Where over 700 Members of New Jersey’s Legal Community Gathered to Honor 6 Extraordinary Leaders in the Law
CEDAR GROVE, NEW JERSEY – The New Jersey Women Lawyers Association (NJWLA) held its 16th Annual Women’s Initiative and Leaders in the Law (WILL) Platinum Gala on March 19, 2024 at The Grove in Cedar Grove, NJ with more than 700 people in attendance. The evening was an incredible celebration of the outstanding achievements of six extraordinary Honorees.
This year’s WILL Platinum Award Recipients were the Honorable Leda Dunn Wettre, United States Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey; Honorable Jamie D. Happas, P.J.CV. (Ret), Of Counsel, Lombardi & Lombardi; Michelle A. Schaap, Member, CSG Law, NJWLA Past President; Sandra Leung, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey’s 11th District. Karol Corbin Walker, Partner, Kaufman Dolowich, was honored with NJWLA’s Trailblazer Award. The Honorable Jessica S. Allen, United States Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey and Past President of NJWLA, served as our amazing and always efficient, Mistress of Ceremonies.
Gala Co-Chairs, Grace Byrd and Natalie Richer, opened the event with welcome remarks and a tribute to the late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Sharmila Jaipersaud, NJWLA’s President, provided remarks and expressed NJWLA’s gratitude for the support of the entire New Jersey legal community and especially those who joined to celebrate at the Gala. Jaipersaud thanked the NJWLA sisterhood for years of professional support and camaraderie which led her to the opportunity to hold the role as NJWLA’s first in-house President. Jaipersaud noted that the continued support of NJWLA’s sponsors and members are the key to allowing NJWLA to further its mission of advancing and retaining women of all backgrounds in the law. NJWLA continued its scholarship program and awarded $15,000 in scholarships to three law students: Tayler Gospodarek of Rutgers Law School – Newark; Shelleah Jackson of Rutgers Law School – Camden; and Najma Hassan of Seton Hall University School of Law, who each wrote poignant essays you can read on NJWLA’s website. The evening was rounded out with comments from Renée Rubino, NJWLA’s President Elect, with thanks to all who contributed to the success of the evening.
