Get Involved: Active Committees & Sections
Following our recent board resolution, LGBT Bar NY has formally established our active slate of standing membership committees and sections. Alongside our longstanding Judiciary Committee, these groups represent the core spaces for our members to build community, hone practical skills, and lead critical advocacy across New York.
Standing Committees & Sections
Judiciary Committee
Co-Chairs: Janice Grubin, Esq., Alexandra P. Kolod, Esq.
What It Does: Oversee LGBT Bar NY screening panels that evaluate candidates for judicial office and provide ratings; recruit and select designees to serve on judicial screening panels of other organizations; promote the interests of members of the LGBTQ+ community interested in serving within the judiciary; liaison with the judicial community and promote the advancement of judges dedicated to equality and full representation of the LGBTQ+ legal community.
Who It Is For: Experienced practitioners, litigators, and members interested in judicial screening, court integrity, and the administration of justice.
Contact: judiciary@lgbtbarny.org
NOTE: The affairs of the Judiciary Committee, including without limitation the interviews, deliberations, ratings and evaluations of judicial candidates, are conducted with no involvement of the President, the Honorable Eric J. Wursthorn.
Transgender Law & Advocacy Section
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.
Clinic Volunteers & Pro Bono Committee
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
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.
Law Students Committee
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.
Join a Committee or Section
Whether you want to help guide prospective judges, deliver pro bono legal aid, or build community with fellow practitioners, there is a seat for you at the table.
To express your interest in joining any of these groups, email us at info@lgbtbarny.org with your background and the committee or section you would like to join.