Award honoring trailblazing women in litigation presented at NYSBA event

November 18, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

Lauren Moskowitz, partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, received the Hon. Shira A. Scheindlin Award for Excellence in the Courtroom at the NYSBA’s Commercial and Federal Litigation Section event. Photo (left) courtesy of NY State Bar; image (right): Joel Spector/Wikimedia Foundation

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The New York State Bar Association recently honored Lauren Moskowitz, a partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, with the Hon. Shira A. Scheindlin Award for Excellence in the Courtroom. Moskowitz, known for her impactful litigation work and dedication to mentoring, received the award during the NYSBA’s Commercial and Federal Litigation Section’s Taking The Lead program at the Daniel P. Moynihan United States Courthouse in Manhattan.

Moskowitz has built a reputation as a formidable litigator. She clerked for the award’s namesake, Judge Shira Scheindlin, before embarking on a career that includes defending a pro bono client before the U.S. Supreme Court and representing Epic Games in its high-profile antitrust case against Google.

“Lauren epitomizes everything a great attorney should be,” said Domenick Napoletano, president of the New York State Bar Association. “Her work ethic and leadership set a standard that any young lawyer should want to aspire to. She is smart, yet humble — ambitious yet selfless — and hard-working yet courteous.”

Robert Baron, Moskowitz’s colleague at Cravath, echoed the sentiment, calling her a “rock star” whose guidance inspires both associates and partners alike.

Moskowitz joined Cravath, Swaine & Moore in 2005 and was elected partner in 2012. She has represented major clients, including Epic Games, Goldman Sachs and the Boston Red Sox, and successfully argued a pro bono case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

A Fordham Law graduate, Moskowitz clerked for Judge Shira A. Scheindlin in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She earned her B.A. with distinction from Cornell University and has been recognized among Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation” and Crain’s “Notable Women in Law.”

The Scheindlin Award, established in 2016, honors female litigators who excel in the courtroom and mentor the next generation of attorneys. It is presented annually in November, commemorating the anniversary of women’s suffrage in New York State.

In addition to Moskowitz’s recognition, five young attorneys were awarded Judge Judith Kaye Scholarships: Nicole Clark, Kyra Ganswith, Amanda Grannis, Swara Saraiya and Elizabeth Sy. The scholarships cover the cost of attending the Commercial Litigation Academy, preparing recipients to take lead roles in major commercial cases.

The awards ceremony followed a Continuing Legal Education program titled Taking The Lead: Empowering Women Lawyers in Commercial Cases. The program featured trial techniques through a reenactment of a civil trial, critiqued by prominent judges, including Shira Scheindlin, Jessica Clarke, Anne Donnelly, Anar Rathod Patel and Joseph Risi.