Dear NJWLA Members,
It has been an amazing year of celebrating the 20th anniversary of our revitalization, and it has been the pleasure of a lifetime to have served as your president for this milestone. I am deeply grateful to Colleen Skinner and her tireless work in making NJWLA a gold standard in the legal community and to Abby Remore for her support and wisdom that helped make this year a success.
Why do we look back at milestones? To remind ourselves that what we do matters. The hard work and ingenuity of the women whose shoulders I stand on matter. The relationships we build- both professional and personal- matter.
Twenty years ago the landscape of women in New Jersey practicing law was very different. Many women were leaving the profession because of a lack of support and a feeling like the balancing act between career and life was too hard and came at too high a cost. NJWLA filled a void in the legal community with a mission to promote and advance women in all sectors of the law. We commissioned studies documenting the impact of that lack of support, influenced legislation such as Paid Family Leave and created meaningful training and mentoring programs for the next generation . For me, I had just started my first job out of law school and lost my father, a lawyer and mentor. Not a day goes by that I don’t thank this organization for keeping me going– both at home and at work. No matter how hard my day, NJWLA reminds me how worthwhile this profession is and makes me proud to be a lawyer. I also know others have walked this path before me and will help me walk it now.
This board continued that great legacy this year. From our fall kickoff cocktail party, we welcomed new members inspired to join our mission. The Solo Small & Firm Committee brought us together with the Young Lawyers Division for trivia and introductions across generations. Nicole Grzeskowiak and Hoagland, Longo, LLP hosted us for our first in-person board meeting since COVID.
We learned from experts in our profession–leaders of our organization that generously give their time to CLE classes. The Diversity Committee programming gave us the ins and outs of the changing world of DEI initiatives and helped us laugh through it with a little improv lesson to boot. The In-House Committee helped us to navigate the waters of working with inside and outside counsel and managing expectations in a very practical way. Women’s Leadership programming helped us with building our businesses and managing our personal brands. Solo Small Firm programming addressed ethical issues around Artificial Intelligence and offered CLE credit to meet New Jersey’s new technology requirement.
Best Practices and Public Policy Committees challenged us with different perspectives. We learned from powerful women in both major political parties about how policy is formed and decisions are made and were encouraged to use our law degrees to engage in that process. We also hosted dynamic discussions between men and women leaders about civility in profession and the work that still needs to be done.
Judicial Outreach Committee was asked by our newly-formed Government and Public Sector Lawyers Committee to continue its work on judicial security and expanded the conversation to include the safety of other lawyers in the face of increasingly hostile political rhetoric. Judges from all levels of State and Federal judiciaries joined to bring attention and initiative to this important issue.
We also took time to take care of ourselves. Jenn Mohamed, The Yoga Lawyer, and the Best Practices Committee reminded us to prioritize mental health. Women’s Leadership and Marketing Committees led the I Am Remarkable program, celebrating our strengths. Some of us even learned- or tried to learn- golf. We celebrated the end of the year with an uplifting holiday party generously hosted by Randi Kochman, Wendy Klein and Rachel Mongiello and Cole Schotz, PC.
A personal highlight was reminding our colleagues at this years Gala of the organization’s expansive reach and the history that brought us here. Our members are found in every corner of this State, from diverse backgrounds and every area of expertise. We touch all parts of the legal community with the goal of making it better for lawyers and the communities we serve. Thank you, and your firms, for making the celebration spectacular!
I also want to thank our sponsors of our CLE and networking events: Speakman Agency, LLC, Remote Legal, SB Forensics, LLC, Lenzo and Reis, LLC, Jackson, Lewis, LLC, Withum, HBA-NJ, SABA-NJ, NJMLA, Cole Schotz, LLC, Hill Wallack, LLP, Blank Rome, Lowenstein Sandler, SJS Forensic, Greenberg Traurig, Association of Corporate Counsel, Gillman Strategic Group, Veritext and CSG Law. None of this would be possible without their generous support.
As my third grader insisted I say: Have a great summer!
You are in great hands with Abby and Sheea!
Warmly,
Jody
