New Jersey Women Lawyers Association – Record-Breaking Gala

On March 21, 2012, well over 600 guests gathered at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey for the NJWLA’s 5th Annual Women’s Initiative and Leaders in the Law Platinum Gala. This record number of guests, which included elite leaders of the bench and bar of New Jersey, came out to help the NJWLA honor notable members of the New Jersey judiciary, as well as accomplished attorneys from the public, private, and corporate sectors of the legal profession who support the NJWLA mission. This year, the NJWLA once again proudly bestowed its awards on several prominent and remarkable individuals, and was grateful to have the Honorable Madeline Cox Arleo, Magistrate Judge, United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, as Mistress of Ceremonies, to introduce each of the honorees.

The Honorable Marie L. Garibaldi, retired Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court and the first woman to serve on that Court, accepted the state judicial honor and the Legal Pioneer Award. In an on-going recognition of Justice Garibaldi’s groundbreaking contributions to women in the profession, the Legal Pioneer Award has been named in her honor and will bear her name in the future. The Honorable Susan D. Wigenton, United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey, was the federal judicial honoree in recognition of her exceptional achievements on the bench. The public sector honoree was Passaic County Prosecutor, Camelia M. Valdes, the first Latina county prosecutor in New Jersey. The law firm of Nukk-Freeman & Cerra, P.C. was honored for its innovative approach to the practice of law in the private sector of the legal profession. Lynn Feldman, Esq., Executive Vice-President and General Counsel for Wyndham Hotel Group, received the Platinum Award recognizing her high level of success and achievement in the corporate sector. Finally, each year, the NJWLA presents a Trailblazer Award to a person who has “blazed a trail” for women lawyers in New Jersey through hiring, promoting or mentoring women in the profession. Donald A. Robinson, Esq., of Robinson, Wettre & Miller, received this year’s Trailblazer Award.

In addition to this year’s honorees, the NJWLA was pleased to welcome Pulitzer Prize winning novelist, Anna Quindlen, as the Keynote Speaker at this year’s Gala. Ms. Quindlen addressed the path and progression of women in the workplace over the years and the important balance between work and family life that women continue to seek to achieve. Her inspirational words were met with a well-deserved standing ovation.

As part of its mission, the NJWLA also awards scholarships to three law students each year, one from each of New Jersey’s law schools. Once again this year, the NJWLA  had the honor of reviewing a multitude of worthy and impressive applications. The recipients of this year’s scholarships, each in the amount of $3,000, were Augusta O’Neill (Rutgers Camden), Courtney Roach (Rutgers Newark) and Colleen Faherty (Seton Hall).

President-Elect, Galit Kierkut, closed the awards program, anticipating another outstanding year and expressing her commitment to continuing the good work of the organization in order to meet and advance the NJWLA’s important goals and mission.

The Gala, spearheaded by Gala Chair Annmarie Simeone, was a highlight of a banner year for the NJWLA under the leadership of Wendy Johnson Lario who shared this year’s NJWLA achievements with the Gala guests. Membership, already in excess of 500, continues to grow. The organization expanded its reach by starting two new specialty sections for young lawyers and small firms/solo practitioners. Programming that aims to meet the needs of its members continues throughout the year, and includes sponsorship of a program featuring Dr. Anita Hill.

The NJWLA is an independent association of over 500 hundred lawyers in New Jersey. Its mission is to retain women in the legal profession through education and activism; promote its members to the highest levels of law firm, government, academic, community and corporate positions; and endorse qualified female attorneys for appointments to the state and federal judiciary. More information about the NJWLA, including membership materials, can be found at www.njwla.org.

NJWLA APPLAUDS LAW STUDENT SANDRA FLUKE AND BLASTS RUSH LIMBAUGH FOR HIS DISCRIMINATORY COMMENTS

Apologies Are Not Enough

No matter what your political persuasion, your religion, your age, your socio-economic status or your gender, all of us should be able to agree that there is no appropriate reason to hurl degrading personal attacks on a third year female law student who was doing nothing more than speaking out on an issue of national importance. Rush Limbaugh’s media comments in response to Sandra Fluke’s public testimony about insurance coverage for contraception, where he refers to her as a “prostitute” and a “slut” and other debasing comments, are so hateful, demeaning and patently wrong that they cannot go without comment or consequences.

Mr. Limbaugh’s inexplicable assault upon a confident young professional woman like Ms. Fluke not only disparages her, but debases all women and suggests that our voice is irrelevant and worthless. His broader attack on women as “feminazis” is a clear attempt to marginalize women, undermine our credibility and denigrate our role in society. What’s particularly troubling is that this vitriol was completely unprovoked. It came out of nowhere in a debate that, up to this point, had been focused on substance. The comments are hurtful, offensive and malicious, and they demean all of the successes and advances women have worked so hard to attain.

The New Jersey Women Lawyers Association (“NJWLA”) condemns Mr. Limbaugh’s comments about Ms. Fluke and challenges him to not only sincerely and publicly apologize to Ms. Fluke and to women in general, but to retract his shameful comments and showcase professional women on both sides of this issue, on his show, with respect.

Political debate is what makes this country great. Strong views on both sides of a topic help us critically evaluate where we stand and are essential to our democracy. The same is true with the ongoing tug of war over the cost of contraception. Why did the discourse break down here? Why didn’t Mr. Limbaugh stick to making substantive arguments on the other side of the issue, instead of resorting to calling the messenger names? Why does misogyny keep rearing its ugly head? Enough is enough. This kind of uncivilized commentary and discriminatory treatment of women cannot be tolerated – by anyone – male or female. It’s time to stand up for civility and human decency.

The NJWLA salutes Sandra Fluke and commends her on taking a stand and serving as a voice for many women nationwide. Whether you are on Sandra’s side of the debate or not, her role in the debate itself is critical and her presentation of the arguments has been exceptional. It’s hard to believe she is only a law student. Even more impressive has been Ms. Fluke’s astonishingly professional response to Mr. Limbaugh’s abuse. She did not stoop to his level, but instead addressed his comments in a respectful and effective manner. We applaud her conviction and character, and suggest that Mr. Limbaugh could learn quite a lot from Ms. Fluke.

It is incumbent on all of us to speak out in support of tolerance and respect for women in our society, especially those women who are simply exercising their fundamental First Amendment right to freedom of speech. We urge the public to express its outrage over Mr. Limbaugh’s appalling outburst and rebuff his disrespectful treatment of women.

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The NJWLA is an independent bar association with over 500 members committed to the retention and advancement of women in the legal profession. The association serves as a voice on all issues of importance to women engaged in the practice of law.

The National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC are pleased to announce the 2012 Best Law Firms for Women initiative. NAFE is a division of Working Mother Media, which launched the initiative with Flex-Time Lawyers in 2007. The 2012 Best Law Firms for Women will be featured in the December 2012/January 2013 issue of Working Mother magazine, and the winning firms will be honored at a special awards event in late 2012.   

 We will be holding two informational calls on Wednesday, January 25 and Tuesday, February 7.  Both calls will take place from 2 – 3 p.m. Eastern.  Once you have registered for the survey, you will receive call-in information for these calls.  Note the general content discussed on both calls will be the same.  If you choose to participate in one of the calls, there is no need to participate in the other one. 

All law firms with a total of 50 or more lawyers in the United States are invited to participate.  

Why Apply?  

Additionally, winners will be publicized to general counsel from around the country so that they can celebrate firms that are focused on women’s success. Winning firms will also be marketed to law students nationally and the list will be used as a recruiting tool to select prospective employers. The Best Law Firms for Women initiative is free and an important means for winning firms to distinguish themselves.

If you have any questions or comments about the substance of the application, please contact Deborah Epstein Henry, Founder & President, Flex-Time Lawyers LLC, at 610.658.0836 or dehenry@flextimelawyers.com. If you have any questions about the application process, eligibility requirements, or anything else pertaining to this initiative, please contact Kristen Willoughby, Senior Manager, Editorial & Research Initiatives, NAFE & Working Mother, at 212.219.7491 or kristen.willoughby@workingmother.com.

We encourage you to spread the word and forward this invitation to any law firm lawyer you know. Good luck and we hope to have your firm’s participation! 

Best,
Debbie & Carol

Deborah Epstein Henry, Esq. 
Founder & President
Flex-Time Lawyers LLC
dehenry@flextimelawyers.com
www.flextimelawyers.com
610.658.0836

Carol Evans
President, Working Mother Media 
A Division of Bonnier Corporation
carol.evans@workingmother.com
www.workingmother.com
www.wmmsurveys.com
212.219.7476

NJWLA CONGRATULATES SENATOR MENENDEZ
ON HIS DECISION TO SUPPORT JUDGE SHWARTZ FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT

The NJWLA congratulates Senator Robert Menendez for his willingness to reconsider his position on the nomination of Judge Patty Shwartz to the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The Senator’s agreement to meet for a second time with Judge Shwartz and his ultimate decision to support her nomination demonstrate a level of professionalism and commitment to the promotion and advancement of qualified women to the highest levels of the judiciary. This decision is consistent with the Senator’s advocacy on behalf of many women’s issues and his endorsement of diversity on the bench.

Like Senator Menendez, the NJWLA fully supports President Obama’s nomination of Judge Shwartz for the Third Circuit vacancy created by Judge Maryann Trump Barry’s transition to senior status. The Association recognizes that since becoming a Magistrate Judge in 2003, Judge Shwartz has issued opinions in connection with all aspects of pretrial matters and presided over a number of trials. She has handled thousands of cases, both civil and criminal, and 73 litigants have consented to her trying their cases. In addition, Judge Shwartz has an exceptional judicial temperament and has demonstrated that she is a thoughtful, smart and practical judge. Her experience on the bench, coupled with her background in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, make her eminently qualified for the appellate position.

The NJWLA is an independent bar association with over 500 members committed to the advancement and promotion of qualified women to the highest levels of the legal profession.  The NJWLA is also active in the judicial appointment process and has successfully endorsed several candidates for the federal and state judiciary.

ASSOCIATION OF BLACK WOMEN LAWYERS of New Jersey, Inc.
Presents its:
ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP JAZZ BRUNCH

Retro Leroy Campbell: “No Man’s Band.”
Leroy Campbell is a Sponsor of the 2012 Scholarship Jazz Brunch.
For information about Mr. Campbell and his artwork visit Leroy Campbell Originals

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The Westin Princeton – Forrestal Ballroom

201 Village Boulevard, Princeton, NJ

For more information and to purchase tickets and sponsorships, please visit www.abwl-nj.org.

In order to be eligible for the NJWLA scholarship, each applicant must be a matriculating law school student at one of the New Jersey law schools who:

• Has completed at least twelve (12) credits at the time of application;
• Is carrying a minimum of six (6) credits per term; and
• Has a letter of recommendation by a professor, an instructor, an adjunct faculty member, a clinical instructor, a Practitioner in Residence, a Dean, a Director of their law school, or a lawyer or a judge (with at least ten (10) years legal experience) with whom the applicant has worked (1) as an intern or clerk for at least three (3) months during the past two (2) years.
• Please note: previous winners are not eligible.

SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA

In addition to the eligibility requirements, applicants will be judged according to their commitment and dedication to their law school and the practice of law, as well as their essay.

Scholarship awards may be used for tuition, fees, books, and personal expenses, and are given directly to the students.

Applicants who work for companies that offer tuition reimbursement are eligible to apply.

Scholarship application forms have been mailed to New Jersey’s three law schools and are also available HERE.

All applications must be received by January 15, 2012 at 5:00 pm. 

All winners must attend the NJWLA Gala on March 21, 2012 at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City.

Incomplete applications and/or applications postmarked and/or received after the deadline WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

There will be no exceptions.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

Since multiple reviewers will review the application, your application package must contain one (1) original and three (3) photocopies of your:

• Application
• Letter of recommendation
• Essay
• Law school transcript (first year students should submit undergraduate transcript)

There should be a total of four (4) complete applications and attachments in your submission envelope.  No electronic submissions will be accepted.

TIMELINE

January 15, 2012 5:00 pm – Deadline for submission to arrive at NJWLA Mailbox

February 2012 – All candidates and Deans will be notified of the outcome of the application review and the names of the scholarship recipients from their respective schools.

The scholarships will be awarded on March 21, 2012 at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ.  Awardees are required to attend.  This is a truly inspirational evening not to be missed.  No exceptions will be made.

Download the NJWLA 2012 Scholarship Application here

Thursday,December 1, 2011

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Park Avenue Club
184 Park Ave
Florham Park, NJ 07932-1019
www.parkavenueclub.com

$30 for NJWLA Members
$40 for Non-Members (Price includes one year of membership.)

To register, click here

 

The New Jersey Women’s Hall of Fame, presented by the YWCA of Trenton, was created to honor and recognize the accomplishments of women across all industries in New Jersey.

Congratulations to the Class of 2012:

Mary Higgins Clark, World Renowned Author
Coach C. Vivian Stringer, Head Coach of Rutgers Women’s Basketball
Lynne Azarchi, Executive Director of Kidsbridge Tolerance Museum
Carmen M. Garcia, Esq., Former Chief Judge of Trenton Municipal Court
Sr. Lillian Harrington, MPF, President of Villa Victoria Academy
Anne LaBate, President of Segal LaBate Commercial Real Estate
Alice Paul (posthumously), Women’s Rights Suffragist

Inductees into the New Jersey Women’s Hall of Fame are women who have made invaluable contributions to society, have elevated the status of women, have made enduring contributions to their fields of endeavor, have inspired others by their example, and have embodied the YWCA’s mission of eliminating racism and empowering women within their own lives and communities.

Date: 03-29-2012
Start Time: 5:30
End Time: 8:30