Girls Rule The Law Presentation & Panel

Harvey was fortunate to have Girls Rule the Law, an organization focused on exposing middle and high school girls to successful lawyers, legislators, and judges, visit campus May 15 for a morning meeting presentation to all our Upper School students. Founder and CEO of Girls Rule the Law Mirna Santiago organized the event. Ms. Santiago is a member of the Executive Committee of the New York State Bar Association and an accomplished trial attorney. 

The panel consisted of Sherry Levin Wallach, President of the New York State Bar Association, Deputy Executive Director of the Legal Aid Society of Westchester County, and a Harvey parent, along with Jenny Rivera, Senior Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, New York's highest court. The panel was moderated by Harvey junior Annissa Khanna who has participated in several Girls Rule the Law events.

Other Harvey students who have attended Girls Rule the Law events and were invited to speak included senior Kira Ortega, junior Riannah Wallach, and senior Kirk Ortega who is a representative ally.

Each of the highly accomplished panelists gave students a window into how they achieved their success through hard work, determination, and dedication. Their goal of a more representative society has been driving their work to create a pipeline into the legal, legislative, and judicial fields for the underrepresented and underprivileged, focusing on middle and high school girls. 

They advised students to ask questions, find mentors, not to be afraid to push past their comfort zones, and be the driving force behind what they want to pursue in life. They stressed the importance of being an ally to women in law, specifically explaining how each of our male students possesses the power to lift up women into essential roles in a male-dominated society and careers.

Ms. Levin Wallach encourages Harvey students to participate in upcoming Girls Rule The Law events and she plans to present another event at Harvey next school year.

Annissa Khanna '24, Riannah Wallach '24, Sherry Levin Wallach, Hon. Jenny Rivera, Kira Ortega '23, and Mirna Santiago.