Queens County Women’s Bar provides support as pandemic takes heavy toll on female professionals

The Queens County Women’s Bar Association continues to support members through the pandemic. Photo courtesy of Soma Syed

By Rachel Vick

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on women, with studies showing that mothers, wives, daughters and female caregivers with full-time jobs have made far more sacrifices and balanced more responsibilities than their male counterparts.

That impact is felt by the members of the Queens County Women’s Bar Association, said President Soma Syed, spurring the organization to adapt to address the “great burden” of the pandemic on female attorneys.

“They’re caretakers, they’re business owners, employers, supervisors, mothers, partners and having to juggle so much,” Syed said. “Our focus is on our membership who needs help, whether it's CLEs, downtime or camaraderie.”

Faced with unprecedented challenges, the QCWBA managed to develop programs focused on the impacts of the pandemic on mental health and connectedness, Syed said. 

She said she was “so proud” of how members have continued serving clients while also stepping up to support one another and their neighbors in need. 

“We’re thriving because our members are dedicated professionals,” Syed said. “They’re not letting [the pandemic] stop them and neither is the Queens County Women's Bar. I'm proud of the contributions so many of our members have made to the lives of New Yorkers, the lives of people who live in Queens and beyond.”

“They’re contributing in many ways; from food banks, registering voters or continuing to grow their practice,” she added. ”They’re not stopping.”

Syed said she looked forward to the resumption of in-person gatherings as more members get vaccines and New York beats back the coronavirus. 

She said the organization is planning CLEs on issues like mental health and domestic violence for the upcoming months.

The QCWBA will also host a lineup of prominent legal professionals throughout Women’s History Month, starting with a March 11 forum with Brooklyn Judge Rachel Freier, co-founder of an all-female ambulance corps.

Through it all, Syed said the organization will elevate the achievements of its members and continue helping women in the legal community feel engaged and connected.

“I’m excited about what the next few months hold,” Syed said. “Just like any bar association during the pandemic we have to be dynamic and think out of the box. We’re focused on doing what we need to do to thrive and make sure our members feel connected.”