NYC Bar Association Launches Civic Education Task Force

 Based in New York City, Dyan Gershman is a longtime corporate attorney whose expertise includes complex commercial contracts and intellectual property licensing. Active in her local legal community, Dyan Gershman is a member of the NYC Bar Association and supports associated programs, such as the Civic Education Task Force.

Launched in November 2022, the task force provides the public with resources to better understand how the government serves them at the federal, state, and local levels. This involves bringing together participants from law firms of every type and size, as well as from public agencies, law schools, nonprofits, and the state and federal courts.

The main focus is on giving legal professionals and judges a forum for fostering civil discourse in ways that are meaningful to individuals and communities with urgent concerns. In addition to combatting disinformation, task force members strive to generate more civic engagement and election participation at a time of eroding trust in institutions.

Vance Center’s Ukraine Project Focuses on Pro Bono Legal Support

 Based in New York City, Dyan Gershman is a longtime business attorney who guides Gershman Law, PLLC, where she delivers representation in areas such as joint ventures, technology licensing, and mergers and acquisitions. Dyan Gershman maintains an active presence with the New York City Bar Association and its nonprofit, the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice.

One Vance Center initiative launched in 2022 was the Ukraine Project, which focuses on a conflict that has brought about wide-ranging human rights abuses and disrupted the political, economic, and legal structure of the sovereign nation of Ukraine. The threefold mission of the project consists of research, public engagement, and pro bono representation in important cases.

To date, Ukraine Project panelists have met to discuss frameworks for looking into and prosecuting atrocity crimes, as well as developing pathways for funding reconstruction. Through public discussion, the foundation is being laid for ultimate accountability in a situation that has created thousands of victims with no ready way of redress. In tandem with partner organizations, Ukraine Project researchers are documenting findings and publishing them as white papers and in journals.

The pro bono aspect of the equation centers on co-counseling with legal firms around the world and bolstering Ukrainian civil society through sound advice. This assistance includes working with a variety of NGOs in assessing where institutional and humanitarian needs are the greatest.