Women’s Bar Association honors Justice Spodek during holiday celebration

December 22, 2022 Rob Abruzzese

From left to right: Judith Aarons, Hon. Genine Edwards, Meryl Schwartz, Betsey Jean-Jacques, Danielle Ciraola, Hon. Connie Mallafre Melendez, Lisa Michaels, Sue Novick Wasko, President Susan Mauro, Deborah Johnson, Hon. Lillian Wan, Hon. Sylvia Hinds-Radix, Helene Blank, Angelicque Moreno, Hon. Heela Capell, Marea Wachsman, and Madeline Kirton. Eagle photo by Robert Abruzzese

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DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — The Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association held its annual holiday party at Brooklyn Law School on Dec. 13 where it honored Justice Ellen Spodek and raised money for local charities.

“I want to give a huge thank you to our holiday party committee and judge Genine Edwards who has spearheaded this committee tirelessly year after year,” said President Susan Mauro. “It’s definitely a team effort, but she has been the leader of that committee for years.”

The event was free for anyone who brought a new, unwrapped toy to donate. There was also a holiday raffle, which helped to raise money for the Safe Homes Project of Brooklyn. Clothing donations were also accepted and given to Bottomless Closet.

“I just want to thank everyone for coming because without your support we could not grow and prosper and continue to fulfill the mission of this organization, which is to offer help and assistance to our Brooklyn community,” Mauro said. “By participating in our Toy Drive, or by buying raffle tickets all of that money is going to the Safe Homes Project. That’s a very special thing that this organization does and we can’t do it without you.”

From left: Hon. Genine Edwards, Angelicque Moreno, Victoria Serigano, President Susan Mauro, Meryl Schwartz, and Lisa Michael. Eagle photos by Robert Abruzzese

The honoree, Justice Spodek, was given an award named after Joanne Minsky Cohen for her dedication to the BWBA itself as well as women’s issues.

Justice Spodek, a graduate of Fordham Law School, was elected to the Civil Court in 2003, where she became supervising judge. In 2009, she was elected to the Kings County Supreme Court where she sits to this day. She briefly served as the acting administrative judge in Kings County when Hon. Lawrence Knipel briefly became sick during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Justice Spodek has also been highly involved in the local legal community and was president of the Brooklyn Brandeis Society, and Judges and Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert (JALBCA). She has been a member or board member of the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association for over 30 years.

“Justice Spodek devotes herself to being a truly honorable and fair jurist,” said past president Helene Blank, who introduced Justice Spodek. “She’s devoted to public service to make the community of Brooklyn better and has done an outstanding job. She never says no when help is needed, but she takes the helm and without being asked organizes and energizes everybody to do the task that needs to be done.

The annual holiday raffle always brings in a lot of money for the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association.

“Like Joann Cohen, who devoted herself to the fight against breast cancer, Judge Spodek was the president of JALBCA from 2009 to 2011, devoting much of her spare time to the same cause and she still does that today,” Blank continued. “It is a pleasure and honor of the BWBA to honor her today for her dedication to our organization and to the community and Brooklyn people all over. Thank you, my friend.”

The BWBA has three events scheduled for the New Year. On Jan. 10, the BWBA will host its regular Lunch with a Judge series over Zoom with Hon. Jenny Rivera, of the NYS Court of Appeals, from 1 P.M. until 2 P.M. Then on Jan. 19 there will be a symposium hosted by the BWBA Foundation. More details on that event will be announced. Finally, from 1 P.M. until 2 P.M. on Jan. 25, the BWBA will host its annual Appellate Division Luncheon where Presiding Justice Hector LaSalle will be the keynote speaker.