Below is a list of our Ad Hoc Committees and our Committee Chair(s).  Please scroll down or click on the committee name to see a description of that committee.  To view our members' list to obtain contact information for our various Committee Chairs, please click here.

Alternative Legal Careers

Chaired by Mahta Khanjar. The Alternative Legal Careers Committee has two equally important functions.  First, through networking and speaking events, we inform WWBA Members about all of the available opportunities that exist for attorneys outside of the traditional law firm life.  Second, it provides a means for attorney members who are currently pursuing non-traditional legal careers, to stay connected to the legal community by keeping them informed regarding their state bar requirements, CLE classes, Pro Bono opportunities, and networking events. 

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Co-chaired by Annette Guarino, Lynn J. Maier and Lauren S. Morrissey.  This committee focuses on training attorneys in the field of ADR and provides several training sessions and seminars in conjunction with local law schools.

Back to top

Annual Dinner/Souvenir Journal

Co-chaired by Patricia A. LaPorta and Deborah A. Scalise.  This committee’s purpose is to organize and host the WWBA Annual Dinner, which is held in June every year.  The Souvenir Journal contains the program for the dinner, officer and director information, and congratulatory messages.

Back to top

Appellate Practice

Chaired by Annette G. Hasapidis.  This committee provides seminars and programs in the area of appellate litigation, including motion practice and the interrelationship between appellate law and other substantive areas of the law, including matrimonial, real estate, labor, employment, products liability and personal injury, and civil litigation law.  This Committee also serves as a resource for members seeking appellate practice advice for their clients and keeps members and their clients advised of the latest changes in appellate law and practice.

Back to top

Archive & Historian

Chaired by Susan Pollet.  This committee keeps track of our history by saving and highlighting events and milestones.

Back to top

Awards

Chaired by Lucia Chiocchio and Beth Willensky.  This committee coordinates our candidates for all NYS legal awards, including packaging the nomination applications and speaking out in favor of all nominees.

Back to top

Bankruptcy

Co-chaired by Anne Penachio and Susan Mills Richmond.  This Committee provides seminars and programs in the area of bankruptcy law, especially as it interrelates with other facets of the law, including matrimonial, real estate, collections, labor, employment and general commercial law.  This Committee also serves as a resource for members seeking bankruptcy practice advice for their clients and keeps members and their clients advised of the latest changes in bankruptcy law and practice.

Back to top

Breast Cancer Awareness

Co-chaired by Geri S. Krauss, Roberta Michael and Rae Ellen Vitiello.  This committee provides diverse activities throughout the year with a special focus in October, Breast Cancer Awareness month.  The activities range from fundraising brunches to five mile walks in support of treatment for breast cancer.

Back to top

Community Outreach

Co-chaired by Gretchen Mullins Kim, Stephanie M. Roebuck and Deborah A. Scalise.  This committee is dedicated to involving the community with our bar association and provides an educational yet fun relationship with our local schools and the surrounding community.

Back to top

Continuing Legal Education

Chaired by Ann M. McNulty  This committee acts as a liaison between our chapter and WBASNY.  The committee assists and encourages our local committees in providing CLE certified seminars.

Back to top

Back to top

Diversity

Co-chaired by Stephanie Melowsky and Jacqueline Hattar.  This committee is dedicated to reaching out and encouraging more diversity in our local chapter & in our legal community. 

Back to top

Domestic Violence

Co-chaired by Natanya Briendel and Kitley Covill.  This  committee is very involved with local justice centers and shelters to provide pro bono representation, educational seminars and domestic violence training for attorneys.

Back to top

Education

Co-chaired by Julie P. Passman and Susan Mills Richmond.  The Education Law Committee of the Westchester Women's Bar Association is a substantive law committee whose mission is to provide our membership with information concerning current substantive and procedural developments in the burgeoning area of the law relating to schools and education. Of particular interest will be developments in the laws concerning special education and student rights and discipline, as well as other areas concerning students, teachers, and other school staff.

The Chair(s) of the Education Law Committee will hold meetings throughout the year as needed and should be available to present both written and oral reports on its activities to the Board of Directors as needed.

The Education Law Committee will work closely with other WWBA substantive committees where there are overlapping areas of interest and also intends to work with the WBASNY Education Law Committee. This Committee will also work with the Continuing Legal Education Committee (CLE) to develop workshops, seminars and written materials of interest to our membership. 

Back to top

Elder & Health Law

Co-chaired by Mary Beth Morrissey and Jeffrey S. Goldstein.  This committee centers around rights of the elderly and legal changes in elder law and the health care system.  The committee hosts seminars throughout the year focusing on these topics.

Back to top

Employment Law

Co-chaired by Kim Berg and Susan Corcoran.  This committee examines the changes in employment law via seminars and lectures at various times during the year.

Back to top

Environmental Law

Co-chaired by Lucia Chiocchio, Anna L. Georgiou, Pat Hoffman and Katherine Zalantis.  This committee explores the ever changing area of Environmental Law and provides a resource to all members.

Back to top

Gender Dynamics

Chaired by the Honorable Terry Jane Ruderman.  This committee is especially proud of the 9th Judicial District’s Gender Fairness Essay Contest which our chapter co-sponsors every year.  High School students are invited to write about women in non-traditional roles and to explore the resulting consequences.

Back to top

Golf Outing

This committee has hosted eight successful golf outings.  They are responsible for obtaining the venue, the sponsors and planning the entire event.

Back to top

Holiday Party

Co-chaired by Alicia Gaudio and Julie S. Kattan.  This committee plans the annual holiday party, which is held in December.

Back to top

Holiday Party/Crafts

Chaired by Beth A. Willensky.  This is a new committee, which arranges for crafts and shopping vendors to be available at the annual holiday party.

Back to top

Immigration

Chaired by Rhoda K. Dryer.  This committee examines current immigration issues, future trends, policies, pending legislation, and informs members on immigration law and its developments.

The Committee hosts seminars and programs throughout the year focusing on immigration law and immigration-related topics. The committee also provides members with an opportunity for dialogue and the interchange of ideas concerning immigration law.

Back to top

Intellectual Property

Co-chaired by Theresa O'Rourke Nugent and Laura J. Winston.

International Women's Rights

Co-chaired by Dale Siegel and Mary Beth Morrissey.

Back to top

Long Range Planning

Co-chaired by prior presidents of WWBA, Carla D. Glassman and Kathy N. Rosenthal.  This committee is devoted to developing and planning a strategy that will allow growth in accordance with the WWBA’s  long-term goals.

Back to top

Litigation

Co-chaired by Barbara Curtis, Angela Marcone Giannini and Kimberly Sheehan.  This committee explores and examines tactics and strategies for a successful litigation practice.

Back to top

Network of Bar Leaders

This committee attends various bar leader meetings and conferences and reports back to the board as needed.

Back to top

Pace Board of Visitors

This committee represents the WWBA on this prestigious board that advises and supports the governance of Pace Law School.

Back to top

Past Presidents

Co-chaired by Jane Bilus Gould, Mary F. Kelly and Linda Markowitz.  This committee organizes programs and a Past Presidents' luncheon each year and assists and mentors newly-installed Presidents and Officers.

Back to top

Practice Management

Chaired by Frank W. Streng.  The practice management committee focuses on all of the "business" aspects of a law practice. This can be broken down further into implementing systems and controls to reduce risk and increase efficiency; business development and marketing; bookkeeping, billing and collections; client relations; personnel management; and using technology (such as calendaring and case management software). Practice management knowledge is especially important for sole practitioners and small firms, since large firms typically have more resources to hire administrative employees and outside management consultants to free up their lawyers to focus more on lawyering. Solos and managers of small firms, on the other hand, have to be jacks of all trades.

The practice management committee has held several informative CLE programs, including "The Art of Rainmaking" (March 2005); "Issues at the Intersection of Ethics and Law Practice Management" (November 2004); "What Lawyers Need to Know About Taxes and Retirement" (February 2004); "What to do When the Client Doesn’t Pay" (October 2003); "What they Didn’t teach you in Law School: the Nuts and Bolts of Running a Successful Law Practice" (May 2003); "Stress Management for Lawyers" (November 2002); and "Getting Your Message Across to Judges, Clients and Potential Clients" (March 2002). The committee also runs a monthly "Practice Management Tips" column in the WWBA newsletter.

Back to top

Pro Bono

Co-chaired by Erin Noelle Guven, Carol Neiditch and Robin Stiebel.  The pro bono committee of the WWBA shall explore and establish means to encourage members of the WWBA and the legal community to provide legal services and access to the legal system to persons of limited means, and individuals and groups who might otherwise find it difficult to pursue their legal rights or claims.  The pro bono committee shall also strive to promote a culture of support for pro bono in the WWBA and in our community.

 

Back to top

Technology/Website

Chaired by Theresa O'Rourke Nugent and Deborah A. Scalise.  This committee is responsible for maintaining the website.

Back to top

Westchester County Bar Association Director on WCBA Board

Kathleen Donelli and Linda Markowitz are our directors on the board of the Westchester County Bar Association.  They act as a liaison between the two boards, attending meetings and reporting.

Back to top

Westchester County Association

The chair of this committee serves as the WWBA representative, attending and reporting on all Westchester County Association meetings.

Back to top

WWBA Foundation President

The president of the WWBA Foundation is Robin D. Carton.  The WWBA Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation whose purpose is to foster a better understanding of the law, the legal profession and the role of women in society and in the legal profession.  Donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible and  are used to fund scholarships to a variety of organizations, ranging from New Rochelle High School to Pace Law School.  A copy of the latest annual report may be obtained, upon request, from the WWBA Foundation or from the N.Y.S. Attorney General’s Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, New York 10271.

Back to top

WWBA Delegate to WBASNY Judicial Screening Committee 

Gail M. Boggio

Back to top

WWBA Delegate to WBASNY Mentoring Program

Mary Beth Morrissey 

Back to top