Nancy Conrad Honored with Anne X. Alpern Award by PBA Commission on Women in the Profession

5.22.19

The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Commission on Women in the Profession (WIP) presented Nancy Conrad, Managing Partner of the Lehigh Valley office, with its annual Anne X. Alpern Award during the Commission’s 26th Annual Conference, “The Credibility Gap: Why Women Are Still Striving to Be Heard,” on May 15 in Lancaster, PA.

The Alpern Award is presented annually to a Pennsylvania woman attorney who demonstrates excellence in the legal profession and who makes a significant professional impact on women in the law. Established in 1994, the award was named for Anne X. Alpern, Pennsylvania’s attorney general in 1959 and the first woman state attorney general in the nation.

Over the past 20 years, Nancy has successfully balanced an employment law practice with the demands of parenting, mentoring, providing leadership in the legal community, sharing legal scholarship through presentations and articles, and giving back to her community.

As the Chair of the Labor and Employment and Education groups, Nancy represents businesses, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations in workplace disputes including wrongful discharge, whistleblower and federal and state discrimination claims and provides counsel on workplace issues. Most notably, she led the defense in several high-profile cases involving claims of discrimination, defamation and under the Whistleblower Law.

Complementing her legal prowess, Nancy has made a professional impact in other areas, including rainmaking and mentoring. Through her involvement with the PBA WIP and the firm's Women’s Initiative, Nancy helps women lawyers identify ways to achieve their goals and find work/life balance. She also serves as a resource through her involvement in several other women-focused organizations and often writes and presents on topics to assist women lawyers to succeed.

For many years, Nancy has been actively involved in the PBA WIP, serving on its Executive Council and as commission co-chair in 2014 and 2015. Of the many projects that she has managed, one of the most visible is the development of themes for the educational programs offered at WIP events that explore the cross-section of history and its impact on women lawyers.

Outside of the WIP, Nancy has held various leadership positions at the PBA. She currently serves as at-large governor representing the interests of women lawyers in Pennsylvania, a voting member of the House of Delegates, co-vice chair of the Federal Practice Committee and past chair and Executive Council member of the Labor and Employment Law Section and Executive Council of the Civil Litigation Section.

In addition to her commitment to the statewide organized bar, Nancy is a member of the Lehigh County Bar Association, its Board of Directors and is currently serving as treasurer. She is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys. She also serves as a Hearing Committee Member for the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court.

Pictured (clockwise from left): Tanya Salgado, John Baker, Chuck Eppolito, Nancy Conrad, Wes Payne, Patti Santelle, Michael Olsan and Emily Paulus.