The Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts (WBA) and its Women of Color Committee announce its upcoming Pioneering Women of Color Celebration.  The annual event will take place on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. at Goulston & Storrs PC.  The WBA will honor two terrific women at the celebration: the Honorable Tiffanie Ellis-Niles and Professor Natasha Varyani. 

Justice Tiffanie Ellis-Niles was confirmed to the Massachusetts Juvenile Court in January 2025. Prior to her confirmation, Justice Ellis-Niles was a founding partner and managing attorney at Lyles and Niles, LLP, where she focused her practice on bankruptcy, family law, probate, landlord/tenant disputes, and civil litigation. She was particularly dedicated to representing children and families involved with the Department of Children and Families through her certification with the Committee for Public Counsel Services. Beyond her practice, Justice Ellis-Niles was committed to advancing equity and inclusion within the legal community, having served as President of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association and the Massachusetts Black Women Attorneys. Her professional involvements have included serving on the board of Lawyers for Civil Rights and New England Community Services, as the chair of the Legal Redress Committee and on the ACT-SO Committee for the Brockton Area NAACP. Justice Ellis-Niles has been recognized for her professional excellence, including being named a “Massachusetts Rising Star” by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

Professor Natasha Varyani is a distinguished legal scholar and educator at Roger Williams University School of Law and an Academic in Residence at Sullivan & Worcester. Her scholarly work focuses on the intersections of law and social justice, exemplified by her recent publication, "Owning Our Values: Understanding Systemic Racism Through the Lens of Property Law (And Skills to Do Something About It)," which examines how property laws have historically reinforced racial inequalities. She previously served in roles at New England Law | Boston, where she led the First-Generation Student Program, and at Boston University School of Law, where she was Associate Director of the Academic Enrichment Program. Prior to academia, Professor Varyani practiced law for nearly a decade, specializing in complex tax planning and litigation. She also served in leadership roles with the Boston Bar Association’s State and Local Tax section, the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Taxation Steering Committee and DEI standing committees and taskforces, the North American South Asian Bar Association Executive Committee, and as the President of the South Asian Bar Association of Greater Boston. Throughout her career, Professor Varyani has been a staunch advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, actively engaging with various bar associations and community organizations to promote these values within the legal profession.

In honoring both Justice Ellis-Niles and Professor Varyani, WBA President Julie Dick Palmer remarked, “These distinguished honorees are leaders in our legal community well deserving of recognition and celebration. Their commitment to excellence in their respective fields and dedication to advancing equity in our profession and society are an inspiration and example to each of us. The WBA is proud to honor Justice Ellis-Niles and Professor Varyani.”