Vance Center Conference in Bogota Explores Women’s Access to Justice

Dyan Gershman is a New York attorney who provides knowledgeable representation in corporate law matters at Gershman Law, PLLC. Active with the New York City Bar Association, Dyan Gershman supports efforts of the affiliated Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice.

In February 2023, the Human Rights and Access to Justice Program of the Vance Center sponsored a 3-day conference in Bogota, Colombia. The event saw 30 attorneys, advocates, and activists from throughout the region discussing strategic Latin America and Caribbean litigation initiatives. A focus was on identifying common causes, gathering documentation, and marshaling efforts on those cases with the greatest potential for regional impact.

The conference speakers emphasized the importance of reviewing and focusing on existing cases that address issues of women’s incarceration. One goal of such actions is to attain positive decisions in the United Nations and inter-American human rights systems. Beyond rulings in international courts and tribunals, the aim is to ensure that nations comply with the sentences that are handed down and provide appropriate reparations to those who have been victims of the prison systems.

Attendees who shared insights included women who had gone through the carceral system and ultimately attained liberty. Some of the persistent challenges they faced were community stigmatization, continued harassment by law enforcement, and a dearth of state support when it comes to regaining access to jobs, health care, and housing.

City Bar Justice Center’s Cancer Advocacy Project Empowers People

Dyan Gershman is a longtime New York City legal professional who provides counsel on wide-ranging corporate matters. With a strong commitment to giving back, Dyan Gershman is a member of the NYC Bar Association and supports the efforts of the organization’s City Bar Justice Center.

The City Bar Justice Center’s Cancer Advocacy Project is an initiative that helps ensure access to appropriate medical care and support among those of limited means and often limited English proficiency. Compounding a life-threatening cancer diagnosis, these individuals find themselves having to navigate a complex US health care system in which the cost of treatment is opaque and often prohibitively expensive.

Areas of no-cost project support for cancer patients, as well as survivors, include the drafting of life-planning documents that encompass powers of attorney, living wills, and healthcare proxies. Attorneys provide pro bono support in advising on cancer-related discrimination experienced at one’s place of employment, and on strategic pathways for fighting coverage decisions made by private health insurers that are unfair and unjust.

Signing up for Cancer Advocacy Project assistance is an expedited process that begins with completing a preliminary intake form online. Within three business days, applicants will be contacted by email or phone, after which eligibility can be confirmed and information on the logistics for receiving assistance remotely will be provided.