As the newly installed President of the Rockland County Women’s Bar Association (RCWBA), I want to introduce you to our organization. RCWBA is a professional membership organization that is committed to the mission of promoting the advancement of the status of women in society and of women in the legal profession; promoting the fair and equal administration of justice; and acting as a unified voice for its members with respect to issues of statewide, national and international significance to women generally and to women attorneys in particular. Membership in RCWBA also includes membership in WBASNY (Women’s Bart Association of the State of New York), which is made up of 20 chapters statewide and comprises more than 4,300 members.

As a chapter, we are also focused on the local needs of our members and legal community and our efforts include but are not limited to sponsoring continuing legal education classes to promote our competence in our profession; participation in screening of judicial candidates to ensure that our judiciary is representative of our community; developing professional networks through our book club series, workshops and mentoring circles; participation in community service projects such as Habitat for Humanity and partnering with the Center for Safety & Change; and advocating for legislative and policy reform.