New York, NY, Thursday, December 4, 2025 – The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) has adopted its Legislative Priorities for the 2026 Legislative Session. Our list of priorities includes essential issues that align with WBASNY’s mission to promote the advancement of women in society and in the legal profession and the fair and equal administration of justice.

This year, our legislative priorities include:

• Women’s Equality and Empowerment in Legal Matters:
  WBASNY supports and advocates for legislation that levels the playing field for women and is designed to ensure equitable treatment and opportunities for women. This priority includes continued support for legislation such as the Grieving Families Act (A.6063/S.4423) and the P.R.I.C.E.D. Act (A.5379/S.3888). Measures such as these would modernize the law to ensure women and children are accorded the same “value” as men. Current damage calculations often devalue the work of homemakers, infants, women, minorities, the infirm, mentally ill, disabled, and elderly who often earn far less than their white male counterparts. It is past time to update these models and ensure fairness across the legal system.
• Women’s Healthcare, Reproductive Rights, and Bodily Autonomy:
  As an organization whose mission is to promote the advancement of women in society, WBASNY adamantly supports a woman’s fundamental right to make her own health decisions, in all aspects including reproductive health and end of life decisions. WBASNY continues supporting all facets of bodily autonomy and will continue to be a strong advocate for a person’s right to continue making independent and informed health choices.
• Protecting New York’s Children in Judicial Proceedings:
  WBASNY is committed to ensuring that the rights of not only women, but also children and families remain protected. Our children are our future, and New Yorkers must do all we can to ensure the best interests of children. WBASNY will advocate for policies and procedures that protect children in all policy areas – from family court proceedings, to creating a statewide supervised visitation program, to ensuring children are fairly treated within the criminal legal system.
• Access to Attorneys and the Courts for Indigent New Yorkers Including Those Facing Immigration Issues:
  Due process and access to justice is a critical pillar of the legal profession. WBASNY supports any policy proposal that expands access to representation. Whether it be immigration proceedings, family court proceedings, or criminal appearances, access to an attorney is crucial. WBASNY will continue to advocate for the protection of all New Yorkers, especially the most vulnerable through adequate representation and the true administration of justice.
• Continued Support for Judicial Security:
  WBASNY remains committed to supporting measures that enhance the safety and security of judges, court officials, legal professionals, and their families in the State of New York. Criminal threats, intimidation, harassment, and inappropriate communications directed towards judges, lawyers, and court officials have increased in recent years, which underscores the need for critical legislation to strengthen policies and protocols. Judges must be able to make decisions without fear of retaliation or retribution. The safety of the judiciary, court personnel, lawyers, and their families is vital not just to an independent judiciary but also to the rule of law and the safeguarding of our democracy.

# # #

The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) is the professional membership organization of choice for more than 4,100 attorneys throughout New York State and the largest statewide women’s bar association in the country. For 45 years, WBASNY has been a singularly important resource for women lawyers, providing professional networking, continuing legal education programming, leadership training, and advocacy for the rights of women, children, and families. Through involvement with WBASNY’s 20 regional chapters and its 50 committees, WBASNY’s members collaborate with one another on a variety of issues and perform public and community service, in furtherance of its mission to promote the advancement of the status of women in society and 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 women attorneys in particular. WBASNY holds United Nations NGO status with the U.N.’s Department of Public Information, and Special Consultative status in association with the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). WBASNY is also a founding member of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations.