New York, NY, Friday, January 17, 2025 – The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (“WBASNY”), the largest women’s bar association in the United States, commends President Joseph R. Biden for his historic statement today. He has affirmed his position that the Equal Rights Amendment (“ERA”) has cleared all necessary hurdles to be added to the Constitution as the 28th Amendment. WBASNY President Marea L. Wachsman, Esq., sent a letter to President Biden earlier this month, joining many other voices, urging President Biden to instruct the national Archivist to publish the amendment. Publishing the amendment is the final step to the ERA being recognized as law of the land.

The Archivist has thus far taken the position that she cannot legally publish the ERA. Her position is that Congress must lift the 7 year deadline for the states to ratify the ERA. District and Circuit Courts have considered the question, but it is anticipated that the Supreme Court of the United States will have the final say. WBASNY will continue to support efforts to realize the promise of the ERA – to guarantee all Americans equal rights and protections under the law regardless of their sex.

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The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) is the professional membership organization of choice for nearly 4,000 attorneys throughout New York State and the largest statewide women’s bar association in the country. For more than four decades, 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 40-plus substantive law 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.