZER, ESQ.<br />
New York State<br />
Judicial Institue<br />
84 North Broadway<br />
White Plains, NY 10603<br />
mstalzer@nycourts.gov<br />
NICHOLE STERLING, ESQ.<br />
BakerHostetler<br />
45 Rockefeller Plaza<br />
New York, NY 10111<br />
JANA WILLIAMS<br />
Student<br />
warmth and love and caring<br />
from my 90 year old friend.<br />
This organization is at an<br />
important crossroads. We face<br />
a terrific challenge to remain<br />
valuable to our members and<br />
our community, despite the continuing<br />
challenge of the pandemic.<br />
I encourage each of you<br />
to find ways to stretch our<br />
boundaries and our audience,<br />
to come up with new CLE offerings,<br />
presentations, remote networking<br />
and social opportunities.<br />
I know that we can achieve<br />
great things during this year. My<br />
hope and prayer for each of you<br />
is that you stay safe and healthy,<br />
that you find value in your lives,<br />
in family, in work, and in play,<br />
and that you find ways to Give<br />
Back. ◗<br />
<strong>Newsletter</strong> Correction<br />
Last month’s newsletter contained two photographs on the bottom<br />
of page 4. The photograph on the left is from Orange Regional<br />
taken on April 18th while the photograph on the right is from<br />
Montefiore Hospital, taken on May 11th. These two hospitals are not<br />
beneficiaries of the funds raised by the <strong>WWBA</strong>. “Meals for Medical<br />
Warriors Go Fund Me” was created to garner support to provide<br />
weekly meals to the Emergency Room Staff at Orange Regional Hospital<br />
(Middletown NY) and Montefiore Hospital (Bronx, NY) . ◗<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
Page 13
<strong>WWBA</strong> Schedule of Upcoming Events<br />
COMMITTEE DATE/TIME PLACE TOPIC RSVP (also online at www.wwbany.org)<br />
Hudson Valley Hispanic Bar<br />
Association<br />
9/22/20<br />
6:30 pm<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> Book Club 10/6/20<br />
6:00pm<br />
Virtual Book<br />
Club<br />
Board of Directors Meeting 10/7/20<br />
5:30 pm –<br />
American Cancer Society<br />
<strong>2020</strong> Walk<br />
7:30 pm<br />
10/18/20<br />
9:00 am –<br />
12:00 pm<br />
Zoom<br />
Zoom<br />
Zoom<br />
Manhattanville College,<br />
Purchase, New York<br />
Celebrating Hispanic<br />
Heritage Month<br />
Hispanics: Be Proud of<br />
Your Past, Embrace the<br />
Future<br />
Book:<br />
The Beauty in<br />
Breaking” by Michele<br />
Harper<br />
While the pandemic has<br />
changed our event plans<br />
for this year, we are still<br />
fighting back boldly<br />
and relentlessly against<br />
breast cancer. Your<br />
support matters now<br />
more than ever, and we<br />
hope that you will join<br />
us for a safe, contactless<br />
drive-through parade at<br />
Manhattanville College<br />
on the morning of<br />
Sunday, October 18th!<br />
We will be inviting<br />
teams to come in shifts<br />
between 9 a.m. and 12<br />
p.m., so stay tuned for<br />
more details coming<br />
very soon.<br />
RSVP to pablo368@hotmail.com<br />
by 9/14/20<br />
Email Lisa Denig for the Zoom<br />
link at lisadenig@yahoo.com<br />
No RSVP necessary<br />
For more information go to<br />
www.wwbany.org<br />
Visit www.wwbany.org for more<br />
information<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> is a chapter of WBASNY, which is an approved provider of CLE credit. Full and partial scholarships for CLE programs based<br />
on financial need are available. For information on the guidelines and procedures for applying, please contact the person running<br />
the program. All requests are strictly confidential. All programs are for transitional credit unless the program states otherwise.<br />
Unless otherwise indicated, events are for <strong>WWBA</strong> members and invited guests only.<br />
The opinions expressed by any program presenter are the presenter’s own, and do not reflect<br />
the official position of the <strong>WWBA</strong>.<br />
REMEMBER, YOU CAN FIND THE WBASNY WEB PAGE<br />
AT WWW.WBASNY.ORG.<br />
PLEASE REMEMBER TO RECYCLE<br />
Connect<br />
with<br />
us<br />
THE <strong>WWBA</strong> MEMBERSHIP PERIOD FOR<br />
<strong>2020</strong>-2021 BEGINS ON JUNE 1, <strong>2020</strong>.<br />
PLEASE RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP TOD<br />
ODAY AT<br />
WWW.<strong>WWBA</strong>NY<br />
.<strong>WWBA</strong>NY.ORG<br />
.ORG