This issue is dedicated to Family Law Trailblazers. The pieces within this issue feature those who have paved the paths that we now follow; our honorees include Judge Judith Kaye, Judge Jane Bolin, Pauli Murray, Paula Ettelbrick, and many inspirational professors and advocates. As a law student and aspiring lawyer, it is an honor to be able to read about these people and even a greater honor to help edit the works about them.
May 25, 2022 Columns
Editor’s Note
April Pacis
Going into law school, I knew I wanted to one day change our legal system for the better. I envision a legal system that helps those in need, that comforts the vulnerable, and that strives to ensure better justice for all. Editing these articles showed me that this is possible. As I enter a post-graduate world where I can finally see my dreams of becoming a lawyer come to fruition, I hope to carry myself as these amazing trailblazers did. I hope to be a lawyer and advocate who will remain strong and fight for a fair and equal justice system. As I prepare to begin working at the New York City Law Department this upcoming fall, I will bring with me the lessons I have learned from these articles. I will bring my passion and dedication to our legal system.
These pioneers of family law inspire my classmates and me to become pioneers. We hope to leave New York Law School (NYLS) and enter our respective fields knowing we are shaping a new class of lawyers—a new class that has fought through a pandemic, a new class that has persevered through the many challenges of the last few years and has come out stronger and more dedicated to the law, a new class that is ready to take on the challenges of being a lawyer. We take with us the idea that the legal system is ever changing and that we too can trailblaze as the featured pioneers and the authors of these articles have done.
It has been a great honor to serve as the second NYLS Student Editor in Chief and work with this group of editors. The NYLS Student Board of Editors is proud to represent our school and contribute our efforts to the Family Law Quarterly. Having the opportunity to be part of the ABA Family Law Section and work on this publication has been such a pleasure and a valuable learning experience. This year we faced a new challenge of returning to in-person classes and meeting each other in person mostly for the first time. After a semester in person, the omicron variant outbreak forced our school and FLQ to revert back to online learning. This step back, however, only lit a new fire under our editors, and I am so proud of the work we have done. The NYLS editors of the 2021–2022 Family Law Quarterly truly are trailblazers in their own right.
We hope that the articles in this issue provide insight into those who have helped shape family law today and inspire you to continue working for a better future. Best wishes to you and your families.
April Pacis, Student Editor in Chief 2021–22, Family Law Quarterly
New York Law School Class of 2022