The Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center — formerly the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Network — works to advance women’s-focused leadership and ensure the success 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; we create dynamic public programming and offer a robust line-up of live and virtual events; and we lend our voices and expertise to advocacy and media initiatives that elevate and promote gender equity.

Apply for the WLFP!

The application for the Women’s Leadership Fellows Program is now open and will close on Sunday, October 1, at 11:59 p.m.

We invite interested students to visit us at the Student Groups Fair on September 5 and the WLFP Information Session on September 13. Current Fellows will be available to discuss the program and answer questions.

Margaret Brent Award

The BWLC is thrilled to announce that Faculty Director Melissa Murray, Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law, received the American Bar Association’s Margaret Brent Award on August 6, 2023. Presented annually by the ABA’s Commission on Women in the Profession, the Award honors outstanding women lawyers who have achieved professional excellence and paved the way for other women in the legal profession.

Event Spotlight

On April 14, the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center presented its annual symposium. This year’s event featured leading national and global scholars, advocates, and journalists discussing Women’s Rights and Backsliding Democracies. For symposium videos and related content, visit Ms. Magazine: Women’s Rights and Backsliding Democracies.

Women’s Rights and Backsliding Democracies: Fireside Chat with Professor Melissa Murray and Jessica Valenti

Press Highlights

Experts: Melissa Murray, Jennifer Weiss-Wolf
Author: Jennifer Weiss-Wolf
Expert: Jennifer Weiss-Wolf