New York, NY, Monday, December 8, 2025 – The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) proudly announces that its nominee and member, the Hon. Thérèse Wiley Dancks, has received the New York State Bar Association’s (NYSBA) 2025 Ruth G. Schapiro Memorial Award. WBASNY extends its heartfelt congratulations to Judge Dancks, a former President of the Central New York Women’s Bar Association (CNYWBA), a WBASNY chapter. This prestigious award recognizes NYSBA members who have made significant contributions to women’s issues through endeavors such as pro bono work, bar association service, and community involvement. Judge Dancks exemplifies these values through her unwavering dedication and significant service to women and the broader community.
Judge Dancks made history as the first female Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, appointed in February 2012 and currently serving as Chief Magistrate. She is highly regarded for her leadership, dedication to advancing women in the legal profession, her extensive commitment to pro bono service, and impactful community engagement. She has broken ceilings and her advocacy for women is boundless. She is widely recognized for her modesty, unwavering commitment to lifting others up, and offering assistance whenever needed.
A dedicated leader in both CNYWBA and WBASNY since 1991, Judge Dancks served multiple terms on the CNYWBA Board of Directors (during the period of 1992–2010), as Secretary (1992–1994), and as President (1994–1996). During her presidency, she established the award-winning Domestic Violence Legal Assistance Clinic in partnership with Vera House, launched a judicial screening committee, expanded CNYWBA’s membership fourfold, and initiated a mentoring program. She is the 2020 recipient of the CNYWBA Karen DeCrow Award, named for the founding member of CNYWBA who ardently fought for women’s equality. Judge Dancks also served as Co-Chair of WBASNY Convention (2003), Co-Chair of WBASNY’s Technology Committee (2005–2007), Delegate (2006-2010), CNYWBA’s Nominating and Long-Range Planning Committees, and Co-Chair of its Pro Bono Projects (1994–2000).
Judge Dancks has made substantial contributions to other organizations such as NYSBA and the Federal Court Bar Association (NDNY). As a member of the Federal Magistrate Judges Association, she served on the Diversity Committee since 2013 (Co-Chair 2017–2020) and as a Bulletin author on diversity issues. Within the Onondaga Bar Association, she has held numerous leadership and committee roles, and earned the 2024 Champion of the Law Award, which is presented to a member of the judiciary who has achieved notable success in advancing the interests of justice. Judge Dancks is widely recognized for her pro bono work and dedication to multiple educational institutions and community organizations. She received her juris doctorate degree from Syracuse University College of Law, and has actively given back to her law school by serving as a Judge in various moot court advocacy programs, as a Law College Association Board Member (1994-1999), a guest lecturer for the legal interns program and the Women’s Law Student Association, a mentor to the Women’s Law Caucus (1995-2002), and host for law student internships.
She has been honored by Le Moyne College (Ignatian Award for Community Service, 2020, and Edward Egan Medal, 1985); Syracuse University College of Law (Honors Medal, 2019, and Moot Court Distinguished Alumni, 2012); SUNY Upstate Medical University (President’s Award for Voluntary Faculty, 2011); Central New York Business Journal, (Women in Business Award, 2006);and Vera House, Inc. (Sister Mary Vera Award, 1997).
WBASNY is also proud to acknowledge prior WBASNY nominee recipients of the Ruth G. Schapiro Memorial Award include Hon. Sylvia Hinds-Radix, ret. (2024); Hon. Edwina G. Richardson (2023); Hon. Elizabeth A. Wolford (2022); Hon. Leslie E. Stein (2021); Hon. Rosalyn Richter (2019); Deborah Scalise, Esq. (2018); and Hon. Joan Kohout (2016).
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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.