WHITE PLAINS ATTORNEY HONORED WITH NYS BAR ASSOCIATION'S KAY CRAWFORD MURRAY AWARD

ALBANY, NY (01/25/2016)(readMedia)-- Dolores Gebhardt is the 2016 recipient of the Kay Crawford Murray Award, presented by the Committee on Women in the Law of the New York State Bar Association.

The award, which Gebhardt received on January 25 during the association's Annual Meeting in New York City, recognizes an attorney who enhances diversity in the profession and advances the professional development of women attorneys.

"We are so honored to present this award to Ms. Gebhardt, who truly embodies the ideals of the Kay Crawford Murray Award-promoting diversity and mentorship among women attorneys," said Ferve E. Ozturk (Baker & Hostetler), co-chair of the Committee on Women in the Law.

Gebhardt is a partner at McCarthy Fingar in White Plains in the firm's matrimonial department, where she concentrates her practice on matrimonial and family law, collaborative divorce and civil appeals.

An advocate for reforms affecting women and their families, Gebhardt was among the attorneys who successfully argued in favor of New York's no-fault divorce law. She has also worked to revise the state's temporary and permanent maintenance divorce guidelines in an effort to make changes to provide for the reasonable needs of non-monied spouses in a fair manner.

She is a member of the State Bar's Committee on Courts of Appellate Jurisdiction, where she has served as Westchester chair of its biennial appellate practice continuing legal education program since 2011. Gebhardt is also active in the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York, the Westchester Women's Bar Association, of which she served as president 2010–2011, and the Westchester County Bar Association.

Gebhardt is a graduate of Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and Hofstra University School of Law.

Kay Crawford Murray, for whom the award is named, is former general counsel for the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice. As chair of the Committee on Women in the Law, she directed a report that proposed a model sexual harassment policy for law firms.

The 74,000-member New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. It was founded in 1876.

-30-