January 30, 2019: State Bar Honors Deborah Scalise with 2018 Ruth Schapiro Award

January 30, 2019: State Bar Honors Deborah Scalise with 2018 Ruth Schapiro Award

1.30.2019

By Communications Department

Deborah A. Scalise of Scarsdale, a partner at Scalise, Hamilton & Sheridan, LLP, is the 2018 recipient of the Ruth G. Schapiro Memorial Award given by the New York State Bar Association’s (NYSBA) Women in Law Section.

NYSBA President Michael Miller presented the award to Scalise on Jan. 18 at the association’s Annual Meeting in New York City. The award recognizes a member for outstanding contributions to addressing the concerns of women.

“Deborah A. Scalise is an extraordinary leader and champion for equal opportunities for all in the legal profession, who has made outstanding contributions to the advancement of women,” said NYSBA Women in Law Section Chair Susan Harper (Bates Group). “We are honored to bestow the Ruth G. Schapiro Memorial Award to Deborah, who has demonstrated excellent leadership, lifelong contributions on behalf of women, and dedication to the concerns of women through education, pro bono, community and bar association services.”

Scalise has served NYSBA in many capacities, including as a member of the Attorney Professionalism Committee and chair of the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Committee from 2012-2017. As CLE committee chair, she cultivated a relationship with the state CLE board and was instrumental in having the rule changed to allow newly admitted attorneys to fulfill some of their CLE requirements online.

From early on in her career, Scalise has shown herself to be a true innovator. In 1993, she instituted the first ethics hotline for the Westchester Women’s Bar Association (WWBA) to provide guidance via telephone to lawyers and assist them with their ethical dilemmas. Six years later, the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) instituted an ethics hotline under Scalise’s guidance.

In addition to her membership in NYSBA, Scalise is active in several bar associations. She is a past president of the White Plains Bar Association as well as the WWBA and has also twice served as vice president of the WBASNY.

About the New York State Bar Association
The New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. Since 1876, the Association has helped shape the development of law, educated and informed the legal profession and the public, and championed the rights of New Yorkers through advocacy and guidance in our communities.

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Contact: Brendan Kennedy
bkennedy@nysba.org
518-487-5541