WWBA October 2020 Newsletter
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>WWBA</strong><br />
SPECIAL ISSUE IN RECOGNITION OF BREAST CANCER AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH<br />
news<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2020</strong> - DEDICATED TO THE HONORABLE RUTH BADER GINSBURG<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association<br />
~ IN MEMORIAM ~<br />
THE HONORABLE<br />
RUTH BADER GINSBURG<br />
March 15, 1933 - September 18, <strong>2020</strong><br />
The Westchester<br />
Women’s Bar Association<br />
joins with our sister chapters<br />
and with WBASNY in<br />
mourning the death of “Our<br />
Justice,” the Honorable Ruth<br />
Bader Ginsburg. Much has<br />
been said over the last several<br />
weeks about her life and<br />
her legacy since Justice<br />
Ginsburg lost her heroic battle<br />
with pancreatic cancer. Much<br />
more will be said about Justice Ginsburg’s<br />
extraordinary contributions to gender<br />
equality. Even so, there are no words to<br />
describe how much we have lost with her<br />
passing.<br />
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born in 1933<br />
in Flatbush, Brooklyn, to an immigrant<br />
Russian Jewish father and a first generation<br />
Polish-American mother. Her father<br />
INSIDE THIS ISSUE<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2020</strong><br />
Virtual Celebration Honoring<br />
Judge Lisa M. Smith<br />
(page 6)<br />
The 19th Amendment: The<br />
Past in the Present<br />
(page 9)<br />
Law Day <strong>2020</strong> Held<br />
Virtually<br />
(page 10)<br />
Upcoming Events<br />
(page 18)<br />
was a merchant with a variety<br />
of stores, and her mother<br />
was a traditional “homemaker,”<br />
raising Ruth and her<br />
older sister. The family suffered<br />
tragedy more than<br />
once -- when Ruth was just<br />
14 months old her older sister<br />
died of meningitis, and on<br />
the eve of her own high<br />
school graduation, Ruth’s<br />
mother, Celia, died of cancer.<br />
Celia had been an excellent student, graduating<br />
from high school at the age of 15, but<br />
she was unable to go to college and instead<br />
was required to work to help send<br />
her brother to college. Celia was determined<br />
that Ruth, born Joan Ruth Bader, would go<br />
to college, and she set up a college fund<br />
for her very intelligent surviving daughter.<br />
continued on page 4<br />
SAVE THE DATE<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong><br />
BOARD OF DIRECTORS<br />
MEETING<br />
<strong>October</strong> 7, <strong>2020</strong><br />
Zoom<br />
<strong>2020</strong> BREAST<br />
CANCER WALK<br />
<strong>October</strong> 18, <strong>2020</strong><br />
Manhattanville College<br />
Purchase, New York<br />
COVID-19 EMPLOYMENT<br />
LAW PEER GROUP<br />
DISCUSSION<br />
<strong>October</strong> 27, <strong>2020</strong><br />
Zoom<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
PRESIDENT’S<br />
MESSAGE<br />
<strong>October</strong> is<br />
Breast Cancer<br />
Awareness Month,<br />
and it is <strong>WWBA</strong>’s tradition<br />
to publish its<br />
<strong>October</strong> newsletter<br />
in pink in honor of<br />
Breast Cancer<br />
Awareness. It is also<br />
Domestic Violence<br />
Awareness Month,<br />
Hon. Lisa<br />
Margaret Smith<br />
the color of which is lavender, and at<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> we also honor the crucial importance<br />
of efforts to combat Domestic<br />
Violence by including lavender in our<br />
newsletter colors. Please remember to<br />
wear pink and lavender ribbons this<br />
month to honor those who fight both of<br />
these scourges, and those who have<br />
been lost to them. Elsewhere in this<br />
edition is an article about innovations<br />
in Westchester County to address Domestic<br />
Violence. This President’s Message<br />
focuses on Breast Cancer.<br />
Many of us have been personally<br />
touched by breast cancer, and most of<br />
us have had someone in our lives<br />
touched by breast cancer. I would like<br />
to share with each of you my personal<br />
story with this disease, though you might<br />
want to skip to the end if you are squeamish.<br />
Mine is not a pretty story, but for<br />
the approximately 12 percent of you,<br />
as American women, who will face invasive<br />
breast cancer in your lifetime, this<br />
may help you to get through your own<br />
travails, and to feel less alone.<br />
I was diligent about getting a mammogram<br />
every year since I was 35, except<br />
when I was pregnant or breastcontinued<br />
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
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> Member <strong>Newsletter</strong><br />
OCTOBER <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
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
President’s Message<br />
from page 1<br />
“This surgery was<br />
unlike anything I<br />
had experienced,<br />
and took a great<br />
deal out of me,<br />
physically and<br />
emotionally.”<br />
feeding, and, like most women I had occasional<br />
scares as a result of cysts or other<br />
abnormalities, but no real issues. In 2001,<br />
when I was 46, I had thyroid cancer, resulting<br />
in a thyroidectomy and radioactive<br />
thyroid treatment, but other than taking<br />
thyroid replacement medication daily, I<br />
never had any problems relating to the<br />
thyroid cancer.<br />
In the spring of 2012, at the age of<br />
57, my experience changed when I was<br />
diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ,<br />
known as DCIS, in one breast. In other<br />
words, it was cancer. Initially the diagnosis<br />
from each doctor I consulted (I consulted<br />
three) was that this was a minor<br />
concern, that DCIS is non-invasive and<br />
that a lumpectomy would take care of the<br />
problem. Then, a further analysis of my<br />
mammograms resulted in a finding that<br />
there was also DCIS in the other breast. I<br />
ended up with three lumpectomies, and<br />
none of the margins were clear, meaning<br />
that the doctors had not been able to remove<br />
all of the cancer, in either breast. By<br />
that time I was also quite physically misshapen<br />
as a result of the unsuccessful surgeries,<br />
and, I admit, I was frightened. For<br />
the first time my surgeon recommended a<br />
bilateral mastectomy, and my fear blossomed<br />
into terror. I was alone when I left<br />
the doctor’s office, and so upset that I<br />
nearly had a car accident – my recommendation<br />
is that you do not go to an important<br />
appointment alone, because you<br />
need someone else to hear and remember<br />
what is being said, to ask questions, and<br />
to allow you to lean on them if the news is<br />
bad.<br />
continued on page 5 ➥<br />
Editor’s Note<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others<br />
to join you.”<br />
~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg<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
from page 1<br />
~ IN MEMORIAM ~<br />
THE HONORABLE RUTH BADER GINSBURG<br />
Ruth Bader went to Cornell<br />
University, where she met and<br />
fell in love with Martin Ginsburg,<br />
who would become her husband<br />
right after her graduation,<br />
and her partner for the rest of<br />
their lives. Ruth was a member<br />
of Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated<br />
as the highest ranking<br />
woman in the class at Cornell.<br />
At that time Martin, known as<br />
Marty, had completed one year<br />
at Harvard Law School. After<br />
their marriage the Ginsburgs<br />
went to Oklahoma, where Marty<br />
was stationed for his army service.<br />
Ruth obtained a civil service<br />
typist’s job, but when she<br />
revealed she was pregnant with<br />
her first child, she was demoted.<br />
It is in large part due to<br />
Justice Ginsburg’s work as an<br />
attorney that the action of demoting<br />
a woman due to pregnancy<br />
would be unlawful today.<br />
When the Ginsburgs returned<br />
to the East Coast following<br />
Martin’s army service Martin<br />
reenrolled at Harvard Law<br />
School and Ruth also enrolled,<br />
in the fall of 1953. She was just<br />
one of nine women in her class.<br />
(Our very own foremother, the<br />
Honorable Sondra Miller, had<br />
been three years ahead of Justice<br />
Ginsburg, in the first<br />
Harvard Law class to admit<br />
women, graduating in 1953. In<br />
1993 the two trailblazers participated<br />
in a Harvard Law event<br />
celebrating the 40th anniversary<br />
of women’s admission to<br />
the school.).<br />
When Martin graduated<br />
and got a law job in New York<br />
City, Justice Ginsburg asked<br />
Harvard to allow her to complete<br />
her studies at a New York<br />
law school and still receive a<br />
Harvard degree; this had been<br />
allowed for men in similar circumstances,<br />
but Harvard<br />
would have none of it, even<br />
though Ruth was highly ranked<br />
“A MEANINGFUL LIFE IS ONE LIVED NOT JUST FOR<br />
ONESELF BUT FOR ONE’S COMMUNITY.”<br />
~ Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg<br />
and served as editor of the<br />
Harvard Law Review. The<br />
School rejected her request.<br />
Justice Ginsburg transferred to<br />
Columbia Law, where she was<br />
editor of the Columbia Law Review,<br />
and where she graduated,<br />
with a degree from Columbia<br />
Law, tied for first in her class.<br />
In 2011 Harvard remedied its<br />
earlier slight, awarding Justice<br />
Ginsburg an honorary degree.<br />
In 2015 Harvard honored her<br />
with its Radcliffe medal,<br />
awarded to a person who has<br />
transformed society - few can<br />
doubt that Justice Ginsburg was<br />
qualified for that medal!<br />
Despite her extraordinary<br />
scholastic achievement, Justice<br />
Ginsburg was unable to obtain<br />
a job as a lawyer at any firm in<br />
New York. She was also unable<br />
to obtain a clerkship, despite<br />
fabulous recommendations;<br />
there is little question that these<br />
rejections were because of her<br />
gender. Finally, one of Justice<br />
Ginsburg’s Columbia Law professors<br />
told Judge Edmund<br />
Palmieri of the Southern District<br />
of New York that if Judge<br />
Palmieri did not hire Ruth Bader<br />
Ginsburg as a clerk then the professor<br />
would never again recommend<br />
a clerk to Judge<br />
Palmieri - the Judge did the right<br />
thing, and hired her. After her<br />
two year clerkship, again unable<br />
to find a job at a New York<br />
City firm, Justice Ginsburg was<br />
hired by Columbia to work on a<br />
special project on international<br />
procedure, learning Swedish<br />
and spending time in Sweden<br />
before writing the seminal book<br />
on Swedish legal procedure. In<br />
1963 Justice Ginsburg was hired<br />
as a law professor at Rutgers<br />
Law School. Even with her<br />
amazing credentials, Justice<br />
Ginsburg was paid less than her<br />
male counterparts, because, it<br />
is said, the School felt that a<br />
woman with a husband who had<br />
a well-paid job did not require<br />
the same salary as a man supporting<br />
a family. This may have<br />
been one reason for her oftquoted<br />
statement, “I ask no favor<br />
for my sex. All I ask of our<br />
brethren is that they take their<br />
feet off our necks.”<br />
In 1972 Justice Ginsburg<br />
was hired to teach at Columbia<br />
Law School, and became the<br />
first woman to achieve tenure<br />
at that prestigious institution.<br />
Also in 1972 Justice Ginsburg<br />
co-founded the Women’s<br />
Rights Project at the American<br />
Civil Liberties Union (“ACLU”).<br />
During the next few years the<br />
ACLU took part in over 300 gender<br />
discrimination cases, many<br />
of them with input from Justice<br />
Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg argued<br />
six gender discrimination<br />
cases before the all-male Supreme<br />
Court, and she won five<br />
of them. She often selected men<br />
as plaintiffs, seeking to convince<br />
the Court that gender discrimination<br />
was unconstitutional<br />
no matter which gender<br />
benefited. She has been quoted<br />
as having said “I don’t say<br />
women’s rights-I say the constitutional<br />
principle of the equal<br />
citizenship stature of men and<br />
women.”<br />
In 1980 Justice Ginsburg<br />
was nominated by President<br />
Jimmy Carter to a seat on the<br />
prestigious United States Court<br />
of Appeals for the District of<br />
Columbia. She was confirmed,<br />
and thirteen years later, in 1993,<br />
she was nominated by President<br />
Bill Clinton to a seat on<br />
the Supreme Court, to which<br />
she was also confirmed, as just<br />
the second woman on that<br />
Court, after Sandra Day<br />
O’Connor. Justice Gisburg took<br />
the oath of office on August 10,<br />
1993, and sat until her death<br />
this past September.<br />
As a United States Magistrate<br />
Judge for the Southern<br />
District of New York I had many<br />
opportunities to hear Justice<br />
Ginsburg speak, because she<br />
served as the Circuit Justice for<br />
the 2nd Circuit and appeared at<br />
all but one of the 2nd Circuit<br />
conferences since she undertook<br />
that responsibility in 1994.<br />
The one time she did not travel<br />
to speak to us, she spoke by<br />
video; it was shortly after her<br />
husband Marty had passed<br />
away. Justice Ginsburg had a<br />
dry wit and a slow, elegant<br />
speaking voice; on her last appearance<br />
we had the opportunity<br />
to see the movie “RBG“ and<br />
heard her comment on it. My<br />
daughter had a chance to hear<br />
her speak, and she treasures<br />
that memory.<br />
You may disagree with<br />
Justice Ginsburg on many issues<br />
– abortion, gun rights, the<br />
Affordable Care Act, the list<br />
goes on – but as women professionals<br />
I suspect that we all<br />
agree that Justice Ginsburg laid<br />
the groundwork for us to be<br />
lawyers and to be treated fairly,<br />
no matter our gender. Rest in<br />
peace, Justice Ginsburg, you are<br />
forever “Our Justice.”<br />
Ruth Bader Ginburg said<br />
many memorable things. Here<br />
are two of my favorites:<br />
“Fight for the things that<br />
you care about but do it in<br />
a way that will lead others<br />
to join you.”<br />
“A meaningful life is one<br />
lived not just for oneself but<br />
for one’s community.”<br />
~ Lisa Margaret Smith<br />
Page 4<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> Members Help Combat Domestic Violence with the<br />
New Westchester County Domestic Violence High Risk Team<br />
Stacey Neumann<br />
Co-Chair of <strong>WWBA</strong> Domestic Violence Sub-Committee<br />
<strong>October</strong> is Domestic Violence Awareness<br />
month and we want to alert you to a new<br />
County innovation that <strong>WWBA</strong> members are<br />
involved with to combat domestic violence.<br />
In September <strong>2020</strong>, County Executive, George Latimer, announced<br />
the expansion of the Westchester County Domestic Violence<br />
High Risk Team. This innovative program is a multi-agency<br />
collaborative approach to preventing lethal domestic violence,<br />
identifying families at highest risk and intervening to save lives by<br />
providing immediate support and services.<br />
Prior to last month, a high-risk team was already in place in<br />
5 Northern Westchester towns: Pound Ridge, Lewisboro, Bedford,<br />
North Salem and Somers. The impetus for the creation of the<br />
Northern Westchester Team was the horrific murder-suicide case<br />
that occurred in 2017 in Pound Ridge. In that case, Steven Dym<br />
shot and killed his wife Loretta and their daughter Caroline with a<br />
shotgun before turning the gun on himself. This type of crime is<br />
called familicide and while it is very rare, Westchester County has<br />
had 3 such cases in the last 9 years.<br />
The Dym case spurred the County Office for Women led by<br />
Director Robi Schlaff, Chief David Ryan from Pound Ridge Police,<br />
CarlLa Horton from Hopes Door and others, to look deeper<br />
into these cases to figure out ways to provide enhanced safety to<br />
victims and minimize risks of lethality. “You can never predict<br />
catastrophe but that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to mitigate<br />
the risks”, said Robi Schlaff, Director of the County Office<br />
for Women.<br />
Funded by the New York State Office for the Prevention of<br />
Domestic Violence, in 2017, the Northern Westchester Risk Reduction<br />
Team (NWRRT) was created and became the model for<br />
the expanded countywide team. Partner agencies reported positive<br />
results and attributed this to the regular communication and<br />
collaboration between agencies. According to CarlLa Horton,<br />
Executive Director of Hope’s Door, “It takes tremendous courage<br />
for victims of abuse to take the painful and dangerous steps to<br />
safety and independence. Most feel incredibly alone, believing<br />
that no one is there to believe, to understand, and to offer the<br />
myriad of support that is so deeply needed. We have learned that<br />
no single agency or system can do the whole job by themselves.<br />
We and our partners, are working collectively, strengthening all<br />
of us in support of victims making their personal journey from<br />
victim to survivor.”<br />
Who makes up the Westchester County Domestic Violence<br />
High Risk Team?<br />
Partners in the team include Westchester County Office for<br />
Women, Hope’s Door, Pace Women’s Justice Center, Westchester<br />
County Department of Public Safety, Westchester County Probation<br />
Department, Westchester County District Attorney’s Office,<br />
Westchester Medical Center, My Sister’s Place, Putnam/Northern<br />
Westchester Women’s Resource Center, Westchester Com-<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
President’s message<br />
from page 3<br />
The medical recommendation<br />
in my case was unanimous<br />
– I should undergo a complete<br />
bilateral mastectomy, with removal<br />
of any lymph nodes that<br />
might have cancer. So, in August<br />
2012, I had the surgery,<br />
including deip flap reconstruction<br />
using my own abdominal<br />
tissue to reconstruct my breasts<br />
without the use of implants. The<br />
tested lymph nodes were clear<br />
of cancer. The surgery lasted<br />
for twelve hours; when I awoke<br />
in recovery I was, for lack of a<br />
better description, tightly<br />
wrapped in what seemed like<br />
bubble wrap, and I was unable<br />
to move. The blood vessels between<br />
my chest and the newly<br />
placed tissue had been reconstructed<br />
to allow for blood flow,<br />
but the flow had to be checked<br />
nearly every hour with a sphygmometer<br />
to make sure that the<br />
reconstructed vessels continued<br />
to work. Without the blood flow<br />
the tissue would die and would<br />
have to be removed; the surgical<br />
incision was left open so that<br />
the blood flow could be measured<br />
and so, if any reconstructed<br />
blood vessel failed, an<br />
immediate emergency surgery<br />
could occur to correct the problem<br />
without having to reopen<br />
the original incision. After almost<br />
24 confusing and extremely<br />
painful hours in recovery<br />
– where a woman screamed<br />
incessantly from pain – I was<br />
removed to the ICU, because<br />
of the need for constant monitoring<br />
of the blood flow. I am<br />
no longer sure if I was in the<br />
ICU for one day or two, but<br />
eventually I was moved to the<br />
ward, still wrapped in bubble<br />
wrap, and still having constant<br />
monitoring of the blood flow.<br />
About a week after the surgery<br />
I was allowed to be freed<br />
from the cocoon I was in, and<br />
was allowed to get up and move<br />
around. I did require a second<br />
surgery to close the incision that<br />
had been left open in order to<br />
monitor the blood flow. In a<br />
few more days I was allowed to<br />
go home, where I had regular<br />
attention from a visiting nurse<br />
and a physical therapist. I had<br />
been told that I should plan to<br />
stay home for eight to ten weeks<br />
after the surgery, and I had<br />
continued on page 8 ➥<br />
grand ideas of using the time<br />
to sort my boxes of old photographs,<br />
clean out the junk<br />
drawers, and otherwise find<br />
useful things to do. In actual<br />
fact, I was not able to do much<br />
of anything. This surgery was<br />
unlike anything I had experienced,<br />
and took a great deal<br />
out of me, physically and emotionally.<br />
The boxes of photos<br />
and the junk drawers are still<br />
untouched to this day.<br />
A week or so after getting<br />
home the visiting nurse noticed<br />
that the incision was red and<br />
swollen, and a call to the plastic<br />
surgeon who had done the<br />
reconstruction resulted in a<br />
quick trip to his office, a prescription<br />
for high dose antibi-<br />
continued on page 13 ➥<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
Page 5
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
SDNY Hosts Virtual Celebration Honoring<br />
the Hon. Lisa M. Smith<br />
Deborah A. Scalise<br />
On Thursday, September 17, <strong>2020</strong>,<br />
the United States District Court for the<br />
Southern District of New York (SDNY) held<br />
a Virtual Tribute by Zoom to honor the<br />
career of our President, Magistrate Judge<br />
Lisa Margaret Smith. More than 140<br />
people Zoomed in for the event to celebrated<br />
Judge Smith’s retirement. The attendees<br />
came from as far as Scotland and<br />
England, and from Atlanta, Chicago,<br />
California, Maine, North Carolina, Washington<br />
D.C., Vermont, and, of course, New<br />
York and New Jersey.<br />
The evening was hosted by United<br />
States District Judge Cathy Seibel, who sits<br />
in the SDNY in White Plains. Judge Seibel<br />
began the tribute with kind words of her<br />
own about Judge Smith, from their time<br />
together in the U.S. Attorney’s Office (Judge<br />
Seibel became an AUSA a few months after<br />
Judge Smith did), and the period when<br />
Judge Seibel was still an AUSA and she<br />
had to appear before Judge Smith, and<br />
ultimately, since 2008, when they have<br />
served together in the Charles L. Brieant<br />
United States Courthouse in White Plains.<br />
Judge Seibel introduced Chief Magistrate<br />
Judge Paul Davison, who noted that<br />
he previously served as Federal Defender,<br />
and appeared before Judge Smith hundreds<br />
of times. When Judge Davison became<br />
a Magistrate Judge in in the SDNY<br />
in White Plains, he succeeded the Hon.<br />
Mark D. Fox in 2009. In that capacity he<br />
noted that he came to know Judge Smith<br />
as a judge, colleague, and friend.<br />
Next on the docket was retired Magistrate<br />
Judge Mark D. Fox. Judge Fox came<br />
to know Judge Smith when she was AUSA<br />
Smith and appeared before him many<br />
times. When a new Magistrate Judge position<br />
was established in 1994, Judge Fox<br />
encouraged then AUSA Smith to apply for<br />
the position. He became her colleague in<br />
March 1995, where they initially worked<br />
at the old courthouse (rented space in an<br />
office building) at 101 East Post Road,<br />
which was very different from the beautiful<br />
new courthouse at 300 Quarropas Street.<br />
The two had the good fortune to have adjacent<br />
chambers, and they shared a cof-<br />
feepot, many lunches, and lots of laughs.<br />
AUSA Perry Carbone spoke on behalf<br />
of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, noting his<br />
and his colleagues many appearances<br />
before Judge Smith, and her attention to<br />
detail when it came to applications for<br />
search warrants, such that she often edited<br />
them with a red pen. This earned Judge<br />
Smith two awards: the (hilarious) “Red Pen<br />
Award” and a plaque in Appreciation of<br />
her Service.<br />
Susanne Brody, Esq. has been a Federal<br />
Defender in White Plains and was an<br />
adversary of then AUSA Smith at the old<br />
courthouse. Ms. Brody reminisced that she<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
represented James Noel Damey in a matter<br />
in which AUSA Smith represented the government;<br />
the case involved possible interviews<br />
of witnesses located in Europe. When<br />
Judge Smith later became a Magistrate<br />
Judge, Ms. Brody noted that she appeared<br />
before Judge Smith many times, and appreciated<br />
that even when it was clear that<br />
her client was not going to get bail, Judge<br />
Smith would allow the argument to be made,<br />
and would give it consideration before ruling<br />
(before denying bail)!<br />
On behalf of the Westchester Women’s<br />
Bar Association, of which Judge Smith is<br />
continued on page 11 ➥<br />
Page 6<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
An Interview with Allyson J. Lanahan<br />
Susan L. Pollet<br />
Chair of the Archive and<br />
Historian Committee<br />
Q: When and why did you<br />
become involved in the<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong>?<br />
A: The Westchester Women’s<br />
Bar Association offered a natural<br />
starting point for reinventing<br />
myself as a working mother<br />
when I was ready to pick up<br />
my legal career after taking<br />
time off to start a family. At<br />
that point in my life it was important<br />
to connect with other<br />
women who had successfully<br />
navigated professional and<br />
family responsibilities. As our<br />
culture is slowly starting to acknowledge,<br />
this careful balancing<br />
act is largely the province<br />
of women, and I found<br />
the support and guidance of<br />
the women I met at the <strong>WWBA</strong><br />
to be a vital part of my successful<br />
re-entry.<br />
Some of the women I met<br />
through the <strong>WWBA</strong> during<br />
those early re-entry days ultimately<br />
became my colleagues<br />
and mentors. A neighbor of<br />
mine suggested I reach out to<br />
Stephanie Melowsky who graciously<br />
responded to my outof-the-blue<br />
email inquiry and<br />
invited me to an inspiring diversity<br />
lecture organized by the<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> Diversity Committee.<br />
Through Stephanie, I connected<br />
with then-president,<br />
Susan Edwards Colson. Susan<br />
invited me to Law Day<br />
where I was inspired to see the<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> reaching out to engage<br />
the next generation of<br />
lawyers. Susan and I later went<br />
on to found and co-chair the<br />
Women in Professional Transition<br />
Project in order to support<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> Members making<br />
changes in their legal careers,<br />
as I was doing. This turned<br />
out to be a great way to meet<br />
“. . . I am curious to see what impact<br />
this time in our culture has on women’s<br />
professional lives. At this particular<br />
moment, I think women especially are<br />
struggling to balance family and<br />
household demands with professional<br />
responsibilities, because there’s no<br />
longer a clear division between the two.”<br />
and help other members.<br />
Around that same time, the<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> hosted its annual Cocktails<br />
and Conversation event on<br />
the rooftop at the Red Hat. I<br />
was introduced to then incoming<br />
president Lisa Denig who was<br />
her usual charming and energetic<br />
self. She introduced me<br />
to anyone and everyone she<br />
thought I should know, including<br />
my future co-chair of the real<br />
property committee, and now<br />
trusted mentor, Michele A. Luzio.<br />
After being introduced that<br />
night, Michele and I ended up<br />
co-chairing the Real Property<br />
Committee together for the next<br />
three years!<br />
It’s remarkable to look back<br />
now and recognize how these<br />
inspiring and dedicated women<br />
supported me personally, and<br />
professionally, as I navigated my<br />
re-entry into the legal field.<br />
Q: Which <strong>WWBA</strong> activities have<br />
you participated in?<br />
A: While part of the <strong>WWBA</strong>, I’ve<br />
cochaired the Real Property<br />
Committee, and the Women in<br />
Professional Transition Project.<br />
Each of these roles has offered<br />
me the valuable opportunity of<br />
connecting with other women in<br />
the <strong>WWBA</strong> and Westchester’s<br />
broader legal community.<br />
This network is especially<br />
valuable to me as a solo practitioner.<br />
In particular, the community<br />
of members in the real prop-<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
erty committee, has become a<br />
valuable collaboration among<br />
knowledgeable practitioners in<br />
the field. Our bi-monthly meetings<br />
provide an opportunity to<br />
identify and discuss common<br />
practice issues. During my time<br />
as Co-Chair, it has been a goal<br />
of the Committee to offer its<br />
members a space to learn and<br />
sharpen skills by harnessing the<br />
collective experience and legal<br />
expertise of the larger group.<br />
Frequently the members make<br />
client and resource referrals to<br />
support one another. Furthermore,<br />
on a personal level, it’s<br />
been very rewarding getting to<br />
know that group of women.<br />
Susan Edwards Colson and<br />
I founded the Women in Professional<br />
Transition Project to support<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> Members making<br />
changes in their legal careers.<br />
We recognized there was value<br />
to be offered to Members by providing<br />
a place to connect, and<br />
to exchange ideas and resources.<br />
Among the group there<br />
was always something to learn,<br />
a referral to be made or a way<br />
to expand our networks. This<br />
project was doubly rewarding<br />
because supporting other<br />
women in professional transition<br />
helped me with my own.<br />
Q: Tell us about your practice,<br />
including what you like most<br />
about it and what are you find<br />
most challenging.<br />
Allyson J. Lanahan<br />
A: I am a solo-practitioner<br />
specializing in residential real<br />
estate and estate planning.<br />
On the real estate side of<br />
things, I really enjoy working<br />
with first-time buyers, and helping<br />
them transition to the next<br />
chapter in their lives. They<br />
usually have a lot of questions<br />
and it is rewarding to be able<br />
to offer them guidance and<br />
peace of mind. I also enjoy<br />
getting to know the group of<br />
real estate agents, title agents,<br />
mortgage brokers and the<br />
other lawyers making up<br />
Westchester’s residential real<br />
estate community.<br />
On the estate planning<br />
side of things, I’ve come to<br />
understand that estate plans<br />
are about more than how<br />
much money you have. Ultimately,<br />
they reflect a given<br />
client’s personal goals and<br />
values. I enjoy helping my clients<br />
identify those goals and<br />
envision their legacy, and then<br />
translate those goals into a<br />
comprehensive plan.<br />
On the practice management<br />
side of things, being a<br />
solo practitioner definitely has<br />
its rewards – and challenges.<br />
First and foremost, I appreciate<br />
the autonomy and flexibilcontinued<br />
on page 9 ➥<br />
Page 7
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
New Westchester County Domestic Violence High Risk Team<br />
from page 5<br />
munity Opportunity Programs/<br />
Victims Assistance Services and<br />
Legal Services of Hudson Valley.<br />
Additionally, county agencies<br />
such as the Department of<br />
Social Services and Community<br />
Mental Health are resources for<br />
the team.<br />
Each of these agencies<br />
brings a level of expertise in the<br />
area of Domestic Violence from<br />
a variety of different vantage<br />
points which, combined together,<br />
provide the best chance<br />
of helping victims.<br />
How does the Westchester<br />
County Domestic Violence<br />
High Risk Team work?<br />
At the center of the team’s<br />
approach is a Lethality Assessment<br />
Program (or LAP). The<br />
LAP is a set of 12 questions that<br />
officers can use to assess the<br />
level of risk when they respond<br />
to a domestic violence incident.<br />
It is predicated on the work of<br />
Dr. Jaqueline Campbell from<br />
Johns Hopkins University<br />
School of Nursing. Dr.<br />
Campbell interviewed abused<br />
women, shelter workers, law<br />
enforcement officials, and other<br />
clinical experts on battering and<br />
from that research, identified<br />
key risk factors that were incorporated<br />
into a series of questions<br />
that became known as the<br />
Danger Assessment.<br />
Representatives from the<br />
County Office for Women,<br />
White Plains Police Department,<br />
Pound Ridge Police Department,<br />
the Westchester District<br />
Attorney’s Office, the<br />
Westchester Medical Center<br />
and Pace Women’s Justice Center<br />
are training police officers<br />
throughout the county on how<br />
the LAP works and how to use<br />
the danger assessment tool.<br />
Darlene Reda, Program Administrator<br />
from the County<br />
Office for Women explained<br />
“The trauma-informed training<br />
is crucial in helping responding<br />
officers understand the effects<br />
of trauma on victims of<br />
domestic violence and how that<br />
trauma affects a victim’s<br />
memory, demeanor and the<br />
way they respond to the situation.<br />
The officers are trained on<br />
the importance of making eye<br />
contact and really listening to<br />
and following up on a victim’s<br />
answers to the Danger Assessment<br />
questions. We know that<br />
it is often frustrating for officers<br />
to go out again and again to<br />
the same residence for DV calls;<br />
this training helps the officers<br />
to understand the dynamics of<br />
domestic violence and why, for<br />
example, a victim continues to<br />
stay with the abuser. We want<br />
the officers to know that their<br />
demeanor can make all the difference<br />
in the world to a victim.”<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
Once a victim is evaluated<br />
as high risk after the LAP<br />
screening, the police officer<br />
doing the screening will call a<br />
24 -hour hotline and connect<br />
the victim with a trained advocate.<br />
The hotline is staffed by<br />
advocates from Westchester<br />
Medical Center who will provide<br />
crisis intervention, safety<br />
planning and referrals for<br />
emergency housing along with<br />
other critical services. The service<br />
providers on the high-risk<br />
team will then follow up with<br />
high risk victims within 24<br />
hours and obtain victims’ consent<br />
to coordinate critical services<br />
for them.<br />
The underlying theory behind<br />
this program is that if a<br />
victim is given the opportunity<br />
to connect with a domestic violence<br />
advocate while a police<br />
officer is present, the victim is<br />
continued on page 15 ➥<br />
A Leader in Serving the<br />
Legal Services Community.<br />
That’s Sterling.<br />
Expect the highest caliber of personal service and<br />
banking expertise.<br />
Expect extraordinary.<br />
Contact banking professionals experienced in<br />
serving your unique needs at 914-367-9000,<br />
or email team556@snb.com<br />
Jamie O’Connell<br />
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
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
THE 19TH AMENDMENT:<br />
The Past in the Present<br />
Eileen N. Nadelson<br />
On September 22, I celebrated<br />
two birthdays - Voter<br />
Registration Day and the<br />
Centennial of the 19th<br />
Amendment. The latter gave<br />
women the right to vote on<br />
August 18, 1920. The theme<br />
of <strong>2020</strong> seems to center<br />
around the vote, and I took<br />
on the role of producing a<br />
documentary video to honor<br />
the long and difficult campaign<br />
forged by the woman<br />
suffrage movement. So, what<br />
does this have to do with our<br />
bar association? Glad I<br />
asked.<br />
Besides the obvious connection<br />
to gender, we, as attorneys,<br />
take an oath to uphold<br />
the Constitution, and the<br />
19th Amendment is certainly<br />
a part of that. We also make<br />
up a large chunk of “We the<br />
People”, tipping slightly into<br />
the majority. But, bestowing<br />
accolades on the triumphs of<br />
women in history is not the<br />
objective of this article. What<br />
is my objective is to reinvigorate<br />
the notion that what we<br />
do in the present is the foundation<br />
for the future. The<br />
Jews call it tradition; the Buddhists<br />
or Hindus call it karma.<br />
I call it legacy.<br />
Our profession gives<br />
ample opportunity to provide<br />
a legacy. Yet, many fail to<br />
utilize it. Think about it. We<br />
create documents, write<br />
briefs, and make arguments<br />
at court. Even without a word<br />
recorded, the base is established.<br />
We interpret and,<br />
sometimes, reestablish the<br />
rules of law. Can you get how<br />
significant and influential that<br />
is? Here is the mindset I want<br />
to propose. Treat every case,<br />
every client, every document<br />
or agreement, every argu-<br />
ment, whether fierce or finessed,<br />
as historical strata.<br />
Sure, some will follow a pattern.<br />
Every movement has a<br />
pattern. The woman suffrage<br />
had a pattern. It is the totality<br />
of the action that leaves<br />
the legacy.<br />
Generally, we follow the<br />
footprints that precede us.<br />
Ever notice how we step into<br />
the footprints already set in<br />
the snow or on a muddy<br />
road? Of course, we can always<br />
set our own path of<br />
footprints. Think of the<br />
people you admired or revered.<br />
That includes members<br />
of your own family, or,<br />
perhaps, historical icons. In<br />
my case, I live on the legacy<br />
of my ancestors, and, also,<br />
revere the lifestyle and principles<br />
of Abraham Lincoln. I<br />
assert that Justice Ginsburg<br />
will be one of the legacy<br />
icons for future generations.<br />
Time to bring this back<br />
full circle. What we do today<br />
will have a lasting impact<br />
on those who follow.<br />
The woman suffrage left a<br />
legacy of the vote for approximately<br />
half the population<br />
of these United States.<br />
The culmination of that<br />
achievement was based on<br />
the legacy of the women who<br />
initiated the first meeting in<br />
Seneca Falls, NY in 1848, 72<br />
years prior. Leaving a legacy<br />
is never easy, but it is inevitable.<br />
Remember this: Posterity<br />
is created in the present.<br />
[Oh, and don’t forget to<br />
vote.] ◗<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
Eileen N. Nadelson is a retired judge<br />
from NYC. As the founder of Judge<br />
For Yourself, she now counsels attorneys<br />
on making a winning argument<br />
at court or conference. You can<br />
reach her directly at 914-415-1292<br />
or judgeforyourself.info.<br />
An Interview with<br />
Allyson J. Lanahan<br />
from page 7<br />
ity that being your own boss<br />
provides. As mother to two<br />
young children, it is especially<br />
important to me to be able to<br />
work remotely and navigate<br />
my work responsibilities<br />
around my parenting responsibilities.<br />
As the boss, I never<br />
have to make excuses or seek<br />
permission to attend that<br />
school concert or parent<br />
teacher conference. On the<br />
other hand, the buck stops<br />
with me. If there’s a problem,<br />
I am the only one to solve it,<br />
and I need to wear every hat:<br />
bookkeeper, IT department,<br />
billing department, paralegal,<br />
file clerk. You name it, I do<br />
it! It can be challenging to<br />
be and do All The Things, All<br />
The Time, but for me the tradeoff<br />
has been worth it.<br />
Q: How do you think the legal<br />
profession will change in<br />
this time of the pandemic,<br />
and how do you believe it’ll<br />
impact women in the profession<br />
in the community?<br />
A: I imagine that some of the<br />
changes we have made to<br />
adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
will last long after the<br />
pandemic has passed. For<br />
example, remote work is likely<br />
here to stay and to be extended<br />
to more people, including<br />
working from home,<br />
and, for better or worse, virtual<br />
meetings.<br />
In particular, I am curious<br />
to see what impact this<br />
time in our culture has on<br />
women’s professional lives.<br />
At this particular moment, I<br />
think women especially are<br />
struggling to balance family<br />
and household demands with<br />
professional responsibilities,<br />
because there’s no longer a<br />
clear division between the two.<br />
This universal “work from<br />
home” moment is revealing<br />
just how deep the inequities of<br />
caretaking and household<br />
management have traditionally<br />
been between men and<br />
women, even when both are<br />
working full-time jobs. What<br />
will we do with that information?<br />
Will we decide that affordable<br />
quality childcare is<br />
something we want to make<br />
accessible to everyone so that<br />
women, and all parents, are<br />
free to pursue their careers? I<br />
hope so, and I hope we use<br />
this moment as an opportunity<br />
to reexamine how corporate<br />
culture can do better by<br />
women and families.<br />
Q: When you are not practicing<br />
law, what are your activities<br />
in the community preand<br />
postcoronavirus pandemic?<br />
A: When I’m not working, I<br />
am active in my local community<br />
association, where I<br />
am a member of the executive<br />
board. We monitor and address<br />
civic issues in our town,<br />
connect neighbors and build<br />
community. We’ve been able<br />
to meet virtually during the<br />
health crisis and, in a way, our<br />
role is even more vital now as<br />
we strive to make sure our<br />
most vulnerable and affected<br />
neighbors have the support<br />
they need. I’m also part of the<br />
parent’s committee of my son’s<br />
preschool. Taking leadership<br />
roles in both these groups is<br />
rewarding, not only because<br />
of the opportunities these roles<br />
provide to engage with and<br />
support my immediate community,<br />
but because of the<br />
neighbors and friends I’ve met<br />
along the way. ◗<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
Page 9
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> AND SDNY CELEBRATE LAW DAY <strong>2020</strong> VIRTUALLY<br />
Tiana Colon, Deborah A. Scalise<br />
and Hon. Lisa Margaret Smith<br />
Law Day has always been<br />
an amazing experience where<br />
students are surrounded by talented<br />
and remarkable individuals<br />
who, through their careers<br />
in the legal community, endeavor<br />
to inspire others and further<br />
a better society. This was<br />
the fourth year that the Rye Neck<br />
Mock Trial Team has participated.<br />
In the past, one of the<br />
best parts of the day was seeing<br />
the younger students energetically<br />
entering the Court<br />
ready to participate in every<br />
activity, and eager to learn more<br />
about the justice system as well<br />
as the history behind Law Day.<br />
Unfortunately, due to COVID-<br />
19 and social distancing guidelines,<br />
the tradition of hosting<br />
Law Day at the United States<br />
District Court in the Southern<br />
District of New York was hindered.<br />
However, this did not<br />
prevent the annual event from<br />
occurring for these students.<br />
On May 4th, <strong>2020</strong>, The<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association<br />
hosted the annual<br />
Law Day/Take Your Children to<br />
Work Day Presentation virtually<br />
for students, teachers, and parents.<br />
This year’s event involved<br />
a record number of more than<br />
300 attendees from Westchester<br />
Schools, as well as attendees<br />
from as far as the Bronx,<br />
Putnam and Rockland , Bethel,<br />
NY , Danbury, Connecticut,<br />
and even, North Miami Beach,<br />
Florida. This event was made<br />
possible via a live webcast<br />
which was able to display presenters<br />
communicating through<br />
a virtual video conference that<br />
was soon uploaded to<br />
everyone’s digital screens. All<br />
guests were first welcomed by<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> Community Outreach<br />
Co-chairs, Deborah A. Scalise,<br />
Esq., and the Honorable Lisa<br />
Margaret Smith, United States<br />
Magistrate Judge, along with<br />
the <strong>WWBA</strong> President, Angela<br />
Morcone Giannini.<br />
Ms. Scalise, of Scalise and<br />
Hamilton, P.C. Scarsdale, introduced<br />
herself and her colleagues<br />
to all participants<br />
watching the live stream. After<br />
a few words of thanks shared<br />
by Angela Giannini, a founding<br />
partner of Fontana<br />
Giannini, LLP in White Plains,<br />
Magistrate Judge Smith explained<br />
the history behind Law<br />
Day and announced this year’s<br />
theme: “Your Vote, Your Voice,<br />
Our Democracy: the 19th<br />
Amendment at 100.” Following<br />
the conversation about the<br />
United States Constitution, the<br />
importance of the Women’s<br />
Suffrage Movement was discussed<br />
as Magistrate Judge<br />
Smith recognized the hundreds<br />
of thousands of women and<br />
other individuals who for decades<br />
fought long and hard for<br />
women to finally be granted the<br />
ability to vote. Participants were<br />
informed on how other achievements<br />
in U.S. history, such as<br />
the 15th Amendment, influenced<br />
the Suffrage Movement<br />
and encouraged the drive of<br />
supporters of the Movement. It<br />
was explained that the enactment<br />
of the 19th Amendment<br />
was a turning point in history<br />
that signified one of the first<br />
steps towards reaching gender<br />
equality and how the huge<br />
milestone would forever shape<br />
today’s society.<br />
Magistrate Judge Smith<br />
then introduced the Rye Neck<br />
High School Mock Trial Team,<br />
continued on page 14 ➥<br />
Page 10<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
SDNY Hosts Virtual Celebration Honoring<br />
the Hon. Lisa M. Smith<br />
from page 6<br />
the current President, past <strong>WWBA</strong> President<br />
Deb Scalise presented a montage of<br />
photographs in celebration of Judge<br />
Smith’s career, as well as her longtime commitment<br />
to the <strong>WWBA</strong>, which recently culminated<br />
in her induction as President of<br />
the <strong>WWBA</strong>. The slide show’s introduction<br />
bears repeating:<br />
Our colleague, mentor, friend, and<br />
fearless leader, the truly Honorable<br />
Lisa Margaret Smith and current President<br />
of the <strong>WWBA</strong>, epitomizes the<br />
mission of the Westchester Women’s<br />
Bar Association.<br />
So, forgive me for adding to and<br />
paraphrasing our Mission Statement:<br />
The mission of the <strong>WWBA</strong>, and its President<br />
the Honorable Lisa Margaret<br />
Smith, United States Magistrate Judge<br />
for the Southern District of New York is<br />
and will continue to be to promote justice<br />
for all, regardless of gender; to<br />
advance the social, economic and<br />
legal status for women through the<br />
law; to expand opportunities for<br />
women and to raise the level of competence<br />
and integrity in the legal profession.<br />
We hope that you enjoy this presentation<br />
which is but a small part of<br />
who Judge Smith is. She is a prime<br />
example of someone that we can all<br />
look to as a woman. Judge Smith is a<br />
devoted wife to William Bowen, and<br />
Mom to J.T and Kinsey, yet she has<br />
managed a successful career of firsts.<br />
For most that would be enough. Yet,<br />
Judge Smith never says no. She makes<br />
the time and effort volunteering over<br />
the years, generally to mentor all of<br />
us at the <strong>WWBA</strong>, but in large part to<br />
the younger generations of judges, lawyers,<br />
and students in our community.<br />
No matter what she may undertake, it<br />
is evident that the Hon. Lisa Margaret<br />
Smith ensures that all her energy, intellect,<br />
and decency are focused on<br />
that case, person, or task.<br />
We are grateful to have the Hon.<br />
Lisa Margaret Smith in our lives. We<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
Flowers from the <strong>WWBA</strong> for<br />
Hon. Lisa M. Smith<br />
wish her well on her retirement as well<br />
as her new role as President of the<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong>.<br />
The photographs of Judge Smith, her<br />
family, her colleagues on the bench and<br />
at the bar as well as her <strong>WWBA</strong> activities,<br />
demonstrated her substantial contributions<br />
to and participation in programs with her<br />
judicial colleagues, and as Community<br />
Outreach Co-chair, where for more than<br />
twenty years she has coordinated the Law<br />
Day/ Take Your Children to Work Day Programs;<br />
and Career Day Programs. More<br />
recently, she helped to coach the Rye Neck<br />
Mock Trial High School Mock Trial Team,<br />
and also incorporated the Team into our<br />
Law/Day festivities, which was held virtually<br />
this year and was attended by more<br />
than 300 students! The slide show concluded<br />
with Judge Smith’s virtual induction<br />
as <strong>WWBA</strong> President this past June. In<br />
honor of her retirement the <strong>WWBA</strong> gave<br />
Judge Smith a beautiful orchid in her favorite<br />
color - purple!! While everyone truly<br />
enjoyed the slide show, Judge Smith’s<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> Presidency will long be remembered<br />
for virtual events!<br />
Judge Seibel also introduced District<br />
Judge Vincent Briccetti. Judge Briccetti and<br />
Judge Smith have known each other since<br />
they were both AUSAs in the Southern District<br />
of New York. They are also neigh-<br />
bors, and Judge Briccetti’s daughters<br />
babysat Judge Smith’s children years ago.<br />
Judge Briccetti talked about how he encourages<br />
litigants to consent to holding<br />
trial before Magistrate Judges, because<br />
when he was in private practice, he had<br />
good luck with trials before Magistrate<br />
Judges, including a bench trial before<br />
Judge Smith. He talked about his belief<br />
that Judge Smith did not get swayed by his<br />
client’s prior criminal record, and instead<br />
credited his client’s testimony, then found<br />
in favor of Judge Briccetti’s client. Like the<br />
other speakers, he spoke of knowing Judge<br />
Smith in different roles, as a colleague in<br />
the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as a judge before<br />
whom he appeared, as a colleague<br />
in the District Court, and as a friend.<br />
Concluding the tribute was the Hon.<br />
Colleen McMahon, Chief Judge of the<br />
Southern District of New York. Getting<br />
somewhat choked up, Judge McMahon,<br />
who began her federal judicial career in<br />
White Plains in 1998, where she sat until<br />
2007, commented that Judge Smith was<br />
the first to welcome her to White Plains.<br />
She also assured the audience that she loves<br />
Judge Smith even though Judge Smith is<br />
the only Magistrate Judge whose Report<br />
and Recommendation she has reversed,<br />
only to find the Second Circuit reversing<br />
Judge McMahon, and she does not hold<br />
it against Judge Smith. Judge McMahon<br />
reiterated that she will truly miss her friend,<br />
Judge Smith.<br />
Notably, even though the speakers<br />
independently prepared their remarks, they<br />
uniformly emphasized Judge Smith’s dedication,<br />
intellect, collegiality, and friendship.<br />
Although Judge Smith had a chance<br />
for rebuttal, she chose to give heartfelt<br />
thanks to all, stating:<br />
Good evening everyone. I am so<br />
blessed to have such extraordinary friends<br />
and colleagues as the ones we have<br />
heard from this evening. Thank you to<br />
each and every one of our speakers for<br />
your kind words, I am truly and humbly<br />
honored. I know this is my chance for<br />
rebuttal, but I’d like to focus on a few thank<br />
continued on page 13 ➥<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
Page 11
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
President’s message<br />
from page 5<br />
otics, and in another day a return<br />
to the hospital for a third<br />
surgery (not counting the<br />
lumpectomies) to be certain the<br />
infection was contained. The<br />
operating room on that occasion<br />
was jampacked, because<br />
this was a teaching hospital,<br />
and very few of the interns and<br />
residents had ever seen what a<br />
reconstruction looked like a<br />
week or more after the patient<br />
went home. The surgery went<br />
well, the infection was tamed,<br />
a few more days of IV antibiotics<br />
and I was home again.<br />
Anyone who has had any<br />
reconstruction knows that there<br />
are follow-up surgeries and procedures,<br />
including tattooing to<br />
create areolas around newly<br />
created nipples. Every doctor<br />
who looks at my reconstruction<br />
marvels at the high quality of<br />
my plastic surgeon’s work, but<br />
when I look at myself I just see<br />
all the scars and a shape that<br />
is not my own. Another consequence<br />
of my surgery that I had<br />
not known would happen is that<br />
I have lost most sensation from<br />
my abdomen to the top of my<br />
breasts. Some has returned, but<br />
most has not.<br />
There were tests, the tissue<br />
was oncotyped, I had DNA<br />
analysis, I learned that I did not<br />
have a breast cancer gene. The<br />
cancer was estrogen positive,<br />
meaning that if there were any<br />
tiny cells of the cancer remaining,<br />
estrogen would encourage<br />
growth, so I was prescribed an<br />
estrogen blocking drug for five<br />
years, which I took religiously.<br />
I was very fortunate, others have<br />
suffered severe side effects from<br />
similar drugs, but my only side<br />
effect, discovered during a<br />
bone density scan, was that the<br />
drug was leaching calcium<br />
from my bones, so I became<br />
osteopenic, which can be a<br />
“I [am telling] you this story because<br />
I want each of you who has gone<br />
through this challenge, or who is<br />
going through this challenge, or<br />
who will go through this challenge,<br />
to know that you are not alone.”<br />
precursor to osteoporosis. I did<br />
not have chemotherapy or radiation.<br />
After five years further<br />
analysis led my doctors to recommend<br />
that I stop taking the<br />
estrogen blocker, because my<br />
risk of recurrence was quite low,<br />
with or without the drug. As a<br />
result, my bones strengthened,<br />
and the doctors determined that<br />
I could be considered cancer<br />
free.<br />
Though considered cancer<br />
free, I did not stop seeing my<br />
doctors, usually it was just an<br />
annual visit to a nurse practitioner.<br />
At one point I became<br />
concerned about a small lump<br />
in my reconstructed breast tissue,<br />
so I returned to my breast<br />
surgeon. She biopsied the<br />
lump, and, as she had suspected,<br />
it was an accumulation<br />
of fat tissue resulting from the<br />
reconstruction. I also pointed<br />
to a raised area above my<br />
breasts, right next to my breastbone,<br />
that was oval in shape,<br />
and just a protruding disc, not<br />
a lump like the other one. It<br />
did not hurt, and over time it<br />
had not seemed to grow. My<br />
surgeon palpated it, and she<br />
then dismissed it, saying it was<br />
nothing to worry about. Unfortunately,<br />
she was wrong.<br />
In May of <strong>2020</strong>, after postponing<br />
a doctor’s appointment<br />
because of the coronavirus<br />
pandemic, I saw my internist of<br />
30 plus years for something<br />
quite unrelated. While I was<br />
there I pointed out this raised<br />
area, and asked if he thought I<br />
should be concerned. It had<br />
not grown markedly in the year<br />
or so since I had shown it to<br />
my breast surgeon, nor did it<br />
hurt, but it still concerned me.<br />
My internist looked at it, and<br />
said “In light of your history let’s<br />
get it checked.”<br />
First he sent me for an ultrasound.<br />
I was subsequently<br />
told that on the first look the<br />
radiologist did not see anything,<br />
but that he asked the ultrasound<br />
operator to do further scans,<br />
because he knew my internist<br />
would likely have had a reason<br />
to send me there. On further<br />
review he felt the tissue<br />
looked suspicious. So my internist<br />
sent me for a needle biopsy.<br />
The needle biopsy also<br />
revealed suspicious cells, but<br />
there was not enough tissue for<br />
a firm diagnosis. So I went for<br />
a core biopsy, with additional<br />
tissue taken from the raised<br />
area, and also from a lymph<br />
node near my underarm. This<br />
was it. The tissue was diagnosed<br />
as metastatic breast cancer,<br />
also known as stage four.<br />
It is invasive breast cancer.<br />
Further tests showed it is<br />
triple negative, meaning that<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
unlike my prior breast cancer,<br />
this was not estrogen positive.<br />
Triple negative stage four breast<br />
cancer is considered very aggressive.<br />
I then went to an oncologist<br />
(I am going to a different<br />
hospital and cancer center<br />
than the one that failed to diagnose<br />
this cancer), who ordered<br />
a petscan to determine<br />
the extent of the spread. The<br />
petscan seemed to indicate<br />
likely spread in my thoracic<br />
spine, subsequently confirmed<br />
by an MRI and a bone biopsy.<br />
Finally, in late June, I started<br />
my first round of chemotherapy.<br />
The oncologist told me that the<br />
cancer is incurable, but treatable,<br />
and that it was not yet time<br />
to put my affairs in order.<br />
So far I am lucky. I am taking<br />
oral chemotherapy medication,<br />
each cycle is three<br />
weeks long, during the first two<br />
weeks I take four pills in the<br />
morning and four more in the<br />
evening, and then I have a<br />
week off. Every six weeks I have<br />
an injection intended to<br />
strengthen my bones to prevent<br />
further spread. I have not had<br />
terrible side effects. I have a<br />
funny metallic taste in my mouth<br />
pretty much all the time, and<br />
the skin on my fingers has<br />
sloughed off. I am also somewhat<br />
tired, but I have been able<br />
continued on page 17 ➥<br />
Page 12<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
SDNY Hosts Virtual Celebration Honoring<br />
the Hon. Lisa M. Smith<br />
from page 11<br />
yous, instead.<br />
First, thank you to the Chief<br />
District Judges who have led the<br />
Southern District during my tenure,<br />
beginning with the late<br />
Hon. Tom Griesa, who, without<br />
hesitation, granted my request<br />
for time off following the birth<br />
of my first child, this was new<br />
territory because, as far as I<br />
know, no sitting judge in the<br />
SDNY has given birth while serving<br />
as a judge, except me.<br />
Next came the Hon. Michael<br />
Mukasey, for my first reappointment<br />
he agreed to do a swearing<br />
in ceremony in White Plains<br />
so that my two children could<br />
attend, because they had not<br />
even been born when I was first<br />
sworn in. The Hon. Kimba<br />
Wood served as Chief during<br />
the two-year period when I was<br />
the Chief Magistrate Judge, we<br />
attended a “Hail to the Chief”<br />
event during our respective<br />
chiefdoms, I have a treasured<br />
photo of the two of us from that<br />
event. Next came the Hon.<br />
Loretta Preska, who served during<br />
the budgetary battles resulting<br />
from the Great Recession.<br />
During that time, I served on<br />
the Committee on the Budget<br />
for the United States courts, and<br />
I benefitted tremendously from<br />
Judge Preska’s guidance. I<br />
also appreciated the support I<br />
received from our Circuit Chief,<br />
Bob Katzmann, while I was on<br />
the Budget Committee. The final<br />
chief for whom I’ve served<br />
is my friend, the Hon. Colleen<br />
McMahon, who had the good<br />
sense to begin her federal judicial<br />
career in White Plains, giving<br />
her insight into the entire<br />
District, not just that auxiliary<br />
Courthouse in Manhattan! Of<br />
course, Colleen has had to face<br />
the impact of Covid-19, and with<br />
the incredible support of all of<br />
our District and Magistrate<br />
Judges, and the guidance of Ed<br />
Friedland and Ruby Krajick and<br />
their staffs, the Southern District<br />
of New York barely skipped a<br />
beat in serving our constituencies.<br />
With the exception of being<br />
able to conduct in person<br />
hearings and trials, during the<br />
last six months the work has<br />
gone on. All of the Chief Judges<br />
who have led the Court during<br />
my time as a Magistrate Judge<br />
have demonstrated extraordinary<br />
leadership, and I thank<br />
them.<br />
In addition to those that<br />
I’ve mentioned, I must thank<br />
the late Hon. Charles Brieant,<br />
who had been Chief Judge of<br />
the District before I was appointed,<br />
but who truly was the<br />
de facto Chief of the White<br />
Plains Courthouse until his<br />
death in 2008. Everyone who<br />
knew and worked with him will<br />
agree that he was truly our<br />
leader in White Plains.<br />
I must also thank my most<br />
sustaining judicial mentor, the<br />
Hon. Mark Fox, from whom you<br />
heard, who served ably in<br />
White Plains from 1991until his<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
retirement in 2008. Mark encouraged<br />
me to apply for the<br />
new second Magistrate Judge<br />
position in White Plains, and he<br />
guided me daily during the succeeding<br />
years until he retired.<br />
We were joined by the Hon.<br />
George Yanthis, the third Magistrate<br />
Judge in White Plains in<br />
1997, and the three of us were<br />
definitely a team, I thank them<br />
both. I must also thank Hon.<br />
Marty Goldberg, he is the only<br />
Southern District Magistrate<br />
Judge with even more seniority<br />
than I have, as he was appointed<br />
a part time Magistrate<br />
Judge in 1993 and is still sitting.<br />
Most of you probably do<br />
not know Marty, as he quietly<br />
performs his duties, handling<br />
the petty offense docket for the<br />
six northern counties in the<br />
Southern District. In 1996, when<br />
my son was born and I took<br />
some time off, Marty voluntarily<br />
helped Mark Fox to handle<br />
the criminal duty in my stead,<br />
this is just one example of the<br />
extraordinary support and cooperation<br />
that exists among the<br />
Magistrate Judges of this District<br />
every day.<br />
You have heard from the<br />
current Chief Magistrate Judge,<br />
the Hon. Paul Davison, who<br />
appeared before me regularly<br />
when he was a Federal Defender,<br />
and I was delighted<br />
when he joined me on the<br />
bench in 2009. I gladly supported<br />
his candidacy because<br />
I knew how perfect he would<br />
be as a judge, and in order to<br />
slightly balance the imbalance<br />
between prosecutors and defense<br />
attorneys on the bench<br />
in White Plains. Another balance<br />
that deserves mention is<br />
the gender balance, when I<br />
started in White Plains, I was<br />
continued on page 15 ➥<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
Page 13
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> AND SDNY CELEBRATE LAW DAY <strong>2020</strong> VIRTUALLY<br />
from page 10<br />
who presented an hour-long trial to all<br />
viewers. Magistrate Judge Smith explained<br />
that this year’s statewide Mock Trial competition<br />
was canceled due to the<br />
coronavirus. With help from Marcella L.<br />
Scalise (Teacher Coach), Deborah A.<br />
Scalise (Lawyer Coach), and the Hon. Lisa<br />
Margaret Smith (Assistant Coach), the Rye<br />
Neck Mock Trial Team has been able to<br />
learn how to accurately conduct legal research,<br />
interpret certain rulings and regulations,<br />
and even how to prepare legal<br />
documents. All of the helpful knowledge<br />
and teachings led our team to win their<br />
match in the first and only round of the<br />
competition season. We thought the season<br />
was over, but our Team and Coaches<br />
gladly reassembled remotely to practice<br />
and to participate virtually in Law Day!<br />
This year’s criminal case, U.S. v.<br />
Phoenix Jones, was about Phoenix<br />
Jones, who was accused of the purchasing<br />
and selling of stolen items off of the<br />
internet with a source of cryptocurrency<br />
referred to as “Byte coin.” While Magistrate<br />
Judge Smith officiated the mock trial,<br />
the Team presented both the Prosecution<br />
and the Defense, including opening and<br />
closing statements and a direct and crossexaminations<br />
of each witness involved in<br />
the case. The audience at home was able<br />
to partake in the fun as well. They received<br />
a Verdict Sheet virtually and acted as the<br />
jury, rendering their verdict in favor of<br />
the Defense by declaring Phoenix Jones<br />
“Not guilty”. Through the trial presentation,<br />
the viewers learned about trial<br />
essentials and followed what it is like to<br />
be a part of a live trial.<br />
After the trial, viewers witnessed a presentation<br />
offered by Lindsey Keenan, Esq.,<br />
an Assistant United States Attorney in the<br />
Southern District of New York and Julie<br />
Brown, a Special Agent at the Federal Bureau<br />
of Investigation. During this part of<br />
the day, AUSA Keenan and Special Agent<br />
Brown shared overviews of their specific<br />
professions and the many responsibilities<br />
their job positions require of them.<br />
AUSA Keenan has worked in the Criminal<br />
Division at the United States Attorney’s<br />
Office since 2018. She informed viewers<br />
that she prosecutes violations of federal<br />
law, which include various types of organized<br />
crime, fraud, and political corruption.<br />
Special Agent e Brown works with<br />
the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate<br />
federal crimes and enforce federal<br />
laws. She revealed that she obtains<br />
statements from witnesses and victims and<br />
analyzes records in order to discover more<br />
information about a particular case.<br />
AUSA Keenan and Special Agent Brown<br />
discussed that they were working on a trial<br />
together with a local Police Department<br />
regarding a hate crime that took place<br />
last year. Both presenters were able to give<br />
viewers an inside look into their expertise<br />
in law and share the duties of their profession<br />
that they carry out on a daily basis.<br />
In addition, Ms. Giannini, Ms. Scalise<br />
and Judge Smith shared what their roles<br />
are in the legal system; Ms. Giannini is a<br />
Plaintiff’s attorney in civil matters; Ms.<br />
Scalise is a defense attorney, and of<br />
course, Magistrate Judge Smith is a Judge!<br />
Next, the webcast presented a U.S. Courts<br />
Law Day video titled “The Courts and You:<br />
From Suffragist Sashes to Antiwar<br />
Armbands.” This video discussed the impacts<br />
that Virginia Minor and Mary Beth<br />
Tinker had on their communities and ultimately<br />
the U.S Constitution. Virginia Minor<br />
decided to sue when being turned<br />
away while trying to register to vote in a<br />
presidential election. The video also acknowledges<br />
Mary Beth Tinker, who sued<br />
the Des Moines Independent Community<br />
School District after believing her First<br />
Amendment rights were violated when encouraging<br />
others to wear black armbands<br />
to protest the Vietnam War. Both of these<br />
remarkable women advocated for real<br />
change in our country as they publicized<br />
inequality. Their efforts tested the limits of<br />
the law and influenced so many other<br />
women to follow in her footsteps to improve<br />
the legal system. The video’s main<br />
purpose is to show young people the real<br />
power they have to strengthen the country’s<br />
democracy and to inspire individuals to<br />
stand up for what they believe in, regardless<br />
of the possibility of a negative outcome.<br />
Finally, Magistrate Judge Smith, Ms.<br />
Scalise and <strong>WWBA</strong> President Giannini<br />
and Rye Neck Mock Trial Coach Marcella<br />
L. Scalise joined each other one last time<br />
to conclude the presentation. A number<br />
of thanks were shared with all those who<br />
made the day possible, such as Total<br />
Webcasting, Inc, who controlled the live<br />
webcast its entire duration. The <strong>WWBA</strong><br />
and The SDNY issued a Law Day proclamation<br />
to all participants and attendees,<br />
commemorating this year’s Law Day<br />
theme of “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our<br />
Democracy: the 19th Amendment at<br />
100.” providing the students, teachers,<br />
and parents a reminder of the importance<br />
of justice and law in our society.<br />
While this year’s Law Day <strong>2020</strong> occurred<br />
virtually under unusual circumstances,<br />
the event was still a great success.<br />
As a part of the Rye Neck Mock<br />
Trial Team, I enjoyed the experience which<br />
allowed students, teachers, and parents<br />
to come together to experience a day that<br />
celebrated legal professionals, who continue<br />
to promote and encourage justice<br />
and democracy. <strong>2020</strong>’s Law Day and the<br />
live webcast’s turnout was so positive, that<br />
it sparked an idea to not only host Law<br />
Day in the U.S. Court House in White<br />
Plains next year, but to stream the day<br />
virtually as well, as a way to advance this<br />
annual tradition by reaching more students.<br />
The day was a success!<br />
As <strong>WWBA</strong> Outreach Co-chairs, we<br />
want to thank the United States District<br />
Court in White Plains for supporting this<br />
program once again. We also thank<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> President Angela Morcone<br />
Giannini and the entire <strong>WWBA</strong> for once<br />
again helping us to put on a Law Day<br />
program for the education of young<br />
people in our community. Finally, our<br />
sincerest thanks to the Rye Neck Mock<br />
Trial Team and their coach, Marcella<br />
Scalise, for their terrific presentation. ◗<br />
Tiana Colon is a Senior at Rye Neck High School.<br />
She is a Captain of the Mock Trial Team and has<br />
been a member of the team for four years. Ms.<br />
Colon will be attending Monmouth University in<br />
fall, where she plans to major in Psychology.<br />
Ms. Colon was to be a WISE intern at Scalise &<br />
Hamilton PC this spring but due to the Pandemic<br />
her internship was cancelled. Nonetheless, we are<br />
grateful that she took time out of her studies for<br />
AP exams to write this article.<br />
Page 14<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
SDNY Hosts Virtual Celebration Honoring<br />
the Hon. Lisa M. Smith<br />
from page 13<br />
the only woman judge there.<br />
That continued until 1996,<br />
when the Hon. Barbara Jones<br />
did a brief rotation of about a<br />
year in White Plains, and then<br />
in 1998 when Colleen<br />
McMahon joined me in White<br />
Plains, until 2007. Our amazing<br />
MC this evening, District<br />
Judge the Hon. Cathy Seibel,<br />
joined me in White Plains in<br />
2008, again helping the gender<br />
balance that was subsequently<br />
improved when the<br />
Hon. Judith McCarthy succeeded<br />
George Yanthis as the<br />
third Magistrate Judge in White<br />
Plains in 2014. I am blessed to<br />
have amazing colleagues, beginning<br />
with my two incomparable<br />
Magistrate Judge colleagues<br />
currently in White<br />
Plains, continuing through our<br />
District Judges, Cathy Seibel,<br />
the inestimable Vince Briccetti,<br />
from whom you also heard, Ken<br />
Karas, Nelson Roman, and,<br />
soon to be installed in White<br />
Plains, Phil Halpern, along with<br />
all the other District Judges who<br />
served in White Plains before<br />
them, all of whom helped me<br />
along the way, and I thank them<br />
all.<br />
Of course, my Magistrate<br />
Judge colleagues throughout<br />
the District, both past and current,<br />
are an amazing group,<br />
the intelligence and work ethic<br />
of every single one is beyond<br />
compare; as a group we have<br />
continued to work together<br />
seamlessly, supporting each<br />
other at every turn, throughout<br />
my 25 years. I thank them all,<br />
from the bottom of my heart.<br />
I could not have done this<br />
job without having had the support<br />
of my Chambers Family,<br />
starting with my first Courtroom<br />
Deputy, Jim Galvin, who supported<br />
me in every way for 15<br />
years, until his retirement. Each<br />
and every law clerk has been<br />
not only an intelligent and talented<br />
lawyer, but everyone has<br />
been a wonderful human being.<br />
I am truly honored to be<br />
able to call each one my<br />
friend, I only hope they benefitted<br />
from their time in Chambers<br />
as much as I benefitted<br />
from having them there.<br />
I also extend thanks to all<br />
of the attorneys who have appeared<br />
before me during my<br />
25 years, you have heard from<br />
Perry Carbone and Suzanne<br />
Brody, excellent attorneys both,<br />
I will say that I have held both<br />
sides to a very high standard,<br />
and with few exceptions they<br />
have met that standard. Their<br />
excellent work has helped to<br />
make this job a joy.<br />
As you could see from the<br />
presentation prepared by my<br />
good friend Deb Scalise, I have<br />
also had the support of the<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association.<br />
They supported my<br />
application to become a Magistrate<br />
Judge, they have supported<br />
and applauded me at<br />
every turn since, and I am<br />
proud to hold the position of<br />
President of the <strong>WWBA</strong> this<br />
year. I am grateful for everything<br />
they have done for me.<br />
I should also thank all of<br />
my friends from every part of<br />
my life, many of whom are with<br />
us this evening, including the<br />
most enduring of my friends,<br />
Judy Evans Johnson, we were<br />
born 3 days apart in the<br />
Hamilton Community Memorial<br />
Hospital, and we have been<br />
friends ever since. To all my<br />
friends, thank you for your<br />
friendship.<br />
My immediate family also<br />
deserves a word of thanks. To<br />
my late parents, the Reverend<br />
Dr. Robert Smith and Dr.<br />
Rosalind Smith, I give them all<br />
the credit for raising me, along<br />
with my sister Debby, who is a<br />
retired teacher, and my brother<br />
Brian, who is a public interest<br />
lawyer, and instilling in us the<br />
knowledge that education was<br />
the gateway to whatever we<br />
wanted to pursue. My sister<br />
and brother have also supported<br />
me every step of the<br />
way, as has our stepmother, Dr.<br />
Joyce Irwin, and I love them for<br />
it. I also want to thank the rest<br />
of my extended family.<br />
To my children, J.T. and<br />
Kinsey, you are the lights of my<br />
life. I believe and hope that I<br />
raised you to be strong and independent,<br />
and to speak your<br />
minds when necessary. I am<br />
so proud of you.<br />
Finally, to my dear husband,<br />
Bill Bowen, who is seated<br />
here beside me, I cannot possibly<br />
express how much his love<br />
and support have meant to me<br />
over the years. He is my best<br />
friend, and my rock, without him<br />
I could never have done this<br />
job or any of the other things I<br />
have accomplished. I am ever<br />
grateful that I have him by my<br />
side as I move into retirement.<br />
Thank you all for being<br />
here, and for your many<br />
kindnesses and support over<br />
the years. I look forward to seeing<br />
each of you in person one<br />
of these days, when it becomes<br />
safe. I have been truly blessed<br />
to have this job, and to work in<br />
the White Plains Courthouse,<br />
for more than 25 years. Thank<br />
you all.<br />
The virtual attendees gave<br />
Judge Smith a virtual ovation<br />
and wished her well. It was a<br />
wonderful evening. Needless to<br />
say, the <strong>WWBA</strong> is grateful that<br />
the Hon. Lisa Margaret Smith<br />
chose to spend her “retirement”<br />
as President of the <strong>WWBA</strong>. We<br />
look forward to joining her to<br />
celebrate the <strong>WWBA</strong>’s 45th Anniversary<br />
this year. ◗<br />
Westchester County Domestic<br />
Violence High Risk Team<br />
from page 8<br />
more likely to obtain services than if they were simply given a<br />
phone number to call at some later time, thereby reducing the<br />
likelihood of being killed.<br />
Legal service providers on the team will then assist victims in a<br />
range of civil family law matters including child custody and<br />
support, immigration assistance and obtaining orders of protection,<br />
while the District Attorney’s Office and Probation will work<br />
with victims to ensure offender accountability.<br />
What does the Westchester County Domestic Violence High<br />
Risk Team hope to accomplish?<br />
Through a coordinated response and trauma informed intervention,<br />
the Westchester County Domestic Violence High Risk<br />
team is hopeful that their multi- agency approach will save lives.<br />
The goal is that this model will ultimately expand statewide and<br />
by doing, so will honor those lives lost as a result of domestic<br />
violence. ◗<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
Page 15
Chapter News and Announcements<br />
Announcements & Notes on Members<br />
❑ On September 15, <strong>2020</strong>, the Real Property Committee hosted its annual kickoff<br />
meeting via Zoom. Although Covid has presented many real estate challenges,<br />
hosting our committee meetings via Zoom allows busy practitioners the<br />
opportunity to connect with each other and learn practice tips with minimum time<br />
commitment. Our guest speaker was our own committee member, Jean Par<br />
ar-<br />
tridge, Chief Counsel and Managing Member of Benchmark Title Agency, LLC,<br />
and President of the New York State Land Title Association. Jean answered the<br />
committee’s questions regarding title issues ranging from benefits of obtaining a<br />
new survey, what should be shown on a survey, options when an encroachment<br />
or “out of possession” is shown on a survey, marketability of title, and what is<br />
(and is not) covered by standard title policies. The Real Property Committee<br />
welcomes new members, whether you practice real estate law full time or would<br />
just like a better understanding of the area of practice.<br />
It’s a great opportunity to learn, collaborate<br />
and problem solve. Please join us at our next Zoom<br />
meeting on November 11th at 1:00 pm. Contact<br />
Anne Aicher at aaicher@hollislaidlaw.com for a<br />
Zoom invitation.<br />
❑ Susan L. . Pollet<br />
ollet, former <strong>WWBA</strong> President, published<br />
her third novel, entitled “Women in Crisis:<br />
Stories From the Edge.” Each chapter is the story of<br />
a different woman, speaking with her psychiatrist,<br />
about important issues which impact upon all women<br />
and the men who care about them. It is available<br />
on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/<br />
1952570492. ◗<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 />
The Show will Go On!!<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> Holiday Party to Take Place on<br />
Saturday, November 28, <strong>2020</strong><br />
This year’s Holiday Party will be virtual and will be like nothing we have<br />
ever done before. Our Party will be on Saturday, November 28 – Small<br />
Business Saturday.<br />
We will offer an all-day Zoom virtual shopping boutique! Many of our<br />
favorite vendors from prior years will be back, and one or two newcomers<br />
who I know you’ll love. Each vendor will get 30 minutes to show you their<br />
wares; you will already have in your possession a list of vendors, their<br />
contact information, and their time slots. You see, you like, you buy directly<br />
from the vendor . . . all from the comfort of home! One of the 30-minute<br />
slots will go the Westchester Women’s Bar Association Foundation, which<br />
will sell their cards as always….and they are planning a special half-our<br />
CLE as well. I won’t steal their thunder by giving it away, but I promise it will<br />
be a lot of fun.<br />
The whole thing will be hosted by yours truly, Dolores “Jerry Lewis”<br />
Gebhardt! We want this to be a big success, so plan to spend the day in<br />
your sweatpants while you safely shop for the holidays, and pick up half a<br />
CLE credit as well!” ◗<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 16<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association New Members<br />
The Westchester Women’s Bar Association proudly welcomes our newest members:<br />
TO PROTECT THE PRIVACY OF OUR MEMBERS,<br />
THIS INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE <strong>WWBA</strong> ONLY.<br />
President’s Message<br />
from page 12<br />
to work, and to continue my duties with <strong>WWBA</strong>. I have not had<br />
nausea or diarrhea, two of the most likely side effects (in<br />
fact, because I am quite contrary, I have had to deal with<br />
constipation rather than diarrhea). I do suffer from anxiety,<br />
though of course the pandemic, solitude, and preparing<br />
for retirement all add to that (by the way, retirement was<br />
planned a full year ago and was not the result of this diagnosis).<br />
I have not had medication by infusion, or faced<br />
losing my hair, though I know that if the current medication<br />
regime is not successful I may have to move to that. I will<br />
have a scan in <strong>October</strong> that should reveal whether the cancer<br />
is responding to this medication - the goal is to stop the<br />
spread of the cancer without having terrible side effects.<br />
Ideal would be if it causes the cancer to regress - but the<br />
truth is, it will not go away. I will not beat this. I will delay<br />
it, and I will live every day until I no longer can, and that<br />
day may be many years away, but I do not pretend that it<br />
will disappear. I am trying to be both an optimist and a<br />
realist, and to keep putting one foot in front of the other. In<br />
that, I have a victory.<br />
Dear friends, I am sharing this with you not because I<br />
want your pity. As of now I do not need meals delivered<br />
and I am capable of driving; my treatment is not disabling.<br />
I will say that prayers are appreciated, and positive vibes if<br />
you are more comfortable with that. I do tell you this story<br />
because I want each of you who has gone through this<br />
challenge, or who is going through this challenge, or who<br />
will go through this challenge, to know that you are not<br />
alone. This message also goes to our male members and<br />
friends, because breast cancer also affects men, as pa-<br />
“If you are afraid, or if you need a<br />
friend to go with you to the doctor,<br />
or if you just need to talk, whether<br />
or not you have been diagnosed with<br />
breast cancer, please reach out to<br />
me . . . If you are moved to try to<br />
do something about this horrible<br />
disease, then please donate to the<br />
American Cancer Society . . . ”<br />
tients, as caregivers, as spouses, as sons, as fathers, as<br />
brothers, and as friends. If you are afraid, or if you need a<br />
friend to go with you to the doctor, or if you just need to<br />
talk, whether or not you have been diagnosed with breast<br />
cancer, please reach out to me at<br />
lisamsmith@rocketmail.com.<br />
If you are moved to try to do something about this horrible<br />
disease, then please donate to the American Cancer<br />
Society, through Team Orbach, for our Breast Cancer Walk,<br />
scheduled virtually for <strong>October</strong> 18, <strong>2020</strong>. I assure you that<br />
I will be walking, in my own neighborhood, and wearing a<br />
mask. You can find Team Orbach to donate or to sign up<br />
to walk, or both, at https://secure.acsevents.org/site/<br />
STR?fr_id=97723&pg=team&team_id=2554957, or sign<br />
in on the weekly <strong>WWBA</strong> events email.<br />
If you are unable to donate, then please join our team<br />
and walk. Together we can beat this. Please help us do it<br />
sooner, rather than later. ◗<br />
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News<br />
Page 17
<strong>WWBA</strong> Schedule of Upcoming Events<br />
COMMITTEE DATE/TIME PLACE TOPIC RSVP (also online at www.wwbany.org)<br />
Board of Directors Meeting 10/7/20<br />
5:30-7:30 pm<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong>-American Cancer 10/18/20<br />
Society Walk<br />
9:00-12:00 pm<br />
Education Committee,<br />
Diversity; Children, Families<br />
& the Courts; & Immigration<br />
Committees<br />
Employment Law<br />
Committee<br />
<strong>WWBA</strong> & The Pace<br />
Women’s Justice Center<br />
10/21/20<br />
12:00-1:30 pm<br />
10/27/20<br />
12:30 pm<br />
10/28/20<br />
6:30-8:30 pm<br />
Zoom<br />
Manhattanville College,<br />
Purchase, NY<br />
Zoom link will be sent<br />
prior to the start time to<br />
all registrants<br />
Zoom<br />
Zoom<br />
Making Strides Against<br />
Breast Cancer-Team<br />
Orbach<br />
Immigration Students:<br />
Their Legal Rights,<br />
Challenges, and Needs<br />
in the Public Schools. A<br />
primer for attorneys,<br />
practioners, and<br />
interested community<br />
members.<br />
Peer group discussion<br />
focused on employer<br />
and employee concerns<br />
related to Covid-19.<br />
Demystifying the Role<br />
of the Attorney for the<br />
Child<br />
$20 for members and<br />
non-members<br />
2 Credits: 1.5 in<br />
Professional Practice<br />
and .5 in Ethics<br />
For more information go to<br />
www.wwbany.org<br />
Please RSVP by 10/20 at 5:00 p.m.<br />
online at www.wwbany.org or<br />
email<br />
executivedirector@wwbany.org<br />
To receive the Zoom link members<br />
can RSVP to<br />
kberg@gouldberglaw.com<br />
RSVP by 10/26 online at<br />
www.wwbany.org or email<br />
executivedirector@wwbany.org<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