Judith's Bio

For nearly 40 years, Judith maintained an active law practice in New York City working in the areas of real estate, family law, and wills, trusts and estates. Significant aspects of her estate planning practice involved helping clients develop special provisions for companion animals and express their charitable intentions through their estate planning. Judith is also a trained professional mediator who mediates agreements and conflicts for people who wish to participate in an amicable and constructive process. At the end of 2020, she and her long-time law partner closed their practice and now she proudly devotes her time to being an advocate for animals and promoting plant-based diet change.

Judith has always found ways to combine her professional knowledge and personal dedication to social justice and change by working closely with non-profit organizations. She was a founding Board member of the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of New York; served on and co-chaired the Board of Directors of Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund and of SAGE: Services and Advocacy for LGBT Elders. As President of the Board of Directors of the LGBT Community Center, she helped lead a $13 million capital campaign.

Judith has received numerous awards and recognition, including from Pace Law School (her alma mater); the NYC Bar Association LGBT Rights Committee, Stonewall Community Foundation, the National LGBT Bar Association, SAGE and the NYC LGBT Community Center.

As a Board Member and Strategic Advisor at ADP, Judith assists animal charities in creating their unique mission; fundraising; selection, growth and engagement of board members; strategic planning; and governance.

In her work as an animal and vegan advocate, Judith volunteered at Catskill Animal Sanctuary for many years, additionally serving for four years as the board chair. Catskill Animal Sanctuary, an ADP client, is a 150-acre refuge in New York's Hudson Valley for farmed animals rescued from cruelty, neglect, and abandonment, and champions veganism.

Judith and her partner Jennifer Costley live in the Hudson Valley with their dogs Maisie and Annabelle. Judith is an avid reader, hiker, world traveler and a committed vegan who loves to cook and believes that introducing people to delicious vegan meals is one of the best ways to create more vegans and as result, a more compassionate world.