President’s Message, Summer 2026

I am honored to serve as President of Women Lawyers in Bergen for the coming year. As I begin my term, I have been reflecting on what WLIB has meant to me over the years and the many friendships and professional relationships that have come from being a member of this remarkable organization.

Like many of you, I joined WLIB to connect with other women in the legal profession. What I found was much more than a professional organization. WLIB has provided opportunities for mentorship, networking, friendship, and support throughout my career. Through WLIB, I have met extraordinary women, many of whom I am proud to call friends today.

When I was asked to serve as President, I viewed it as an opportunity to give back to an organization that has given so much to me. I am grateful for the trust placed in me, and I look forward to working with our Executive Board and membership during the year ahead.

Following our recent 50th Anniversary Celebration, I have also found myself reflecting on the remarkable history of WLIB and the women who have helped shape our organization over the past five decades. The celebration was truly a special evening. It was wonderful to see so many members, past presidents, judges, colleagues, and friends come together to celebrate this important milestone.

Judge Esther Salas was generous with her time and thoughtful in her remarks, which were both inspiring and insightful. One of the highlights of the evening was watching old friends reconnect and share memories. The video presentation featuring photographs from throughout WLIB’s history was a touching reminder of the friendships, mentorships, accomplishments, and shared experiences that have defined this organization for fifty years.

On behalf of our membership, I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Tamra Katcher for her service as President over the past two years. Tamra devoted countless hours to WLIB and worked tirelessly on behalf of our organization. Her leadership helped streamline many of our operations, improve communication, and strengthen WLIB. We are grateful for her dedication and leadership, which have left a lasting impression on WLIB.

As the newly sworn-in President, one of my goals for the coming year is to simplify and strengthen our membership process by establishing a single annual renewal date for all members.

I will be proposing July 1, 2026, as WLIB’s annual membership renewal date. Currently, memberships are renewed at different times throughout the year, which can make it difficult to maintain accurate records and determine our active membership at any given time. Moving to a single renewal date will make the process easier to manage and provide a clearer picture of our membership.

To ensure a smooth transition, members who have joined or renewed within the past several months will be grandfathered into the new system, so no one is disadvantaged by the change. While there may be a brief adjustment period during the first year, please be patient. By the second year, all members will be on the same renewal cycle.

I am looking forward to working closely with our Executive Board on this initiative. I believe streamlining the membership and renewal process will benefit WLIB in many ways. It will make administration easier, improve recordkeeping, and help us better understand and serve our membership as we continue to grow.

As many of you know, I have decided to serve as President for one year. While our bylaws permit a President to serve a second year, I believe this approach creates opportunities for more members to become involved in leadership and share their talents with the organization.

My goal during this year is to focus on a few meaningful priorities while helping to cultivate future WLIB leaders. We are fortunate to have so many talented and accomplished women in our organization, and I believe encouraging greater involvement in leadership will only strengthen WLIB in the years ahead.

Future Presidents will, of course, continue to have the option of serving a second year if additional time is needed to accomplish their goals. For me, this one-year term is an opportunity to focus on a few important initiatives while creating opportunities for others to become more involved in leading our organization.

I am excited about the year ahead and look forward to working with all of you. I hope it will be a year filled with meaningful programs, professional growth, new friendships, and opportunities to celebrate the remarkable women who make WLIB such a special organization.

Most importantly, I encourage every member to become involved. Attend a program, join a committee, volunteer for a project, or simply introduce yourself to someone new at an event. WLIB has always been strongest when its members are engaged and connected to one another, and I look forward to working alongside all of you in the year ahead.

Sheila O’Shea-Criscione

President, Women Lawyers in Bergen