Pioneering Black Women Attorneys and Judges in the Capital Region

In recognition of Black History Month, the Gender Fairness Committees of the Third and Fourth Judicial Districts hosted a program featuring groundbreaking women of color in the Capital Region legal community. The program explored the past and present, delved into the challenges for professional Black women in a community that has not always been welcoming, discuss how those on the bench positioned themselves to become judges—and what those who seek to follow the path of the trailblazers should know about their professional heritage. Speakers The Honorable Christina L. Ryba ’01, New York State Supreme Court Justice The Honorable Sherri Brooks-Morton ’03, Albany County Family Court Judge The Honorable Ricja D. Rice-Ghyll ’05, Albany City Judge The Honorable Helena M. Heath, Former Albany City Judge Tracey J. Chance, Esq. ’03,Schenectady County Assistant Public Defender Kimberley F. Wallace, Esq., Partner, Wallace Turner Law, LLP Raysheea T. Turner, Esq., Partner, Wallace Turner Law, LLP The Honorable Edwina Richardson (Moderator), Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives