Next week, leaders from across New Jersey’s legal community will come together at the New Jersey State Bar Association’s 2026 Annual Meeting in Atlantic City for an important conversation on the challenges women lawyers continue to face—and the solutions that can drive real, lasting change.

The panel, co‑moderated by Kirsten Scheurer Branigan and Professor Penny Venetis, will explore barriers to advancement, compensation equity, and retention across all sectors of the profession. The program will also highlight the groundbreaking “Gender Equity Study: New Jersey Women in Law,” launched through the Rutgers Law School International Human Rights Clinic.

Featuring distinguished speakers from the bench, private practice, in‑house roles, and public service, including Hon. Jessica S. Allen, U.S.M.J. — United States Magistrate Judge, Hon. Karen M. Cassidy, A.J.S.C. (Ret.) — Bramnick, Grabas, Arnold & Mangan, LLC, Jody Carbone, Esq. — Assistant Prosecutor, Middlesex County Prosecutor Office; President, New Jersey Women Lawyers Association (NJWLA), Randi Weller Kochman, Esq. — Co-Managing Shareholder, Cole Schotz PC, Jemi Goulian Lucey, Esq. — Partner, Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP; Co-Chair of the NJSBA Higher Education Special Committee, Second Vice-President AFBNJ, and Jewel McGowan Watson, Esq. — Vice President, Corporate Counsel, The Prudential Insurance Company of America.

The discussion will focus on actionable strategies to support women lawyers and promote meaningful progress.