Leadership & Advocacy
LGBT Bar NY's committees and sections are the core spaces for our members to build community, hone practical skills, and lead critical advocacy across New York. Find the group that fits your interests and get involved.
Standing Committees
Click a committee to learn what it does, who it's for, and how to get in touch.
Clinic Volunteers & Pro Bono Committee Chair: Madeleine Skaller
What It Does
Supports the operational frontline of the Association’s community legal clinics. Members coordinate volunteer recruitment and scheduling, develop intake resources, facilitate peer orientation and best-practice sharing, and liaise directly with Board leadership on clinic delivery.
Who It Is For
Current clinic volunteers, pro bono practitioners, and any member committed to expanding direct legal services for low-income and vulnerable LGBTQ+ community members.
Emerging Leaders Committee Chair: Katlyn Palmatier, Esq.
What It Does
Focuses on substantive practice skills, structured peer mentorship, advanced networking, and pathways to leadership within the bench and bar.
Who It Is For
Attorneys in their first ten (10) years of practice and judicial law clerks seeking to navigate early-to-mid career transitions and expand their professional profile.
Judiciary Committee Co-Chairs: Janice Grubin, Esq. & Alexandra P. Kolod, Esq.
What It Does
Oversees LGBT Bar NY screening panels that evaluate candidates for judicial office and provide ratings; recruits and selects designees to serve on judicial screening panels of other organizations; promotes the interests of LGBTQ+ community members interested in judicial service; and liaisons with the judicial community to advance judges committed to full equality and fair representation.
Who It Is For
Experienced practitioners, litigators, and members interested in judicial screening, court integrity, and the administration of justice.
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Law Students Committee Board Liaison: Katlyn Palmatier, Esq. · Law Student Liaison: Nicholas Diamond
What It Does
Serves as the vital bridge between regional law schools (including campus OUTLaw chapters) and the Bar Association. The committee organizes career panels, mentorship matching, resume and interview workshops, and judicial externship information sessions.
Who It Is For
Law students enrolled in area law schools looking to build professional networks, secure mentors, and prepare for the transition into practice.
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Sections
Sections bring members together around a substantive area of law and policy.
Transgender Law & Advocacy Section Co-Chairs: Tala Sebastian & Charlie Ferguson
What It Does
Serves as a substantive legal forum and professional home addressing acute legal and policy issues facing transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive New Yorkers. The section monitors identity documentation, healthcare equity, and civil rights/anti-discrimination enforcement, while advising the Association on public policy and community education.
Who It Is For
Open to all Association members in good standing, including TGNC attorneys, allies, and practitioners handling or interested in gender-affirming and civil rights law.
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Membership Engagement
Shape the Future of Our Association
Our strength lies in an active, engaged membership. To give our members a direct voice and real leadership pathways, please take a moment to complete our interest form. Committee leadership will follow up with meeting schedules and active initiatives.
Questions or Custom Inquiries?
Whether you want to learn more about our committee initiatives, offer pro bono institutional support, or collaborate on a CLE program, our team is here to assist.