New York, NY, Wednesday, January 21, 2026 – The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (“WBASNY”), congratulates the following members on their respective judicial appointments.
Justice Lisa Ottley, as an Additional Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Second Department.
Hon. Lisa S. Ottley was appointed in 2023 as an Associate Justice of the Appellate Term of the Supreme Court, presiding in the Second, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Judicial Districts, and presides in Kings County Supreme Court, handling civil matters, bench, and jury trials. Prior to her appointment to the Appellate Term, Justice Ottley presided over guardianship matters and trials. Elected to the Civil Court in 2008, Justice Ottley was appointed the Supervising Judge of the Kings County Civil Court in 2010, the first African American Judge to be appointed to that position in Kings County. Justice Ottley serves on the Guardianship Advisory Committee and is a lecturer and planning committee member at the Judicial Institute.
Justice Christina Ryba as an Additional Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Third Department.
Hon. Christine L. Ryba was the first Black person elected to the Supreme Court in the Third Department and will be the first Black justice elected from the Third Department to serve on the Appellate Division. In 2015, she was elected as a Supreme Court Justice in the Third Judicial District. In May 2025, she was appointed Administrative Judge of the District. She previously served as Supervising Judge of the Supreme Court in the Third Judicial District. She is co-chair of the Permanent Commission on Access to Justice, the mission of which is to ensure equal access to justice in New York State. She is a member of bar and judicial associations, and served as first vice president of the Association of Justices of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, and Chair of the Judicial Hearing Officer Selection Advisory Committee of the Third Department. She is a past President of the Albany County Bar Association and of its Foundation.
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The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) is the professional membership organization of choice for more than 4,100 attorneys throughout New York State and the largest statewide women’s bar association in the country. For 45 years, WBASNY has been a singularly important resource for women lawyers, providing professional networking, continuing legal education programming, leadership training, and advocacy for the rights of women, children, and families. Through involvement with WBASNY’s 20 regional chapters and its 50 committees, WBASNY’s members collaborate with one another on a variety of issues and perform public and community service, in furtherance of its mission to promote the advancement of the status of women in society and women in the legal profession; to promote the fair and equal administration of justice; and to act as a unified voice for its members with respect to issues of statewide, national and international significance to women generally and women attorneys in particular. WBASNY holds United Nations NGO status with the U.N.’s Department of Public Information, and Special Consultative status in association with the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). WBASNY is also a founding member of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations.
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