Our MISSION
The mission of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York is:
To promote the advancement of the status of women in society and of women in the legal profession;
To promote the fair and equal administration of justice; and
To act 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.
About Us
With more than 4,400 members, the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) is the largest statewide bar association dedicated to the advancement of women in society and in the legal profession. The Western New York Chapter of WBASNY is composed of more than 400 women and men. WBASNY is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit professional association. The By-laws of this chapter can be read here.
For over 30 years, our WBASNY Chapter has helped women climb the ranks in government, law firms, and business, and we have joined together to amplify our voice on matters of policy and practice. But challenges remain, and new challenges will continue to appear. Women are still underrepresented among equity partners at law firms, in the judiciary, and in high-profile public positions, both nationally and locally.
We believe that advancement for women—and for Western New York—requires all voices and views to be heard in matters important to our profession and our community. For that reason, we support qualified women in attaining leadership positions. We believe that it is important to cultivate professional and personal growth.
And so, we offer annual programs on work/life balance, practice development, and substantive legal issues. We help facilitate the discussion of both traditional and non-traditional career paths. We encourage our members to meet and engage through our networking events and our connection with other organizations that support our organization and goals. We strive to make leaders in our profession and community accessible to our members.
To that end, we host innovative networking events – such as our Judge’s Choice Dinner Series, collaborate with like-minded organizations such as local bar associations and SUNY at Buffalo Law School, to create unique opportunities for our members. We work with our sister WBASNY chapters to affect change in statewide, national and international matters important to our mission.
Through lobbying, amici curiae briefs, legislative visits, and creative outreach and educational efforts over the past four decades, WBASNY has supported many of New York’s most distinguished female leaders and made the organization’s collective voice a part of several notable advancements in our state.
Our success is entirely attributable to the passion, dedication, and tireless efforts of our past and present members. View a list of our Past Presidents.
We invite you to join us in the pursuit of justice and equality for all.