WWBA Nov 2023 Newsletter - M

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I had been working at a large NYC firm - then had two children in a row and was going to take a break, but one partner in a Bronxville firm was persistently asking me to work part-time at their firm; they needed a trusts & estates attorney. The parttime quickly became fulltime, but two years later I had my third child. I realized I was going to become immersed in working in Westchester and wanted to meet more of the legal community. I was already an ABA member and a NYSBA member but was looking for more local involvement. I joined the WCBA and was told about the WWBA, and that the Trusts & Estates Section chairs, Rita Gilbert and Donald Klein, had periodic meetings at Rita’s office with Chinese takeout for which everyone contributed. It was open for general discussions and occasionally a presentation on a particular topic. I joined the WWBA and started going to those meetings that I could attend. At that time, in the early 1990s, the WWBA was the most welcoming group for women attorneys starting to practice in Westchester; I believe it still is. “It’s very scary no longer being a student and actually doing work that can substantively affect peoples’ lives. Keep breathing - don’t doubt that you can do it - but know what you don’t know. My mentor used to say that no matter how smart you are and how much you know, don’t get so cocky that you can no longer see what you don’t know.” Q: Which activities and positions of the WWBA have you participated in? A: I’ve been a co-chair of the Trusts & Estates Section for years and have spoken at both CLE programs and non- CLE programs. Our firm has sponsored/supported the Holiday parties and the WWBA Foundation. Q: What would you like to see the WWBA accomplish in the future? A: I think the WWBA has gone a long way towards helping women narrow the gap that existed in the legal and many professional fields between opportunities for women and opportunities for men. It has also been a welcoming organization for men as well as women. I would like to see the WWBA continue to be welcoming for women and for all attorneys trying to start out in the profession and continue to address some of the issues for members who are balancing a career and a family. I would like to see additional efforts to create avenues for members to get to know each other and exchange ideas and support each other. We did try to organize some means for members of the Trusts & Estates section to create discussion groups. When starting to practice, it is very helpful to create a discussion group of colleagues with similar experience levels who can have a place to talk out various issues and can grow in ability together. When I started practicing in NYC, my mentor and his colleagues helped me and other new associates to form a discussion group and I am still meeting with some of those attorneys 40 years later. We also helped some associates start a group of their peers years ago when they started at our firm, and I started hosting at our office years ago another group of colleagues in the WWBA T&E Section, which we have continued as Zoom meetings through the pandemic. The peer discussion groups are helpful on a continuing basis so that no one person in the group feels responsible for teaching the others in the group. I would also like to see more periodic non-CLE meetings of the section colleagues with various levels of experience to discuss different topics in the field of practice, similar to the meetings Rita and Don had at Rita’s Karen J. Walsh office, although I realize that was pre-CLE, and it is more difficult with Covid and large discussion groups are not always easy on zoom. We did start having breakfast or lunch meetings that were open discussions around a particular topic several years ago. Of course, it is always difficult to try fitting the CLE requirements and non- CLE extra time into your work and family schedule. I truly admire the women in the WWBA who take leadership roles in the organization and devote that additional time to the WWBA. Q: Please tell us about your legal career. A: I graduated from Fordham Law School, and started at a large firm in NYC, where I had the opportunity to rotate through three different departments and determine which area of practice I wanted to focus on. I was very lucky because I wanted to be in continued on page 6 ➥ Page 4 Westchester Women’s Bar Association News
Westchester Women's Bar Association 2023 holiday party The Woman's Club of White Plains Grand Ballroom 305 Ridgeway, White Plains, New York Thursday, December 14, 2023 --- 5:30p.m.to 7:30p.m. $25 per person ---(cash bar) RSVP at wwbany.org no later than Monday December 11, 2023 Please consider making a tax deductible donation to the following organizations by clicking on the following links: Westchester Women’s Bar Association Foundation Jewish Child Care Association Cardinal McCloskey Feeding Westchester Visit Our Holiday Shoppping Boutique held during the party! DON’T FORGET TO WEAR RED!!!
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WWBA Nov 2023 Newsletter - M

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