WWBA April 2022 Newsletter - M

Westchester Women’s Bar Association 

APRIL 2022 

WWBA 

news 

www.wwbany.org 

WWBA Guest Readers Joyfully Return to Eugenio 

Maria de Hostos MicroSociety School for In-Person 

Celebration of Read Across America Day 

Julie P. Passman 

O 

n March 2, 2022, WWBA 

Board members were thrilled 

to return to the Eugenio Maria 

de Hostos MicroSociety School in Yonkers 

for the annual Read Across America 

Day celebration. Read Across America 

Day commemorates Dr. Seuss’s birthday 

in schools across the country. Last 

year, with the pandemic derailing many 

cherished celebrations, WWBA members 

maintained their strong commitment to 

the Hostos School community by creating 

prerecorded read-aloud storybook 

videos to be shared with the Hostos School students. This year, it was wonderful to 

resume the annual in-person celebration with our friends at the Hostos School! 

Upon arrival at the Hostos School, WWBA guest readers enthusiastically embraced 

each other in the Hostos School library, excited to reunite in-person after two 

years of remote Board meetings, social events, and CLE programs. As always, WWBA 

guest readers were greeted warmly by Hostos School principal, Elda Perez-Mejia. Ms. 

Perez-Mejia was joined by Jeremy Rynders, Hostos School Assistant Principal. This year, 

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 


An Interview with 

Alison Morris 

(page 5) 

Justic Sondra M. Miller 

Scholarship Recipients 

Revealed! 

(page 6) 

WWBA News 

(page 7) 

Upcoming Events 

(Page 9) 

Judge Lisa Margaret Smith is greeted by student 

ambassadors from Ms. Walsh’s 4th grade class 

SAVE THE DATE 

Westchester Women’s Bar Association News 

continued on page 4 ➥ 

WESTCHESTER 

WOMEN’S BAR 

BOOK CLUB 

April 4, 2022 

WESTCHESTER 

WOMEN’S BAR BOARD 

OF DIRECTORS AND 

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP 

MEETING: 

ETHICS UPDATE 


WESTCHESTER 

WOMEN’S BAR 

TALENT SHOW 


PRESIDENT’S 

MESSAGE 

I’ll be honest 

with you – writing 

these columns is 

challenging. Each 

month, I spend 

hours going down 

the Google rabbit 

hole, hoping that 

the internet spirits will 

Amanda C. Fried 

take pity on me and 

bless me with some inspiration. This 

month’s deep dive revealed that April 

is National Canine Fitness Month, 

National Garden Month, National 

Welding Month (yes, you read that right), 

National Soft Pretzel Month, and National 

Brunch Month, to name a few. 

Brunch? Count me in. 

April, though, is also National 

Child Abuse Month, National 

Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and 

National Autism Awareness Month. Last 

month, I dedicated the column to acknowledging 

the incredible women in 

my life that shaped me, but it set me 

thinking about what other experiences 

are pivotal to shaping our individual 

and collective experiences. 

As a family law attorney, child 

abuse is an all-too-common subject of 

my practice and its tragic effect has 

tested my faith in humanity. My best 

childhood friend’s son is autistic, and 

the eye-opening journey that I have been 

on with her for the last eight years has 

been profound. A close family member 

of mine recently received a 

Parkinson’s diagnosis, and the quest for 

satisfactory medical support has been 

overwhelming and exhausting. 

There is a millennial meme makcontinued 

on page 3 ➥ 

Page 1 

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

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WWBA Member Newsletter 


Published Monthly by the 

Westchester Women’s 

Bar Association, a Chapter of 

the Women’s Bar Association 

of the State of New York 

~ 2021/2022 Officers and Directors ~ 

President AMANDA C. FRIED 

President-Elect ELIZABETH Z. MARCUS 

Vice Presidents 

NATANYA L. BRIENDEL JENNIFER L. GRAY JULIE P. PASSMAN 

Treasurer 

DEBORAH FARBER-KAISER Recording Secretary AMANDA K. RIEBEN 

Corresponding Secretary JILL OZIEMBLEWSKI 

Immediate Past ast President 

HON. LISA MARGARET SMITH 

Elected Directors Westchester Board 

KIM BERG ROBIN D. CARTON LISA M. DENIG 

ANNETTE HASAPIDIS ALISON SLOTO 

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

LUCIA CHIOCCHIO JACQUELINE HATTAR ANN M. McNULTY 

ANGELA MORCONE GIANNINI ADRIENNE ORBACH 

SUSAN MILLS RICHMOND JANEEN THOMAS 

Executive Director ELISABETH CAMPOS 

© Copyright 2022 Westchester Women’s Bar Association. All rights reserved. 

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

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

2021-2022 WWBA Committee Chairs 

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

By-Laws ............................................................................... Kim Berg 

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

Criminal Law ................. Elizabeth Gazay, Amy Puerto, Christine Paska 

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

Amanda Rieben 

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

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

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

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

Legislation .................. Natanya L. Briendel, Angela Morcone Giannini 

Matrimonial ...... Robin D. Carton, Andrea Friedman, Jennifer Jackman 

Annual Dinner ............................................... Robin D. Carton, Amanda Fried 

Jennifer L. Gray, Jennifer Johnson 

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

Appellate Practice ........... Lisa M. Denig, Hon. Sondra M. Miller, Heather Gushue 

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

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

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

Breast Cancer Awareness ............. Adrienne J. Orbach, Hon. Sandra A. Forster 

Collaborative Law ......... Kathleen Donelli, Hon. Sondra M. Miller, Lynn J. Maier 

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

Construction Law ............................................. Aisling Brady, Rachel Geraghty 

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

Cyber Law ........................................................................................... TBD 

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

Domestic Violence ........................ Marian Genio, Beth Levy, Stacey Neumann 

Education ................... Alison Morris, Julie P. Passman, , Susan Mills Richmond 

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

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

Environmental & Land Use Lucia Chiocchio, Jennifer L. Gray, Katherine Zalantis 

Gender Dynamics ................................................................................ TBD 

Holiday Party and Boutique .............. Jennifer Netrosio-Johnson, Jessica Piperis 

Immigration ................... Karin Anderson, Elizabeth Mastropolo, Mayha Ghouri 

Insurance ............................................. Michelle Kolodny, Julie A. Mickiewicz 

Intellectual Property .............................. Elizabeth M. Barnhard, Theresa Nugent 

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

Litigation .................... Angela Giannini, Jacqueline Hattar, Rebecca McCloskey 

Long Range Planning ...................................... Lisa M. Denig, Linda Markowitz 

Mediation ..................... Hon. Sondra M. Miller, Abby Rosmarin, Lisa M. Denig 

Mentor ............................................ Kim Berg, Sherry Bishko, Christine Paska 

Past Presidents ...... Angela Giannini, Deborah Scalise, Hon. Lisa Margaret Smith 

Practice Management ................................................. Wendy Marie Weathers 

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

Membership ............................................ Sherry Bishko, Marian Genio 

Networking ........................................ Jennifer Netrosio, Jessica Piperis 

New Lawyers ............................................ Katie Wendle, Aisha Scholes 

Professional Development .. Susan Edwards Colson, Stephanie Melowsky 

Programs .......................................... Natanya L. Briendel, Amy Puerto 

Public Relations ............................................................ Lisa M. Denig 

Real Property ....... Anne R. Aicher, Allyson Lanahan, Robbin E. Sweeney 

Sponsorship .............................. Susan Colson, Deborah Farber-Kaiser, 

Meredith Kenyon 

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

Trusts & Estates ........... Nancy J. Rudolph, Karen J. Walsh, Lonya Gilbert 

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

Social Media ........................................................................................ TBD 

Technology/Website .................................... Theresa Nugent, Janeen Thomas 

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

Women in Leadership ........................................................................... TBD 

WWBA 

Representatives 

Network of Bar Leaders ............................................ Angela Morcone Giannini, Robin Carton 

Pace Board of Visitors .......................................................................................... Lisa Denig 

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

WWBA Representative Director to the WCBA Board ........................................... Jennifer Gray 

WBASNY Vice President .............................................................................. Shari R. Gordon 

WBASNY Judiciary/Courts Committee ......................... Gail M. Boggio (Rep), Lisa Bluestein (Alt) 

WBASNY Nominations Committee ......................... Lisa M. Bluestein (Rep), Gail M. Boggio (Alt) 

WBASNY Awards Committee ...................................................................... Deborah Scalise 

WBASNY Chapters-Membership Committee ..................................................... Sherry Bishko 

WBASNY Family/Matrimonial Law Committee .............................................. Jennifer Jackman 

WBASNY Fundraising Committee ............................................................... Andrea Friedman 

WBASNY ERA/Women’s Civil Rights ........ Kim Berg (Co-Chair), Susan Mills Richmond (Member) 

WBASNY Labor and Employment Law Committee ..................................................... Kim Berg 

WBASNY Legislation Committee ................................................................. Natanya Briendel 

WBASNY LGBTQ+ Committee ................................................................. Adrienne Orbach 

WBASNY Domestic Violence Committee ............ Susan Pollet (Co-Chair), Alayne Katz (Member) 

WBASNY Press and Public Relations Committee .............................. Angela Morcone Giannini 

WBASNY Children’s Rights Committee .................................................................. Joy Joseph 

WBASNY Long-Range Planning Committee .................................................... Linda Markowitz 

WBASNY Diversity Committee ...................................................................... Janeen Thomas 

WBASNY CLE Liason Committee ................................................................. Ann M. McNulty 

WBASNY JALBCA Committee .................................................................... Sandra A. Forster 

WBASNY Convention Committee ............................................................... Adrienne Orbach 

WBASNY Equal Opportunity in the Profession Committee .......................................... Kim Berg 

WBASNY Sex Traficking Committee ....................................................... Sarah Ross-Benjamin 

WBASNY Access to Justice Committee .......................................................... Rachel Halperin 

WBASNY Collaborative Law Committee ........................................................ Kathleen Donelli 

WBASNY Education/Title IX Committee ......................................................... Sarah Richmond 

WBASNY Health Issues & Reproductive Rights Committee ................................ Sara Hechtman 

WBASNY Intellectual Property Committee .................................................. Elizabeth Barnhard 

WBASNY Women’s Judges Committee .................................................... Lisa Margaret Smith 

WBASNY Criminal Law Committee .................................................................. Sherlyn Pulver 

9th Judicial District Representative .................................... Lisa Margaret Smith, Amanda Fried 

Page 2 

Westchester Women’s Bar Association News

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President’s Message 

from page 1 

“. . . [L]ike the path 

of a river changes 

the surrounding land, 

the trajectories of 

our lives are carved 

out by pivotal people 

and events, and if 

you are anything like 

me, the arbitrariness 

can feel stressful.” 

ing the rounds on social media that says: 

“Welcome to your teenage years! Here’s 

a global terrorism event to define your 

adolescence! Welcome to adulthood! 

Here’s a global recession! Welcome to parenthood! 

Here’s a global pandemic!” It 

is, of course, intended to poke fun at the 

effect that these shared traumas have had, 

but it cannot be denied that global events, 

whether distressing or joyful, alter each of 

our identities and change, not only the way 

we view the world, but the world itself. 

I feel confident that each of us can 

describe in vivid detail our exact location 

and experience on 9/11, and although we 

have normalized the changes, air travel 

has never been the same. And while I would 

be grateful to never hear the word “pandemic” 

again after two plus years of this, 

we cannot minimize the impact that 

COVID-19 has had and continues to have 

emotionally, financially, and physically on 

millions around the world, particularly on 

those who lost their lives or their still grieving 

families. 

As I write this, we are over two weeks 

into the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According 

to Reuters, there have been at least 

14 thousand deaths, 1.8 thousand nonfatal 

injuries, approximately 2.6 million 

people displaced, and $119 billion worth 

of property damage. The world watches 

and holds is collective breath, thinking 

about the colossal impact this war will have 

on the lives of millions of Ukrainians and 

the rest of the world. 


Editor’s Note 

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone 

through to achieve that beauty.” 

~ Dr. Maya Angelou 

Making Dates and Getting Published 

NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS 

❑ Deadline for newsletter submissions is the 10th of the month prior to publication (submissions 

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

❑ Send submissions as email attachments to Jill Oziemblewski at jill_oziemblewski@yahoo.com. 

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

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

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

their submissions. 

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

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

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

each photograph must be fully identified. 

PROGRAM SCHEDULING 

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

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

priority for early submissions. 

❑ Contact Jill Oziemblewski at jill_oziemblewski@yahoo.com to schedule a WWBA sponsored 

or co-sponsored program, including committee meetings, CLE programs, etc. 

❑ Once you have reserved the date with Jill Oziemblewski, proceed with planning your program 

and creating your flyer. 

❑ Flyers must be approved by the Programs Committee. In advance of the 10th of the month, 

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

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

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

final flyer will also be emailed to the membership. 

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

to our members. 

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

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

to Jennifer Robinson, following the guidelines above. 

Contacts 

Jill Oziemblewski, Corresponding Secretary and Newsletter Editor-in-Chief: jill_oziemblewski@yahoo.com 

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

Amy Puerto, Programs Committee Co-Chair: amy.puerto@yahoo.com 

Amanda C. Fried, President: president@wwbany.org 

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

Elisabeth Campos, Executive Director: executivedirector@wwbany.org 

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

Full Page Display Ad: 5-10 Issues - $525.00 per issue; 1-4 Issues - $575.00 per issue 

Half Page Display Ad: 5-10 Issues - $275.00 per issue; 1-4 Issues - $300.00 per issue 

Quarter Page Display Ad: 5-10 Issues - $165.00 per issue; 1-4 Issues - $180.00 per issue 

Business Card Ad: 5-10 Issues - $60.00 per issue; 1-4 Issues - $75.00 per issue 

Classified – office space, furniture/equipment, employment & situation wanted (up to 5 lines) 

Members - $50.00 first issue; $25.00 each succeeding issue; Non-Members - $75.00 per issue 

Back Cover (3/4 page) 

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

Deadline for all ads is the 10th of the month prior to publication. Ads are subject to space limitations. 

Contact Jill Oziemblewski at secretary@wwbany.org for any questions regarding advertising. 


Page 3

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WWBA Guest Readers Joyfully Return to In-Person Celebration 

of Read Across America Day 

from page 1 

more than ever, WWBA guest 

readers were touched by the 

enthusiastic greetings from 

pairs of bright and charming 

Hostos School student ambassadors 

dressed in festive The 

Cat in the Hat attire. Guest 

readers and student ambassadors 

chatted eagerly as they 

walked to the classrooms. 

The Hostos MicroSociety 

School is a pre-K through 

Grade 8 school designed to 

create a microcosm of the real 

world, where each student has 

a valuable role in running the 

school. Students are entrepreneurs 

and other professionals 

who earn “Micro” currency, 

elected officials who run the 

school government, judges and 

arbitrators who resolve disputes, 

and Peace Officers who ensure 

safety. Even the youngest stu- 

Julie Passman with students in Ms. Correa’s class (Ms. Colado, 

Substitute Teacher, is pictured) 

Julie Passman greeted by Ms. 

Correa’s student ambassadors 

Jacqueline Hattar reads to 

students in Ms. King’s class 

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dents prepare resumes and 

participate in MicroSociety job 

interviews and job fairs. The 

MicroSociety program is purposefully 

aligned with the academic 

curriculum, so that student 

learning is relevant to the 

real world and students are excited 

and prepared to be our 

future leaders. 

Four WWBA Board members 

participated as guest readers 

in this year’s Read Across 

America Day celebration: 

Jacqueline Hattar, WWBA State 

Director; Judge Lisa Margaret 

Smith, Immediate Past President; 

Angela Morcone 

Giannini, Past President; and 

Julie P. Passman, Vice President. 

Guest readers read 

storybooks by Dr. Seuss and 

other authors to the students in 

assigned classrooms and joy- 


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Page 4 


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An Interview with Alison Morris 

Susan L. Pollet 

Chair of the Archive and 

Historian Committee 

Q: When and why did you 

become involved in the 

WWBA? 

A: I became involved in the 

WWBA during law school, 

participating in events for law 

students and then joining the 

New Lawyers committee after 

I graduated. Everyone on the 

WWBA I spoke with during 

and after law school was always 

so supportive and helpful, 

and to be a part of a Bar, 

comprised of female attorneys 

that truly just wanted to 

support and help other 

women, meant so much to 

me as a young attorney. 

Q: Which activities and positions 

of the WWBA have 

you participated in? 

A: For the past two years, I 

have served on the Education 

Committee as Co-Chair, 

with my fantastic Co-Chairs 

Julie Passman and Susan 

Mills Richmond. We have 

put on several programs and 

CLEs, including a joint CLE 

with the Diversity, Children 

Families & the Courts, and 

Immigration Committees on 

the rights of immigrant students, 

a program discussing 

the recent Supreme Court 

case on student speech 

rights, Mahanoy Area 

School District v. B.L., entitled 

“Regulating Off-Campus 

Speech in the Digital Age: 

Does Tinker Apply.” Most 

recently, on February 3, 

2022, our Committee put on 

a program on Title IX, entitled 

“Title IX Sexual Harassment 

on College and University 

Campuses: The Swinging 

Pendulum of Protections and 

Processes Where Should the 

Pendulum Land?” 

“[F]ind what you love and are 

passionate about and work 

in that field . . . when you are 

practicing in a field you are 

passionate about, it makes 

a difference.” 

Q: What would you like to 

see the WWBA accomplish in 

the future? 

A: I feel like the WWBA currently 

accomplishes the goals 

and ideals I want it to. There 

are community outreach and 

mentoring opportunities, volunteer 

programs and opportunities, 

support and joint collaboration 

for programs, and social 

events. It’s truly a great 

Bar for networking, and it supports 

its members’ endeavors. 

Q: Please tell us about your 

legal career. 

A: I entered and graduated law 

school knowing I wanted to 

advocate for individuals with 

disabilities, especially in the 

education context. My younger 

brother has special needs, and 

I have always wanted to make 

sure he receives everything he 

needs and is entitled to, and to 

make sure other individuals 

with special needs are advocated 

for in the same manner. 

My first year after graduating 

from law school I worked at 

Legal Services of the Hudson 

Valley as a Disability Staff Attorney, 

representing individuals 

with severe mental illness. It 

was great experience, and I was 

able to assist vulnerable populations 

in a variety of legal 

matters. Fortuitously, the Cuddy 

Law Firm was looking for attorneys, 

and I have been able to 

build a career and practice with 

them, becoming a Senior At- 

torney in 2021. I initially engaged 

in special education litigation, 

submitting 17-a 

Guardianships, and advocating 

on behalf of families at their 

children’s individualized education 

program (IEP) meetings, 

and now I am more fully focusing 

on special education advocacy, 

assisting families in 

navigating the OPWDD (Office 

for People with Developmental 

Disabilities) system, and 

providing presentations and 

CLEs in these areas. In addition, 

teaching has always been 

an aspiration of mine, and this 

past fall semester I was an Adjunct 

Professor at Pace Law 

School, where I taught a course 

entitled Law and Education. 

Q: What advice do you have 

for new lawyers entering the 

profession? 

A: First, find what you love and 

are passionate about and work 

in that field. That might take 

time and trying out different areas 

and jobs, but when you are 

practicing in a field you are 

passionate about, it makes a 

difference. I would also suggest 

networking and reaching out to 

people in areas of law you are 

interested in; you never know 

when you might want to reach 

out and connect with prior contacts 

again, or when they remember 

you and might reach 

out to you. I would also suggest 

continuing to work on writing 

skills and improving and 

Alison Morris 

honing that skill, even after 

graduating. 

Q: How have you balanced 

family responsibilities and 

your legal career? 

A: I have an amazing family 

and support system, who 

have always been understanding 

and supportive. It 

helps I’m sure that my mom 

is also an attorney, and so I 

can turn to her for advice, and 

a family that understands the 

demands that are involved 

with being an attorney. 

Q: When you are not lawyering, 

which community 

activities and other interests 

do you pursue? 

A: When I am not lawyering, 

pre-COVID and now that 

COVID is improving, my 

activities revolve around activities 

with my family (usually 

with sports), and any activity 

related to foods. As the pandemic 

improved (in waves), it 

was great to get back to attending 

Mets games with my 

father, taking my younger 

brother to an interactive art 

exhibits in the city, and a 

Rangers game more recently, 

which was a nice return to pre- 

COVID life and activities. ◗ 


Page 5

Chapter News and Announcements 

Announcements & Notes on Members 

❑ WWBA Past President Lisa Denig is participating in 

Hillside Food Outreach’s Dancing With Our Stars fundraiser. 

This event raises funds for Hillside, a local food pantry that 

specializes in delivering healthy food to homebound clients. 

The WWBA has volunteered on several occasions at 

Hillside’s warehouse, stocking shelves and packing bags. If you would like to support 

Lisa’s efforts, please visit her fundraising page at Fundraising for Hillside Food Outreach 

(https://www.classy.org/fundraiser/3678588) ◗ 

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Introducing . . . The Justice Sondra Miller 

Scholarship Winners! 

Susan S. Brown 

WWBA Foundation President 

The WWBA Foundation is pleased to announce the selection of two very deserving 

Elizabeth Haub (Pace) School of Law Scholarship winners, named for our own Justice 

Sondra M. Miller: Ms. Madison Schaff and Ms. Kasama Star. 

In early February the Board selected the 2022 recipients of this prestigious award. 

Eighteen well-qualified applicants made it, as always, a difficult decision. We hope to 

identify a deserving recipient whose future in the law carries on the ideals of its namesake, 

Judge Miller. 

As President of the student bar association, Madison Schaff started an on-campus 

“Pay it Forward” textbook lending library and a free food pantry to help other law students 

overcome fundamental barriers to academic success. Madison is the winner of the 

Justice Sondra Miller $5000 scholarship award. In a piece about this year’s WWBA 

Foundation scholarship winners on the Elizabeth Haub School of law website, Madison 

said “… Justice Miller reminds me to continue to dream big.” 

Kasama Star has achieved an amazing number of standout accomplishments in her 

two-year law school experience, including the creation of a highly received webinar on 

Asian American discrimination that led to her appointment to the Westchester County 

Asian American Task Force. Kasama is the winner of the Justice Sondra Miller $2500 

Merit award. 

We could not ask for two more perfect candidates to represent the values and life 

work of our own Justice Sondra Miller. You will meet them both at this year’s Annual 

Installation of the Board and Officers and you will be most impressed! Until then, to read 

more about these deserving recipients, please follow the link to Two Haub Law Students 

Receive Scholarships from the Westchester Women’s Bar Association Foundation/Pace 

Law Shcool (https://law.pace.edu/WWBAF2022). ◗ 

S A V E T H E D A T E 

ANNUAL DINNER 

~ and ~ 

INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2022 

MAMARONECK BEACH & YACHT CLUB 

COCKTAINS 5:30 PM; DINNER 7:00 PM 

Become a New 

Member Today 

RENEW YOUR 

WWBA MEMBERSHIP TODAY 

FOR THE PERIOD 

JUNE 1, 2021 TO MAY 31, 2022. 

RENEW NOW! DON’T WAIT! 

WWBA Membership includes 

membership to the Women’s Bar 

Association of the State of New York 

(WBASNY). 

January 31, 2021 is the closing date in 

order to count the WWBA members 

towards our certification to WBASNY and 

assure our number of delegates. 

Renewing before this date will allow our 

Westchester Chapter (WWBA) to continue 

to be a strong presence in our statewide 

organization (WBASNY) while you will 

enjoy its many benefits, events, 

newsletter and CLE programming. 

Hélène Côté, Sherry A. Bishko, 

Elisabeth Campos 

It is easy to renew by going to the 

WWBA Website at www.WWBANY.org. 

You can use a credit card or 

PayPal to make payment. 

Page 6 


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Westchester Women’s Bar Association New Members 

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

LOURDES AGUILAR 

Neighbors Link 

23-25 Spring Street 

Suite 201 

Ossining, NY 10562 

laguilar@neighborslink.org 

Graduate Awaiting Admission 

JULIET GOBLER, ESQ. 

Law Office of Juliet Gobler 

445 Hamilton Ave, 11th Floor 


juliet@goblerlaw.com 

 

WWBA Guest Readers Joyfully Return to In-Person 

Celebration of Read Across America Day 

from page 4 

fully connected with the young 

and eager learners. Guest 

readers enjoyed discussing their 

legal careers with the students 

and hearing about the students’ 

wide-ranging career aspirations 

- we met budding astronauts, 

artists, physicians, coders 

and more. Guest readers 

are always uplifted by Hostos 

students’ enthusiasm and love 

of books and learning. 

A big “thank you” to 

Jacqueline Hattar who has 

served as the liaison between 

the WWBA and Read Across 

America Day in the Yonkers 

Public Schools since the inception 

of the WWBA’s participation 

in 2007. This year, 

Jacqueline Hattar, along with 

Julie Passman, coordinated the 

WWBA’s participation in Read 

Across America Day. As always, 

the WWBA treasures its 

relationship with our friends at 

the Hostos School and we are 

honored to continue our deep 

and longstanding commitment 

to Read Across America Day. 

In the coming year, the WWBA 

hopes to expand it relationship 

with the Hostos School beyond 

its commitment to Read Across 

America Day. And, we look 

forward to celebrating our 

shared love of reading with the 

Hostos School community at 

Read Across America Day 

2023! ◗ 

Hostos School Principal Elda 

Perez-Mejia and Assistant 

Principal Jeremy Rynders 

welcomes guest readers to Read 

Across America Celebration 

Angela Giannini is greeted by 

Ms. Ficarrotta’s kindergarten 

student ambassadors 

President’s Message 

from page 3 

Angela Giannini reads to 

students in Ms. Ficarrotta’s 

class 

ILENE HARTZBAND 

TZBAND, , ESQ. 

Legal Services of the Hudson Valley 

1 North Lexington Avenue, 11th Floor 


JAYLENE MEJIA 

Student 

Read Across America Day 

welcome at entrance to Hostos 

School Library 

Judge Lisa Margaret Smith, WWBA Immediate Past President; Angela 

Morcone Giannini, WWBA Past President; Elda Perez-Mejia, Hostos 

School Principal; Julie P. Passman, WWBA Vice President; Jacqueline 

Hattar, WWBA State Director; and Jeremy Rynders, Hostos School 

Assistant Principal 

The heartwarming stories of humans helping fellow humans, though, continue to surface – 

Polish mothers leaving baby strollers on the train platform for arriving Ukrainian refugees; the Irish 

government creating a website to seek housing for Ukrainian refugees and so many Irish volunteering 

that the website crashes; millions of dollars being raised around the world to support relief 

efforts – beacons of light in the darkness that we hope will also have a life-altering effect on the 

lives being touched. 

It is undeniable that, like the path of a river changes the surrounding land, the trajectories of 

our lives are carved out by pivotal people and events, and if you are anything like me, the 

arbitrariness can feel stressful. Lucky for me, April is National Stress Awareness Month, but it is 

also the National Month of Hope, and so I leave you with this: “You may not always have a 

comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but 

don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage 

can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.” – Michelle Obama ◗ 


Page 7

WWBA Talent Show 

• Thursday, April 21 • 

2022 

• 6:00 • 

PM 

• Zoom • 

(Link To Come!) 

Show off your skills! 

Join us for a virtual WWBA spring talent show! Please direct 

questions to Allison Sloto, asloto@milbank.com. Record your act 

in advance and send Allison the video (mp4 format preferred) - or 

perform live! Acts should be ~5 minutes maximum (e.g., one 

song). Please note the performer(s) must be members of the 

WWBA (exception made for non-lawyer accompaniments).

WWBA Schedule of Upcoming Events 

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

WWBA Book Club 4/04/22 

6:00 p.m. 

WWBA Grievance/ Ethics 

Committee and Corporate 

and Commercial Law 

Committees 

4/06/22 

6:00 p.m. to 

8:00 p.m. 

WWBA Talent Show 4/21/22 

6:00 p.m. 

In Person (City Place, 

White Plains) or Zoom 

Book Selection “The 

Personal Librarian” by 

Marie Benedict and 

Victoria Christopher 

Murray 

Zoom Ethics Update 2022: 

Escrow Revisited (2 

CLE credits in Ethics 

and Professionalism) 

Zoom 

Speakers: Lisa M. 

Bluestein, Esq., Law 

offices of Lisa M. 

Bluestein, LLCOf 

Counsel, Scalise & 

Hamilton PC 

Veronica Guerrero, 

Esq., Counsel, 

Committee on 

Character & Fitness, 

New York State 

Supreme Court, 

Appellate Division, 

First Department 

Norma I. Lopez, Esq., 

Principal Attorney, 

Attorney Grievance 

Committee Supreme 

Court, Appellate 

Division, First 

Department 

Record your act in 

advance and send 

Allison the video (mp4 

format preferred), or 

perform live! Acts 

should be ~5 minutes 

maximum (e.g., one 

song). 

Email Lisa Denig to RSVP or for 

the Zoom link at 

lisadenig@yahoo.com 

Cost: 

$10.00 WWBA Members; $20.00 

Non-Members 

RSVP by 4:00 p.m. on 4/05/22 

online at www.wwbany.org or 

email 

executivedirector@wwbany.org 

Please direct questions to Allison 

Sloto at 

asloto@milbank.com 

Please note the performer(s) must 

be WWBA members (exception 

made for non-lawyer 

accompaniments). 

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

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

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

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

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

the official position of the WWBA. 

REMEMBER, YOU CAN FIND THE WBASNY WEB PAGE 

AT WWW.WBASNY.ORG. 

PLEASE REMEMBER TO RECYCLE 

Connect 

with 

us 

THE WWBA MEMBERSHIP PERIOD FOR 

2021-2022 BEGINS ON JUNE 1, 2021. 

PLEASE RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP TOD 

ODAY AT 

WWW.WWBANY 

.WWBANY.ORG 

.ORG

WWBA April 2022 Newsletter - M

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