January 27, 2017: New York State Bar Honors Chief Judge Janet Difiore with Ruth G. Schapiro Memorial Award
1.27.2017
Janet DiFiore, chief judge of the state Court of Appeals, is the 2016 recipient of the Ruth G. Schapiro Memorial Award given by the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Women in the Law.
DiFiore received the award on January 27 during the State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting in New York City. It recognizes a State Bar member for outstanding contributions to addressing the concerns of women.
“The Committee on Women in the Law is honored to recognize Janet DiFiore as the 2016 Ruth G. Shapiro Award recipient for her noteworthy contributions to women and leadership that truly embody the essence of the award,” said Susan L. Harper (Bates Group), co-chair of the Committee on Women in the Law.
DiFiore served as an assistant district attorney in the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office from 1981 to 1987, and from 1994 to 1998 as chief of its Narcotics Bureau. In 1998, she was elected a judge of the Westchester County Court. Four years later, she was elected a justice of the New York State Supreme Court.
In 2005, DiFiore resigned from the bench and was elected Westchester County District Attorney. She served in this position from 2006 to 2016, when she became chief judge.
While Westchester DA, she hired and promoted women in large numbers; more than 50 percent of the employees in her office were women. Before becoming chief judge, DiFiore was a longtime active board member of the Westchester Women’s Bar Association.
DiFiore has participated in numerous women’s bar events to help women, children and their families, including anti-bullying programs in schools and various reading programs.
The 72,000-member New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. It was founded in 1876.
Contact: Christian Nolan
Senior Writer
cnolan@nysba.org
518-487-5536
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