President’s Message, Fall 2026

There is something about September that always feels a little different. After the long days and slower pace of summer, September seems to bring everyone back. The weather begins to change, children head back to school, vacations wind down, and our calendars suddenly begin filling up again. It is a time to get back into our routines, reconnect with one another, and look ahead to the fall. I hope everyone had a wonderful summer and had the opportunity to spend some time relaxing with family and friends. I am excited to welcome everyone back and to begin what I hope will be a busy, productive, and enjoyable year for Women Lawyers in Bergen.

Our New Membership Year

This September also marks an important change for WLIB. On September 1, we moved to one annual membership year, running from September 1 through August 31.

For many years, our members have joined and renewed at different times throughout the year. As WLIB has grown, that system has become more difficult to administer. Moving everyone to the same membership year will make the renewal process easier for our members and allow us to better manage our membership from year to year.

For me, however, this change is about more than simplifying paperwork. One of my goals as President is to review how we operate and find practical ways to make WLIB more efficient, so we can spend more of our time and resources where they belong, on our members, our programs, and the continued growth of our organization. Having one membership cycle will allow us to better plan our budget and programs, maintain accurate membership records, and spend less time throughout the year tracking individual renewal dates. It also allows us to begin each WLIB year together.

As we make this transition, I want to be very clear about everyone’s current membership status. All prior WLIB memberships have now expired, except for members who joined or renewed WLIB on or after January 1, 2026. If you joined or renewed between January 1, 2026, and September 1, 2026, you are being grandfathered into the new membership cycle, and your membership will remain active through August 31, 2027, at no additional cost. If you did not join or renew during that period, your previous membership has expired, and you will need to renew for the new membership year. If you are not sure when you last joined or renewed, simply sign in to your account on the WLIB website to check your membership information.

I know this is a change from the way we have handled membership in the past, and I want to make the transition as easy and clear as possible. Once we are through this first year, everyone will be on the same September-to-August schedule, making membership much simpler for both our members and WLIB. Going forward, our annual renewal period will open on June 1, giving everyone plenty of time to renew before the new membership year begins on September 1. All members will register online, including those who prefer to pay by check. Law clerks and law students will continue to receive complimentary membership, but they will also register online so that we can keep our membership records current and make sure everyone stays connected to WLIB.

Updating Our Bylaws & Reenergizing Our Committees

The membership process, however, is only one area I hope we can improve this year.

Another important goal of mine is to review and revise WLIB’s bylaws, including a close look at our committee structure. We currently have approximately 17 committees. Over time, some of their responsibilities have begun to overlap, while others have become difficult to keep active. I want to streamline our committee structure to approximately seven to ten strong, active committees with clearly defined responsibilities. The goal is not simply to have fewer committees. The goal is to have committees that actually work, and that can be sustained from year to year.

And that is where I need your help. We need members willing to serve as Committee Chairs and Co-Chairs, and, just as importantly, we need members willing to join and participate in our committees. A committee cannot succeed if one Chair does all the work. It works when several people are willing to contribute, whether that means helping organize a program, making a few phone calls, reaching out to a speaker, assisting with an event, or simply bringing a new idea to the table. Many hands make light work.

So, as we begin this year, I am asking everyone to consider getting involved. Chair a committee. Co-chair one with a colleague. Join a committee. Help with one event or one project. You do not have to make an enormous commitment to make a difference.

If we have active committees with members sharing the responsibility, no one person has to take on too much. We also hear from more members, get different ideas and perspectives, and give more people an opportunity to become involved in WLIB. Our committees should also be one of the places where we develop the next generation of WLIB leadership. You do not need to be on the Executive Board to have a voice in this organization. Serving on a committee is a great way to get to know other members, become more involved, and have a say in the programs and initiatives we undertake.

Our organization will only be as active and successful as our members make it. I truly hope that this year we see some new faces stepping forward alongside the many members who have generously given their time to WLIB over the years. I hope that by simplifying our committee structure and involving more members, we can build committees that are active, manageable, and sustainable for years to come. Our committee review has been focused on reducing overlap while creating more meaningful opportunities for members to participate and lead.

Mark Your Calendars: What’s Ahead at WLIB

We also already have something special to look forward to this Fall. I am very pleased that our Judges and Law Clerks Luncheon will be held on Friday, October 16, 2026, at the Bergen County Courthouse. The Judges and Law Clerks Luncheon has always been a special WLIB event, and I am very pleased that we will once again have the opportunity to bring our members, members of the judiciary, and this year’s law clerks together.

I hope many of you will join us and help welcome the new law clerks. For those just beginning their legal careers, having the opportunity to meet judges and attorneys in a relaxed setting, make connections, and learn more about WLIB, can be incredibly valuable. I also hope we can introduce them to what makes WLIB such a supportive organization and encourage them to stay involved with us as their careers develop. Additional details will follow, and I look forward to seeing many of you there.

Fall is a time for new beginnings, and in many ways, that is where WLIB finds itself. We have a new membership year, we are beginning the process of updating our bylaws and committees, and we have a full year of programs and opportunities ahead. But none of it happens without our members.

I hope you will join us, not only by renewing your membership and attending our events, but by becoming involved. If each of us is willing to do a little, together we can accomplish a great deal.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone this Fall and to working with all of you to make this a wonderful year for Women Lawyers in Bergen.

Warmly,
Sheila E. O’Shea-Criscione