SYBIL SHAINWALD, ESQ.
ALUMNA, NEW YORK LAW SCHOOL

The struggle for women's rights is one of the great movements of the twentieth century, and it continues to have a profound impact on our society. in the last 25 years, the quality and scope of women's health care has become an integral part of that struggle, and one that is of passionate concern In this country and around the world. New York Law School is proud to confer an honorary degree upon one of the earliest, most passion-ate and most effective leaders of the women's health movement: Sybil Shainwald.

Sybil Shainwald was a consumer advocate even before she studied law. As the Director of the Study Center for the Consumer Movement at Consumer's Union, Ms. Shainwald was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to establish an archive. She accomplished this while attending New York Law School's evening division from which she received a J.D. in 1976.

From that time on. Sybil Shainwald's legal career has focused almost exclusively on women's health issues. She was co-counsel in the nation's first DES daughter victory, Bichler v. Lilly, and she litigated thousands of cases involving drugs and devices harmful to women and their children. In effect, Sybil Shainwald transformed the practice of mass torts to advocate health issues for American women and women in developing nations.

Ms. Shainwald has been a force for proactive education and information dissemination: she co-founded Health Action International and is deeply involved with the National Women's Health Network. Additional volunteer service has been as the vice-chair of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. a board member of the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, and a member of the Food and Drug Administration's Consumer Consortium.

Ms. Shainwald was one of the first and most vocal opponents of the use of Norplant, especially its widespread use in developing nations. She was one of the lawyers representing 200,000 women in the class action suit against the Dalkon Shield.

Her writings, lectures and appearances before congressional subcommittees have raised the national consciousness on crucial women's health issues.

Ms. Shainwald's academic career was as stellar as her legal one. At the College of William and Mary she was the President Bryan Scholar and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. She received an M.A. degree in Political Science from Columbia University and a Rockefeller Foundation award for her work in consumer affairs.

New York Law School honors Sybil Shainwald for her inspiring leadership, her unswerving dedication, and her superb and innovative legal skills on behalf of the women's health movement.