The Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts (WBA) has kicked off its eighth Mary K. Ryan Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI), a program that brings together senior women attorneys and up-and-coming stars of the legal profession for leadership development and mentoring. The program is chaired by Jennifer Furey, Director at Goulston & Storrs, P.C. and Nicole Hadas, Chief Legal Officer at ARTBIO, Inc.  

The WLI was launched in 2009 by a group of leaders in our legal community eager to give back to the next generation of promising women attorneys. WLI alumnae include Governor Maura Healey and other high-ranking government attorneys, law firm partners, and accomplished in-house attorneys.

The WLI is designed to provide participants with large-scale networking, group mentoring, and one-on-one career development opportunities.  Each event leverages the experiences of accomplished women attorneys in Massachusetts interested in cultivating the next generation of women leaders.  From no-holds-barred Q&A sessions to events introducing participants to leaders in the Massachusetts legal and business communities, the WLI provides participants with opportunities to work with senior women attorneys and one another, build their networks, and further their careers.  

The 2025 Class includes women in firms, government, in-house and nonprofit organizations, whose practices touch a wide variety of areas including real estate, securities, employment, corporate transactions, estate planning, complex civil litigation and cybersecurity. With the high caliber of applicants this year, it is clear that the desire for leadership training and building connections with accomplished women lawyers is strong.

Congratulations to the 2025 Women’s Leadership Initiative members:

• Michelle Cassorla, Davis Malm
• Smriti Choudhury, Mintz
• Katherine Fahey, Office of the Attorney General
• Shae Fitzpatrick, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Alexandra Hassell, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
• Lisabeth Jorgensen, MetroWest Legal Services
• Sara Leichtman, Nutter
• Lisa Marshall, Volunteer Lawyers Project
• Ana Muñoz, Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein LLP
• Amisha Patel, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
• Sydney Powers, Conn Kavanaugh Rosenthal Peisch & Ford LLP
• Emily Robey-Phillips, Holland & Knight LLP
• Sonia Sujanani, WilmerHale
• Karina Valencia, Office of the Attorney General

The following women have committed to serve as mentors:

• Carolina Avellaneda, Emerson College
• Laurie Cerveny, Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP
• Marla Dubin, Tripadvisor
• Stesha Emmanuel, Ogletree Deakins
• Barbara Fiacco, Foley Hoag LLP
• Laura Gal, Greater Boston Legal Services
• Ginny Kremer, Office of the Attorney General
• Anelise Lago, Core Investments
• Carmen Ortiz, Anderson & Kreiger LLP
• Michelle Peirce, Hinckley Allen
• Katie E. Potter, Andmore
• Carla Reeves, Goulston & Storrs PC
• Marian Ryan, Middlesex County District Attorney
• Sarah Walters, Ropes & Gray
• Sarah Whipple, Apellis Pharmaceuticals

WBA President Alexandra Mitropoulos said, “The WBA is so pleased to welcome the 2025 Class of the WBA’s Mary K. Ryan Women’s Leadership Initiative.  The program is directly aligned with the WBA’s goal of advancing women in the profession, and we are certain that this year’s class will be a beacon for that important work.  We are thrilled to have such a promising class, led by accomplished mentors committed to developing the next generation of women leaders.”