Federal Bar Association

FBA’s LGBTQ+ Law Section: Virtual “Brown Bag” Lunch and Roundtable
2024-11-13 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Please join the FBA’s LGBTQ+ Law Section for a “Brown Bag” Lunch and Roundtable via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 12:00 pm (ET). Grab your favorite lunch and join the LGBTQ+ Law Section officers, members, and law student members for discussions about the practice of law and success in law school and other endeavors.
Presented by the LGBTQ+ Law Section
Registration for this event is now closed.

Registration
Registration for this event is now closed.

Registration Fees

FBA Member: $0
Nonmember: $0

Live Captioning: Closed captioning is available for virtual proograms.

Internet Requirements: Virtual programs require suitable internet strength to stream online panels. A minimum internet connection of 800 Kbps is recommended for an optimal attendee experience. Test your connection here.

CLE
Please note CLE will not be offered for this event.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I access the virtual event?
A: For this virtual session, please check your email as you will receive a 24 (twenty-four) hour reminder, as well as a 2 (two) hour reminder prior to the start time of this Teams webinar.
Q: Who do I contact for more information?
A: Please contact sections@fedbar.org for any other questions.

Email Communication Policy
By registering for this event, you agree to receive email communication from the Federal Bar Association and affiliated sponsors of the program concerning event details, Continuing Legal Education certification, programming changes, upcoming events, surveys, and post-event communications.
Recording Disclaimer
By registering for an online FBA program, you agree to the recording of audio and visual content presented during the live event and consent to subsequent use of the recording by the FBA. You agree that the recording is the sole property of the FBA and that the recording may be used by the FBA in any manner in its sole and absolute discretion. This recording may include questions and poll responses provided by you during the live event. If you do not consent to the recording and the FBA’s use of the same, do not register for the event.
If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact sections@fedbar.org

Pride in ADR (New York)
2025-06-17 17:00 - 21:00 | Benjamin N Cardozo School of Law, 55 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10003, United States
Pride in ADR (New York)
Hosted by:
FBA Diversity & Inclusion Committee
FBA ADR and LGBTQ+ Law Sections
FBA Southern District of New York Chapter, and
New York State Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section
You are cordially invited to join the Federal Bar Association for the Second Pride in ADR (New York) Tuesday, June 17, from 5:00–9:00 p.m. ET, hosted in person at Cardozo Law in New York City and available remotely, virtually anywhere in the world. This year’s event will commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Federal Arbitration Act, the 25th Anniversary of Baker v. Vermont and a decade since Obergefell v. Hodges.
Pride in ADR is a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ communities’ availability, visibility, and selection as professionals in the field of alternative dispute resolution and a conversation about some of the challenges which persist as well as those which lay ahead. The Hon. Beth Robinson, U.S. Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, the first lesbian appellate court judge in our Nation’s history, a former Vermont Supreme Court Justice and co-lead counsel in Baker v. Vermont which saw Vermont become the first state to sustain civil unions will keynote this year’s Pride in ADR focused on “Public Policy and Consensus Building as a Form of ADR.” Judge Robinson’s keynote will be followed by a panel discussion on the topic of the existence of an LGBTQIA+ ADR Ecosystem as conducive to the accessibility and selection of LGBTQIA+ arbitrators and mediators.
Presented by the FBA’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, ADR and LGBTQ+ Law Sections, the Southern District of New York Chapter, and the New York State Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section, this event honors Pride Month by recognizing and celebrating the contributions of LGBTQIA+ professionals in the field of alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
The panel will be followed by cocktails and conversation.
No matter your practice, no matter your location, no matter your sexual orientation, no matter your gender identity, come “out” in-person or online, Tuesday, June 17th, and join us. Show your Pride in ADR!

Venue
The June 17 event will be held in-person at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (55 Fifth Ave, NY, NY 10003). Virtual participation is also available.
Please also join the event hosts for a casual evening with a cash bar at The Stonewall Inn from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, June 16, 2025, in advance of Pride in ADR (New York)!

Registration
Registration has closed for this event.
Registration is free, but space is limited.
For questions about registration, please email the Southern District of New York Chapter at secretary@fbasdny.org or FBA Sections and Divisions at sections@fedbar.org.

About the Presenters
Keynote:

Hon. Beth Robinson, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Beth Robinson has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since November 2021, and served on the Vermont Supreme Court for the preceding decade. Before she was a judge, Robinson was a partner at Langrock Sperry & Wool in Middlebury and Burlington Vermont, with a focus on workers’ compensation, personal injury, family law, employment, and LGBTQ rights, and then served briefly as Counsel to Governor Peter Shumlin. Robinson is best known for her role as co-counsel in Baker v. State, representing three same-sex couples seeking marriage licenses, and as a leader in the Vermont Freedom to Marry movement from 1994-2010.

Welcome: Christie McGuinness, J.D., Master of Ceremonies
Christie McGuinness is a Litigation Associate in the New York Office of Saul Ewing LLP. Christie focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation with a particular focus on False Claims Act matters. Christie also serves as the President of the Southern District of New York Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, and as the Secretary of the Younger Lawyer’s Division of the Federal Bar Association.

Marty Rouse
Marty Rouse was recently Vice President for Outreach and Engagement for the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. He served as National Field Director for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) from 2004-2020. He was recruited to HRC after heading MassEquality, the group that led the political fight to protect the marriage equality decision in Massachusetts. Marty spearheaded HRC’s efforts to build and flex the political muscle of the LGBTQ community across the US, playing pivotal roles in winning marriage equality in Hawaii, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Washington states before marriage equality was secured nationwide by the US Supreme Court in 2015. He also led HRC’s successful effort to build grassroots support to repeal the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ military policy.
Marty was born and raised on Long Island. He was the State LGBT Director of Bill Clinton for President, worked on LGBTQ issues under NYC Mayor David Dinkins and Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger. In 1996, the White House sent Marty to Vermont to run President Clinton’s re-election there. Over several years Marty helped elect dozens of fair-minded state legislators in the Green Mountain State.
In the Clinton Administration, Marty worked for Fair Housing Assistant Secretary Roberta Achtenberg (our nation’s first openly LGBTQ+ Senate confirmed political appointee). At the US Dept. of Health and Human Services, Marty worked under Cabinet Secretary Donna E. Shalala where he helped bring attention to the health disparities experienced by LGBT people.
Marty graduated from the State University of New York at Stony Brook which included one year at Tübingen University, Germany. He currently runs his own political consulting firm, Catamount Consulting. Clients have included the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).
Marty resides in the DC suburb of North Bethesda, Maryland and is always in search of the perfect frozen margarita.
Seth Rosen, Chief Development Officer, The American LGBTQ+ Museum
Seth Rosen (he/him) is an attorney and seasoned fundraiser with over 20 years of experience raising funds for progressive human and civil rights nonprofits.
As a senior at Brandeis University, Seth spent a year at GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) as an intake volunteer. Answering countless questions from members of the LGBTQ+ community, Seth saw how a small, dedicated staff tackled enormous problems and helped thousands of people obtain the equality they deserved. The experience was life-changing. It opened his eyes to the effectiveness of strategic advocacy and the power of perseverance. Seth’s commitment to social justice and public service led him to law school and civil rights litigation. Since then, Seth has gained considerable expertise in nonprofit law and fundraising. He’s held leadership positions at major national and international organizations, including Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Amnesty International USA, GMHC, Lambda Legal, and the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association.
Seth received his JD from New York Law School and his MPA. from New York University. Seth and his husband, Dr. Jacob Goertz, reside in New York City with their two sons. Seth is an avid marathon and ultra-marathon runner and can often be found in Central Park, running miles or enjoying time with his family.
William (Bill) Crosby, Jr., J.D., Featured Panelist
William (Bill) Crosby, Jr. is Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Managing Attorney at Interpublic Group, a New York based advertising and marketing company with over 50,000 employees worldwide. At Interpublic, where he has been since 2002, Bill oversees global litigation, manages the Latin American legal operations, and serves as the chief of staff for the global legal department. He was an associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell from 1993 until 1995, and at Kay, Collyer & Boose (now defunct) from 1995 until 2002. He started serving as a commercial arbitrator in 2009 and has since presided over hundreds of domestic and international disputes involving a variety of contractual and intellectual property issues. Bill is a Fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators, a Director of the AAA-ICDR, a Director of NYIAC, Chair of the AAA-ICDR Council, Incoming Chair of the NYSBA Dispute Resolution Section for the 2025-26 term, and is a former Director of the LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York. He speaks regularly on arbitration related issues (from the in-house and the arbitrator perspectives), as well as on litigation and compliance issues. Bill is a 1990 graduate of Yale College and a 1993 graduate of Stanford Law School.
Dr. Kabir Duggal, Featured Panelist
Dr. Kabir Duggal is a Senior Fellow and Advisor at the Center for International Commercial and Investment Arbitration at Columbia Law School (CICIA) and an attorney in Arnold and Porter’s New York office, focusing on international arbitration and public international law matters, serving both as arbitrator and mediator. He is recognized as a “Chartered Arbitrator” (the highest ranking for arbitrators) by both the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution. He also frequently serves as an expert on international arbitration and public international law matters. Dr. Duggal is also a Lecturer-in-Law at Columbia Law School, an adjunct Professor at Fordham Law School, and a Course Director and a Faculty Member for the Columbia Law School-Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Comprehensive Course on International Arbitration. He also acts as a Consultant for the United Nations Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries (UN-OHRLLS) on the creation of a novel “Investment Support Program.” Dr. Duggal works closely with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) as an expert. He has also conducted training and capacity-building sessions for several Governments on public international law and dispute resolution matters. He has published over 60 articles and has spoken at over 400 arbitration events all over the world. He is a graduate of the University of Mumbai, University of Oxford (DHL-Times of India Scholar), NYU School of Law (Hauser Global Scholar), Leiden Law School (2019 CEPANI Academic Prize), and is currently pursuing an SJD Degree from Harvard Law School. Dr. Duggal is admitted to practice law in New York, District of Columbia, England & Wales (as a Barrister), and in India. His LinkedIn profile is available here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duggalkabir/
Yasmine Lahlou, J.D., Featured Panelist
Yasmine Lahlou, J.D., is a Partner at Chaffetz Lindsey in New York. Fluent in English, French and Italian, Yasmine Lahlou has over 25 years of experience in international arbitration and litigation and has been with Chaffetz Lindsey since 2009. Initially trained in Paris and admitted in New York, Yasmine is experienced in civil and common law systems. Yasmine has represented clients in arbitration proceedings conducted under the ICC, ICDR, LCIA, UNCITRAL and ad hoc rules. She has acted as a presiding, sole and co‐arbitrator in ICC, SCC, ICDR/AAA, CRCICA and LCIA arbitrations.
Yasmine is a member of the International Court of Arbitration of the ICC and co-chair of the ICC’s Working Group on Expedited Procedure Provisions. For the third year in a row, Yasmine has been named one of 23 “Global Elite Thought Leaders” in North America— a title reserved for the top 2.5% of ranked practitioners considered the “very best by peers and clients, achieving the highest number of recommendations in the research”— by Who’s Who Legal 2025 Arbitration report.
Yasmine was just ranked Band 1 in Award Enforcement by Chambers USA and has been continuously recognized in Chambers, Legal 500 and Latinvex. Yasmine is past co-editor-in-chief of the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Bulletin Editorial Board. Member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, member of the Advisory Council of Africa Arbitration, and retiring member of the board of directors of ArbitralWomen, she is also a Peer Review Board member of the American Review of International Arbitration (ARIA) at Columbia Law School.
Robyn Weinstein, J.D., Featured Panelist
Robyn Weinstein is the Director of the Cardozo Mediation Clinic and the Associate Director of the Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution. Previously, Robyn was the Alternative Dispute Resolution Administrator for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY), where she was a mediator and directed the court’s mediation, arbitration and mediation advocacy programs. Robyn has mediated a wide range of civil disputes including insurance and commercial matters, employment discrimination and labor cases, and civil rights matters involving the police and various corrections facilities. While at the EDNY, she developed a Pilot Mediator Incubator to recruit, mentor and train junior attorneys from diverse backgrounds to serve as mediators on the court’s roster. She also implemented a Trial Ready Rapid Mediation Pilot for civil cases in which trials were delayed due to the pandemic.
Prior to her role at the court, Robyn was the director for the Los Angeles office of Arts Arbitration & Mediation Services of California Lawyers for the Arts and an adjunct clinical professor of mediation at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law. During her time in California, Robyn was elected president of the Southern California Mediation Association in 2015. More recently, Robyn served as the co-chair of the DEI Subcommittee of the New York City Bar Association ADR Committee, where she worked to develop the New York DEI Neutral Directory. Robyn is now chair of the ADR Inclusion Network and is the co-chair of the ABA Dispute Resolution Section Legal Education in Dispute Resolution Committee. Robyn has also written about the hurricane response mediation program developed at the Eastern District of New York, and on the subject of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the field of dispute resolution.
Robyn received her B.A. from George Washington University, and her J.D. from Cardozo Law School where she was a member of the mediation clinic and a fellow for the Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution. She is a member of the Bar in New York and California and is approved as a Part 146 mediation trainer by the New York State Unified Court System.
Jess Waltman, J.D., Panel Moderator
Jess Waltman joined Gordon Arata in 2023 and represents clients in commercial litigation matters. Prior to joining Gordon Arata, Jess litigated complex pharmaceutical and medical device cases across the country. Jess is admitted to practice in Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas; before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits; and before the Supreme Court of the United States.
In 2013, Jess graduated from the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Patterson School of Accountancy at the University of Mississippi after being inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and the University of Mississippi Hall of Fame. He graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2016 and was awarded the “Robert C. Khayat Award for Outstanding Service to the Mississippi Law Journal” by his peers and the 2016 “Outstanding Law Student Award” by the faculty.
Jess served as president of the Young Lawyers Division of the Mississippi Bar from 2022 to 2023, and he was honored as the Mississippi Association for Justice’s 2023 “New Lawyer of the Year”. Jess is a director of the Younger Lawyers Division of the New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, and he is an active member of Federal Bar Association’s Diversity Committee and LGBTQ+ Law Section.
Jess is a governor on the Human Rights Campaign’s Board of Governors, and he is active with the New Orleans Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Krewe of Armeinius, the Krewe of King Arthur, and the Krewe of Tucks.
Amy Boyle, J.D., Lead Organizer and Event Host
Amy Boyle is the Managing Partner at MSB Employment Justice in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Within the Federal Bar Association, Amy is the Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She is a Past Chair of the Younger Lawyers Division and Past Member of the Sections and Divisions Council. A frequent speaker on the topics of employment law, discovery, trial, wellness and wellbeing, and diversity and inclusion, Boyle has organized and presented at many FBA events. Aside from her work with the FBA, Boyle is active with the Minnesota Women Lawyers, serving as a Board Member and the Co-Chair of its Equity Committee and Judicial Initiative, and Minnesota NELA.
Amy’s practice involves handling all types of employment matters, with a particular focus on representing women who have experienced sex discrimination, sexual harassment and assault, and retaliation at work and whistleblower clients who have reported illegal workplace practices or companies engaged in deceitful conduct. Amy also represents clients who have found themselves in an untenable work situation, advising and negotiating severance agreements for executive-level employees often leaving long-term employment.
Bryan Branon, J.D., Lead Organizer and Event Host
Bryan J. Branon, J.D., Principal, Branon’s ADR, is an international arbitrator, mediator and business development strategist whose career has focused on the intersection of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and public policy. A former law clerk on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Court of International Trade, and intern in the Irish Parliament, Bryan has worked for several leading ADR provider organizations on four continents over 15 years where he helped establish the Afghanistan Centre for Commercial Dispute Resolution, the Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution and the International Mediation Institute. He is a founding member of the Tashkent International Arbitration Centre “45” Steering Committee and previously served as the Ciarb Regional Relationship Manager for the Americas, the first Americas-based employee in its 107-year-history, where he established the Ciarb Americas headquarters and helped found the first Spanish-speaking branch in Ciarb history, Peru.
Bryan frequently lectures, publishes and consults on diversity, equity and inclusion, international ADR systems design, neutral appointments, and ADR strategy, procedure and contract clause considerations. He welcomes arbitrator and mediator appointments, consultancy, speaking, training and publishing inquiries both in the U.S.A. and abroad. Bryan can be reached at Bryan@BranonsADR.com.

Sponsors
Thank you to our Champion Sponsor, AAA-ICDR!

Thank you to our Advocate Sponsor, JAMS!

Thank you to our Ally Sponsors, Saul Ewing and the FBA Federal Litigation Section!

Thank you to our national partner, The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association!

Thank you to our local partner, the New York State Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section!

Thank you to the following supporting organizations for their contributions and support:

FBA DC Chapter
FBA International Law Section
FBA New Orleans Chapter
FBA Minnesota Chapter
FBA Younger Lawyers Division
International Association of LGBTQ Judges
New York International Arbitration Centre
The International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution “CPR”

Webinar: The Lavender Scare: Then and Now
2025-10-14 14:00 - 15:00
**Program hosted in (ET) Time Zone**
Our panel will discuss and analyze the “Lavender Scare” from a historical context. In addition, the panel will explore the evolution of legal protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s to the present day. The discussion will highlight lessons from past challenges, examine how certain contemporary actions (or activities) may raise similar concerns, and consider how litigation has been, and can continue to be, a tool to safeguard the rights of the community.
Register Now!
Presented by FBA LGBTQ+ Law Section

Presenters

Hannah Marler (she/her) Litigator, Riess LeMieux, LLC (Panel Chair)
Hannah is an experienced litigator whose practice focuses on complex construction disputes. Through her practice, she provides legal guidance to clients across the construction industry, including contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and property owners.
With a keen understanding of the complexities involved in construction projects, Hannah is dedicated to protecting clients’ interests by examining every phase of a construction project from project inception and contract drafting to navigating disputes and litigation.
In litigation, Hannah brings a strategic and tenacious approach, effectively representing clients in mediation, arbitration, and courtroom settings. She has successfully handled cases involving breach of contract, lien enforcement, construction defects, and delay and inefficiency claims.
Hannah earned her Juris Doctor from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, where she was an active participant in the trial advocacy program and served on the Trial Advocacy Board. She is a member of the New Orleans Bar Association, American Bar Association, and Federal Bar Association and actively participates in professional organizations such as the LGBT Bar Association.
With a keen understanding of the complexities involved in construction projects, Hannah is dedicated to protecting clients’ interests with an eye toward the details. She is known for her strategic approach and strong advocacy, helping clients achieve successful outcomes while minimizing risks.
Outside of the office, Hannah can be found watching women’s soccer, supporting the arts, and volunteering with Edible Schoolyard New Orleans.

Huey Fischer García (he/him) Attorney, Southern Poverty Law Center New Orleans, LA
A 2020 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, Huey is a staff attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, and he serves on the board of directors of the Young Lawyers Division of the New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

Jess Waltman (he/him), Attorney, Gordon Arata McCollam.
Jess represents clients in banking, energy, and environmental litigation matters. Before joining Gordon Arata, Jess litigated complex pharmaceutical and medical device cases in mass tort proceedings across the country. He is admitted to practice in Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, and Mississippi, in all federal courts in Louisiana and Mississippi, before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and before the United States Supreme Court.
Jess graduated, magna cum laude, from the University of Mississippi School of Law and was awarded the 2016 Outstanding Law Student Award by the faculty. He served as president of the Student Bar Association and as the executive online editor and alumni coordinator for the Mississippi Law Journal. A 2013 graduate of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Patterson School of Accountancy at the University of Mississippi, Jess was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and the University of Mississippi Hall of Fame during his senior year.
Jess served as the president of the Young Lawyers Division of the Mississippi Bar for the 2022-2023 bar year, and he currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Human Rights Campaign and as a young lawyer fellow for the ABA Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. In 2023, Jess was honored as the New Lawyer of the Year by the Mississippi Association for Justice, and, in 2025, he was honored as one of the “Top 40” by the Young Lawyers Division of the Louisiana Bar.
An avid fan of Mardi Gras, Jess is a member of the Krewe of Armeinius, the Krewe of King Arthur, and the Krewe of Tucks.

Register Now!

Live Broadcast | FBA Member: $0
Live Broadcast | Nonmember: $95
On-Demand Broadcast | FBA Member: $50
On-Demand Broadcast | Nonmember: $95

CLE
Please note: CLE for this webinar has not been pre-approved.
MyLaw and the FBA will seek 1.0 General CLE credit hours in 60-minute states, and 1.2 General CLE credit hours in 50-minute states.
Posted credit hours are estimated and subject to respective state approval and rounding rules. CLE qualifications vary by state/jurisdiction.
For questions regarding this program, please contact MyLaw CLE by email: registration@mylawcle.com or phone: 877-406-8636.
