Elaine Epstein | 1978-1980
As president during the WBA's inaugural year, Elaine Epstein's highlights are clear: the WBA made a visible start and became a credible and activist voice for women attorneys in Massachusetts. The early focus was increased appointments of women to the judiciary and statewide boards and committees of importance. Elaine has concentrated her law practice in domestic relations and probate litigation for more than 20 years - most of those in a three-woman law firm in Brockton and the last four years as a partner in the Boston law firm of Todd & Weld. After serving as WBA president, Elaine later served as president of the Massachusetts Bar Association. She has also served as a member of the Board of Bar Overseers, a trustee of MCLE and as a member of the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Board of Editors. She is currently a trustee of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation and a member of the standing SJC Model Rules Committee.

Terry Jean Seligmann | 1981-1982
The first study of parental leave and part-time employment policies had its roots in Terry Jean Seligman's WBA presidency. In addition, efforts to influence committee appointments in the Massachusetts Bar Association intensified as the WBA provided the MBA with a list of qualified women candidates to serve on sections and committees. Shortly thereafter, many women were appointed. Of all the past WBA presidents, Terry Jean Seligman has wandered the farthest from the Commonwealth and is currently Assistant Professor of Law and Director of the Legal Research and Writing Program at the University of Arkansas School of Law. Prior to her move to Arkansas, Terry Jean taught at Suffolk University Law School. Her legal career focused on civil litigation as an Assistant Attorney General, and with both large and small law firms in the private sector. She also held the position of Staff Counsel to the Supreme Judicial Court. Terry Jean is a member of the flute section of the Arkansas Winds.

Sarah Wald | 1983-1984
In many ways, Sarah Wald's presidency set the stage for the next phase of the organization's growth. For the first time, the WBA submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court; the scope of programs offered was increased, and the administrative functions began to be streamlined. Sarah Wald is currently Assistant Provost for Policy and Planning at Harvard University. Prior to joining the central administration at Harvard, she was Assistant Dean and Dean of Students at Harvard Law School, where she was also a Lecturer on Law. A graduate of Brown University and Yale Law School, Sarah served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Public Protection Bureau and was Assistant Secretary of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She is currently on the Board of Directors of the Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, and the Kendall Center for the Arts.

Sandra Shapiro | 1985-1986
In response to a WBA proposal, the SJC authorized a Gender Bias Study of the court system of Massachusetts. Under President Sandra Shapiro, the WBA secured support for the study from other bar associations and, with the help of Senator Patricia McGovern, obtained from the state legislature the first-ever funding for a gender bias study. Sandra Shapiro is the first woman to be elected to partnership at Foley Hoag, where she has practiced real estate and business law since 1976. Before joining the firm, she was a clerk to Chief Judge Bailey Aldrich of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Sandra serves on numerous boards, including the Boston Lyric Opera, the Celebrity Series of Boston, and the New England Conservatory.

Martha Coakley | 1986-1988
Martha Coakley wrapped up the WBA's first decade by serving two consecutive terms as president. She helped the WBA to "grow up" as an organization by creating the Operations Committee and hiring its first part-time staff person. Martha Coakley is the Middlesex District Attorney. An 11-year veteran of the Middlesex D.A.'s office, she distinguished herself as Chief of the Child Abuse Prosecution Unit, which she headed from 1991 to 1996. It has been recognized as a national model. From 1987 to 1989, Martha served as a Special Attorney for the Justice Department's Organized Crime Strike Force in Boston. A graduate of Williams College and Boston University School of Law, she is an active volunteer in "Neighbors in Deed," a parish-based program that reaches out to elderly and infirm neighbors.

Karen J. Kepler | 1989-1990
During Karen Kepler's presidency, the WBA focused its efforts on implementing the recommendations of the Supreme Judicial Court Gender Bias Study. In addition, the WBA published the Parental Leave and Part-Time Employment Report and began to focus on ways to better serve its members by increasing administrative staff and expanding its geographical base.Karen Kepler is a partner at the law firm of Goulston & Storrs LLP in Boston, where she practices in the areas of real estate development and finance, with an emphasis on affordable housing development. Previously, she was a partner at Krokidas & Bluestein in Boston, and served as an Assistant District Attorney for Middlesex County under then Middlesex D.A. Scott Harshbarger. Karen is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Boston University School of Law.

Honorable Judith Nelson Dilday | 1990-1991
The WBA Gala is a lasting legacy of Judge Judith Nelson Dilday's term as WBA President. In response to the then recently-published Parental Leave and Part-Time Employment Report, a formal network of part-time women lawyers was launched. The WBA also co-sponsored a forum, "Battered Women Fighting Back." Judith Nelson Dilday is a justice of the Middlesex Probate and Family Court. Before being appointed to the Bench in 1993, she practiced law in Massachusetts for 18 years and was a founder of the Boston law firm, Burnham, Hines & Dilday. She also held positions as Assistant General Counsel of the MBTA, Attorney-Advisor at the Solicitor's Office of the United States Department of the Interior, attorney in a small law firm and Assistant District Attorney in Suffolk County. A native of Pittsburgh where she taught high school French before relocating to Boston, she is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Boston University School of Law. She is married with three children.

Honorable Patricia E. Bernstein | 1991-1992
Under the leadership of Judge Patricia Bernstein, the WBA took a significant step toward centralizing its operations when it established its first office at 25 West Street. The WBA also initiated its collaboration with the Boston Bar Association on the study of part-time women lawyers, which was completed in 1995. Expansion of membership in Western Massachusetts was also a top priority. Judge Patricia Bernstein is an Associate Justice of the Boston Municipal Court, a position she has held since 1994. She is a graduate of Connecticut College and received her juris doctor from Boston College Law School.

Jamie Ann Sabino | 1992-1993
Jamie Sabino's presidency emphasized the WBA's commitment to pro bono work as both the Women's Bar Foundation and the Women's Lunch Place Project were launched. The WBA also took the step of hiring its first substantial part-time staff person. Jamie Sabino has been an active member of the WBA for almost all of its 20 years and has been instrumental in the operation of the Judicial Consent for Minors Lawyer Referral Panel. Her commitment to pro bono work has garnered recognition from the National Lawyers Guild, Planned Parenthood and MassChoice. In 1996 she received the Boston Bar Association Thurgood Marshall Award for Pro Bono Work. Jamie sits on the board of Planned Parenthood and chairs its Public Affairs Committee. She is President of the CPPAX Education Fund. Jamie practices family and appellate law with her husband in the Cambridge firm of Klibaner and Sabino. They have two active young boys, Sam (who was born during her year as WBA president) and Jacob.

Jane Tewksbury | 1993
Jane Tewksbury's term as president was shortened by her selection as an Annie E. Casey Fellow, however, it was highlighted by a tremendously successful Gala which gave the WBA funds to move forward with confidence. Jane Tewksbury is Chief of Staff at the Executive Office of Public Safety. Most recently, she had served as the Vice President and General Counsel of Justice Resource Institute, a private non-profit human services provider. Prior to her JRI position, she served as Legal Counsel to Attorney General Scott Harshbarger. Her 12-year tenure with Attorney General Harshbarger included six years in the Middlesex County District Attorney's office. In 1993, she received a Children and Family Fellowship from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and participated in an intensive full-time program for mid-career professionals interested in leadership positions in organizations and institutions serving disadvantaged children and families. Jane is a graduate of Radcliffe College and the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Sally J. Greenberg | 1993-1995
The WBA moved into yet another phase under the presidency of Sally Greenberg as the Women's Bar Foundation, which had been in the planning stages for more than a year, earned its tax-exempt status and embarked on its first fundraising campaign. The WBA also hired its first Executive Director. The Senior Women Practice Group began a successful series of luncheon meetings, and United States Attorney General Janet Reno was among the first women to receive the Lelia J. Robinson Award. Sally Greenberg is currently the senior Product Safety Counsel for the Consumers Union in Washington, D.C. In this position, she handles all Congressional matters related to products liability and automobile insurance regulations. Prior to relocating to the Capitol, Sally was the Eastern States Civil Rights Counsel of the Anti-Defamation League, the organization for which she worked both in Washington and Boston for 16 years.

Jane E. Sender  | 1995-1996
The WBA experienced tremendous growth during the presidency of Jane Sender. Membership figures surpassed 1,000 and the WBA public profile expanded enormously. The WBA became more active in the judicial nomination process and was called upon to provide research and testimony on Beacon Hill. The WBA also moved to an office on Tremont Street and the WBF hired its first part-time coordinator. Jane Sender is the president and principal of Jane Sender Legal Search, which she founded during her term as WBA President. She has been a legal recruiter in Boston since 1989, prior to which she was a litigation associate with the law firm of Posternak, Blankstein & Lund. A graduate of the University of Oxford (Somerville College) and the University of Florida College of Law where she was an editor of the Law Review, Jane was a law clerk for Henry A. Politz, then a member, now Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Jane was an official finisher in the 1995 and 1996 Boston Marathons.

Sarah McClean | 1996-1997
As WBA President, Sarah McClean sought to make the WBA a more inclusive organization. To this end, she supported many initiatives, including the formation of the Publications Committee, the History Project, the Media Committee and the Solo and Small Firm Practice Group. The WBA also added a part-time assistant, in addition to its Executive Director, and the WBF hired its first full-time director. Sarah McClean is a solo practitioner who has devoted a great deal of her legal career to women in need. An architect of the Women's Lunch Place Project, the Family Law Project for Battered Women, and the Women's Bar Foundation among others, Sarah has been recognized on numerous occasions for her commitment to pro bono work. In 1995 she received the MBA's Access to Justice Section Pro Bono Publico Award and in 1998 became the first recipient of the WBA's Pro Bono Award. Sarah was a member of the BBA Action Committee to Promote Volunteerism.

Ellen C. Kearns | 1997-1998
Energy and action characterized Ellen Kearns's term as WBA president. In 12 short months, Ellen undertook and completed a survey of WBA members, held a Board Retreat to formulate a WBA Strategic Plan in response to the survey's conclusions, published a revised WBA Directory, engineered the WBA's next move to Washington Street, and worked with legislators and other bar associations to seek enactment of the Spousal Share Bill. Ellen Kearns is a partner of the law firm of Epstein, Becker & Green, P.C. where she focuses on labor and employment law. She has chaired committees for both the BBA and the ABA, and is a past president of the Boston College Law School Alumni Association. In 1992, Ellen was named the B.C. Law School Alumna of the Year and received the Regis College Alumnae Achievement Award in 1993. Prior to embarking on her legal career, Ellen spent seven years teaching elementary and high school mathematics. She is a graduate of Regis College and a member of its Board of Trustees.

Beth I.Z. Boland | 1998-1999
Beth Boland's legacy as a WBA president was highlighted by the successful passage of the Child Custody Bill, legislation drafted by the WBA for which Beth and others had worked tirelessly for more than two years. The WBA has also continued to strive to follow the guidelines set forth by the Strategic Plan and continues to work to ensure that the WBA grows and prospers well into the 21st Century. Beth Boland is a partner at Bingham McCutchen LLP in the securities litigation/corporate governance groups. After starting her career as a clerk to the federal district court judge assigned to the Ivan Boesky/Michael Milken insider trading and shareholder cases, Ms. Boland has concentrated her practice on consumer/shareholder class actions, corporate governance, and securities issues. In addition to her law practice, Beth has been very active on behalf of domestic violence victims. She has participated in the Mintz Levin Domestic Violence Project, has served as a Director and counsel to the R.O.S.E. Fund, and as legislative chair of the Domestic Violence Council. She and her husband have three children.

Antoinette E.M. Leoney | 1999-2000
Toni Leoney's dedication and energy helped put the WBA in the spotlight. Toni focused on increasing and diversifying the membership of the WBA. During her term as president, the WBA testified in support of the clinic buffer zone bill, held seminars on demystifying the judicial nominating process and hosted the "Gender Perspectives in Lawyering" luncheon seminars. In addition, the WBA got a new look, a new office and had its most successful Gala to date, all promoting the growth and development of the organization for the new millennium. Toni Leoney is an Assistant United States Attorney at the U.S. Attorney's Boston Office working in the newly created Anti-Terrorism Unit. Toni received the distinguished young alumnae award from Lesley College and was honored during her term as WBA president as a distinguished graduate by New England School of Law. During her esteemed public service career, Toni has worked for the Department of Social Services, the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office and the Governor's Council under Michael Dukakis.

Lisa Brodeur-McGan | 2000-2001
Lisa Brodeur-McGan's presidency marked the first time an attorney from Western Massachusetts has held this office. Lisa brought important visibility for the WBA beyond Greater Boston and successfully reached out to broaden the geographical base of our membership. Highlights of her tenure include the expansion of the Elder Law Project to Western Massachusetts as part of Lisa's goal of increasing pro bono initiatives in that part of the state; the creator of the first annual Ruth I. Abrams Distinguished Speaker Lecture Series featuring the Hon. Ruth Abrams; and the establishment of a more inclusive voting system through the use of proxy votes for the annual election. Lisa Brodeur-McGan is with the firm of Cooley, Shrair P.C. where she concentrates on civil litigation with an emphasis on wrongful death, product liability, civil rights employment and discrimination cases. Brodeur-McGan graduated from Russell Sage College and Western New England School of Law. Brodeur-McGan regularly lectures at local grade schools, colleges and multi-state seminars on a host of legal topics including the legal implications of drugs and alcohol. When not working, Brodeur-McGan enjoys scuba diving and spending time with her husband and daughter.

Leigh-Ann Patterson | 2001-2002
The passage of the Contraceptive Coverage Bill, one of the WBA’s Legislative Priorities, was an important achievement of the WBA during Leigh-Ann Patterson’s presidency. The bill, which requires private health insurers to cover FDA-approved prescription contraceptives to the same extent that they cover other prescription drugs, was passed in February 2002. Leigh-Ann’s presidency also marked a dramatic increase in the frequency and scope of WBA programming which significantly expanded to include many more professional development programs as well as programs on cutting edge political topics and relevant personal issues. A partner in the Litigation Department of Nixon Peabody, Leigh-Ann is a trial lawyer who focuses her practice on commercial, health care and medical privacy litigation for companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotechnology industries. Leigh-Ann founded Nixon Peabody’s HIPAA Task Force in 2001. She advises health care organizations and major pharmaceutical companies on HIPAA compliance, as well as litigation risk management and litigation avoidance practices.

Gretchen Van Ness | 2002-2003
During her term, Gretchen Van Ness passionately fought to protect court funding, legal services funding, and human services funding. Gretchen led the WBA’s successful efforts to help defeat the proposed legislation that would have denied legal recognition and benefits for non-traditional couples and their families. She also enhanced the WBA’s collaborative relationships with other bar associations and community organizations throughout the Commonwealth. As a solo practitioner, Gretchen has argued precedent-setting cases at the Supreme Judicial Court and has lectured across the United States on issues ranging from constitutional challenges to Title IX to the disposition of frozen embryos in a contested divorce. Named Young Alumnae of the Year 2000 by her alma mater, Wilson College, Gretchen currently serves as Vice Chairperson of Wilson’s Board of Trustees. In 2001, Gretchen was honored as “Attorney of the Year” for her extraordinary solo career by Syracuse University College of Law. In 2002, Boston Magazine recognized Gretchen as one of the best employment lawyers in Boston.

Patricia Rapinchuk | 2003-2004
Pat Rapinchuk’s term as president marked the 25th anniversary of the Women’s Bar Association and only the second time that an attorney from western Massachusetts has held the office. The highlight of her tenure was the WBA’s strong support of the decision of the Supreme Judicial Court in Goodridge vs. Department of Public Health, which held that denying same sex couples the right to marry violated the Massachusetts Constitution. Pat led the WBA in its support of the decision, which was questioned by the Legislature and others, and in its opposition to a proposed Constitutional Amendment which would ban same sex marriage. A partner at the Springfield law firm of Robinson Donovan, P.C., Pat practices civil litigation with emphasis on employment and discrimination cases. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and the University of Connecticut School of Law. Pat regularly speaks to legal and business groups on a variety of employment law topics.

Marriane C. LeBlanc | 2004-2005

Pamela E. Berman | 2005-2006

Kathleen O'Connor | 2006-2007