By: Susan L. Pollet, Chair of the Archive and Historian Committee

Q: Your mother, Arlene, is a long time active member of the WWBA. When and why did you become involved with the WWBA?

A: I have the absolute fortune of working together with my mother, Arlene Gold Wexler, who has been an active member of the WWBA for many years. I understand that my mother was introduced to the WWBA by her colleague at the time and longtime member and past president, Marianne Sussman. In fact, my mother frequently recounts to me her time on the Lawyers and Parenting Committee, when she herself was balancing a full-time legal career and parenting young children. These days, my mother has been a longstanding member of the WWBA Judicial Screening Committee, and has been involved with the WWBA for as long as I can remember. As both my mother and my mentor, she sang the praises of the WWBA for its support of women in law, and with her encouragement, I joined the WWBA many years ago. Honestly, I can’t remember exactly when I joined the WWBA, which suggests that the WWBA has always been a part of my own legal career.

Q:  In which ways have you been active in the WWBA?
A: When I first joined the WWBA, I appreciated the opportunities for CLE’s and the annual gala. This year, I joined the Families, Children, and the Courts Committee, and am enjoying my new role. I look forward to growing my involvement within the WWBA as my career progresses.

Q:  Why do you think there is still a need for a women’s bar association?
A: I strongly believe that there is always a need for individuals to support one another, regardless of gender identity. So long as there exists any amount of gender bias or stereotyping, we can come together to support and lift each other, professionally and personally.

Q: Please tell us about your legal career.
A:  I was fortunate enough to attend NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study for my undergraduate studies, where I graduated with a BA in Applied Ethics. Ethics is the study of action theory, or what we, as humans, do, and why. Law was a natural progression, as the study of law examines the rules and regulations governing our actions at large.

I initially began law school with the goal of working in the fashion industry. However, as a natural people person, I quickly learned that I was far better suited for litigation, and specifically the personal dynamics of family and matrimonial matters. My practice affords me the opportunity to spend many days in Court working with individuals and families. As my mother would say, we have the opportunity to serve “real people with real problems”. I am especially passionate about my work as a Court-appointed Attorney for Children. Representing the interests of child clients is an undeniable privilege, and affords me a real appreciation for the nuances of family and matrimonial law.

Q:  Which community activities are you involved in?

A:  I believe strongly in community activism and civil service. I was lucky to have parents who were always involved in their own communities, including my Mother’s involvement in the WWBA and our synagogue, and my Father’s service on the Rye City Zoning Board for many years. Soon after we moved to Scarsdale in 2019, I joined the Scarsdale Village Advisory Council on Human Relations, where we advise on community matters including, without limitation, inclusion and justice within the village. I am an active member of my family’s synagogue, Westchester Jewish Center, and involved parent in my Children’s nursery schools. I am also an avid runner, both independently and as a member of a wonderful local running group.

Q: How have you balanced your legal career with your personal life?

A:  This is every working parent’s toughest question. Like so many of us, I always have a million balls in the air, and am lucky to have cultivated my village to assist in work and in life. While I can joke that working with my mother merges personal and professional, life is never so simple.

Q: What do you wish to accomplish in the future?
A: In my ninth year of practice, my goal is to continue to grow professionally and personally. One of my favorite aspects of my practice is how dynamic and different every family’s needs are. Truly, no two families and no two cases are the same. To that end, I hope to continue taking on challenging cases that tackle all aspects of family and matrimonial law.