The Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center — formerly the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Network — works to advance women’s-focused leadership and ensure the success and centrality of women in public life and the law. We carry out our mission through three core pillars of service: we provide top-notch leadership development opportunities for NYU Law students that invest in their success in law school and beyond; we spur innovative thinking and serve as a hub for thought leadership about gender equity at NYU Law and in the broader legal community; and we bring research, advocacy, and media expertise to bear to ensure gender equity in the workplace and society.

Women’s Leadership Fellows Program Application

The application for the BWLC’s Women’s Leadership Fellows Program is now open and closes on Monday, September 30, at 11:59 p.m. Access the application on Jotform.

BWLC Advisory Board

The BWLC is thrilled to announce our Advisory Board to help advance the BWLC’s mission and guide the Center as it embarks upon its next chapter of growth and impact. Helmed by the BWLC’s visionary founders Sheila Birnbaum ’65 and Sara Moss ’74, members include ten outstanding leaders in the private and public sector, each of whom brings distinct expertise. Learn more about our Advisory Board.

Event Spotlight

On September 9, 2024, the BWLC proudly hosted the inaugural Sidney Shainwald Public Interest Lecture at NYU Law. The Honorable Elena Kagan, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, joined BWLC Faculty Director Melissa Murray to discuss topics such as gender representation in the Supreme Court, the evolution of the shadow docket, judicial ethics, and Justice Kagan’s early experiences clerking for Justice Marshall. Watch the recording.

Justice Kagan in conversation with Melissa Murray on stage

Press Highlights

Featured: NYU School of Law; Melissa Murray
Featured: New York University School of Law