The Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts (WBA) proudly announces its 2026 Lelia J. Robinson Award recipients and its Emerging Women Leaders in the Law Honorees.

Lizette Perez-Deisboeck and Jamie Sabino

The Lelia J. Robinson Award honors women attorneys who have captured the spirit of Lelia J. Robinson, the first woman admitted to practice in Massachusetts. The award recognizes women who, like Robinson, are pioneers in the legal profession and who have made a difference in the community. In 2026, the WBA is proud to recognize two women who have excelled in their fields and made an impact: Lizette Perez-Deisboeck and Jamie Sabino. Attorneys Perez-Deisboeck and Sabino will be honored at the WBA’s annual Gala on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at the Boston Marriott Copley Place in Boston, MA. The Gala, the WBA’s largest event of the year, is attended by hundreds of attorneys, judges, legislators, and business professionals. 

"The WBA is proud to honor Attorneys Jamie Sabino and Lizette Perez-Deisboeck with the 2026 Lelia J. Robinson Award," said WBA President Margaret A. Caulfield. "Both honorees have distinguished themselves through exceptional leadership, service, and dedication to the legal profession. They have each made lasting contributions to the Commonwealth and to generations of attorneys who have benefited from their mentorship and example. Together, they reflect the spirit of excellence, courage, and integrity that defines the legacy of Lelia J. Robinson."

LIZETTE PEREZ-DEISBOECK

Lizette Perez-Deisboeck is the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Battery Ventures, where she has provided legal and compliance leadership for more than 16 years at one of the world’s leading technology-focused investment firms. In her dual role, Attorney Perez-Deisboeck is responsible for legal strategy, regulatory compliance, governance, and risk management across Battery’s global platform. She has helped build and scale the firm’s legal and compliance infrastructure through multiple market cycles, supporting investment activity across venture capital, growth equity, and buyout strategies.

Prior to joining Battery Ventures, Attorney Perez-Deisboeck was a Partner at Goodwin Procter, where she advised technology companies and private equity clients on complex corporate transactions. Her career also includes senior in-house leadership roles, including Vice President of Legal Affairs and Operations at Idealab Boston and General Counsel of JuniorNet. Attorney Perez-Deisboeck has also been formally recognized as a “Top Woman of Law” by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, an honor that reflects not only professional excellence but also meaningful contributions to women in the legal profession. 

Attorney Perez-Deisboeck has had a profound and lasting influence on women pursuing and sustaining legal careers through her example, mentorship, and consistent personal support. In nominating Attorney Perez-Deisboeck for this award, the nominator noted that “[her] own career trajectory is directly attributable to [Attorney] Perez-Deisboeck’s mentorship, guidance, and confidence building support. Her influence has not only encouraged women to enter the legal profession, but has helped them remain, advance, and lead within it.” She serves as a role model for other senior female leaders within corporate law, private equity, and investment-firm legal leadership, sectors that have historically lacked female representation at the most senior levels. 

Through both formal recognition and quiet, consistent action, Attorney Perez-Deisboeck has used her platform to open doors, provide guidance, and create opportunities for women lawyers, embodying the spirit of public service and leadership that this award seeks to honor.

JAMIE SABINO

Jamie Sabino is the Deputy Director of Advocacy and the Managing Attorney of the Civil Legal Needs for Victims of Crime Initiative (CLAVC) Initiative at MLRI. She also serves as lead advocate for the Domestic Violence Legal Assistance Project (DVLAP), and facilitates the Family Law Task Force, a statewide group of legal services family law attorneys, attorneys in domestic violence service provider agencies, and attorneys involved in family law pro bono programs and law school clinics. Previously, Attorney Sabino served for 13 years as the VAWA STOP Grant Coordinator for the Massachusetts Trial Court, where she worked at a policy level on how the Trial Court handled cases involving domestic violence and sexual assault. Attorney Sabino also formerly practiced at Klibaner & Sabino, concentrating on family law, reproductive healthcare, and criminal defense appellate law.

While in each of these roles, Attorney Sabino has simultaneously engaged in extensive pro bono work. From the very beginning of her career, Attorney Sabino participated in, championed, and led pro bono efforts. In 1981, Attorney Sabino founded the Judicial Consent for Minors Lawyer Referral Panel, a group of trained attorneys who represent minors seeking judicial consent for abortions, which she co-chairs to this day. This early action would reflect Attorney Sabino’s work throughout her career; she continues to identify gaps in legal services, and acts to correct them through training, mentoring, and encouraging other attorneys to join in her work. 

Attorney Sabino's dedication to advancing equity for women under the law is an inspiration to all members of the Massachusetts legal community. Her impact is felt not only through her considerable direct activities, but by the efforts of the innumerable attorneys she has encouraged and trained throughout her career, and the laws she has shaped. The breadth of Attorney Sabino’s individual impact on the advancement of women in a just society in Massachusetts is staggering: the result of a lifelong dedication and clarity of purpose few can claim.

Emerging Women Leaders in the Law Honorees

The WBA’s Emerging Women Leaders in the Law Award honors women attorneys who have demonstrated professional excellence or had a significant professional achievement in approximately their first 12 years in the legal profession, and either promote the status of women in the legal profession or contribute meaningfully to the equal participation of women in a just society. The 2026 awardees will also be celebrated and honored at the WBA’s annual Gala. They are:

• Lesley Chuang, DLA Piper
• Samantha Fuchs, City of Boston Law Department
• Amiee Parco, Greater Boston Legal Services
• Anne Sheldon, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute

"Our Emerging Women Leaders in the Law honorees exemplify the talent and leadership shaping the future of the legal profession," said President Caulfield. "The WBA is proud to recognize their achievements."