Honoree Profile: Janice Goodman

Janice Goodman led the way with Susan Deller Ross in cofounding the first Women and the Law Committee at NYU Law School in 1968. The next year they led the successful fight to open to women the prestigious Root-Tilden Scholarship, which provides a unique financial, educational and networking opportunity for students who intend to pursue careers in public service.

In 1970 they founded the National Women and the Law Conference, which brought together a new generation of feminists in the nation's law schools; and with Marion Davidson also introduced the Women and the Law course offered for credit at NYU. In 1972,Goodman and her partners formed Bellamy, Blank, Goodman, Kelly, Ross & Stanley, the nation's first feminist law firm.

Goodman was the lead or co-counsel in a number of class actions, including NOW v WABC (1972), an action to deny WABC its broadcasting license because of discriminatory programming images and failure to hire women in professional or union positions; Walker v Columbia University,an Equal Pay Act case brought on behalf of the maids (all female) paid less than janitors (all male); the network's Women's Committee v NBC (1974-1978) and Wire Service Guild v Associated Press (1985),both Title VII actions brought on behalf of women denied jobs and promotional opportunities, each being settled with substantial affirmative action programs plus compensation for lost wages, as was Scotti v NYC Police Department, brought on behalf of women 911 operators who were paid less than their all white male counterparts in the Fire Department.

While employed by the Center for Constitutional Rights, Goodman worked on a number of pre-Roe v Wade cases challenging restrictive abortion laws or regulations in New York and New Jersey. She was appointed by NY Governor Mario Cuomo to his task force on sexual harassment and has taught courses on women and the law and employment discrimination. In 1991 she co-chaired the NY conference Women Tell the Truth featuring Anita Hill.

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