LGBTQ+ Section
Mission Statement
The Section shall address issues that are of importance to attorneys with an interest in legal issues relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (“LGBTQ+”) people. The Section shall promote the objectives of the Delaware State Bar Association (the “Association”) within the context of professional development, community building, and the study of legal issues as they relate to the Section’s purpose and membership. To that end, it shall be the purpose of the Section to improve the public service rendered by its members in legal matters concerning the LGBTQ+ community, to promote the professional development and interests of its members, to provide education to all members of the Association and the Section about legal issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community, and to provide a common meeting ground for all attorneys who are interested in the purpose of the Section.
Please click HERE to see our section’s bylaws.
Public Comments
LGBTQ+ Section Condemns President Trump’s Defacing of the Stonewall National Monument Webpage
Please click here to read.
LGBTQ+ Section’s Know Your Rights Letter of Encouragement to LGBTQ+ Students in Delaware
Please click here to read.
Officers
Position |
Officer |
|---|---|
| Chair | Zach Stirparo Delaware Department of Justice |
| Vice Chair | Ciara Sprance Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP |
| Treasurer | Jennifer R. Noel Christiana Care |
| Secretary | Katherine M. Devanney Polsinelli PC |
| Law School Outreach Coordinator | Joel M. Doner Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC |
| Members-at-Large | Dan Cole Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor |
| Caneel Radinson-Blasucci Delaware Department of Justice |
|
Section Meetings
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| Thursday, January 11, 2024 at 12:00 pm | Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, 222, Delaware Ave., Ste. 700, Wilmington, DE 19801 [with Zoom option] |
| Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 12:00 pm | Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP, Hercules Plaza, 1313 North Market Street, 6th Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801 [with Zoom option] |
| Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 12:00 pm | Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP, 1000 N. King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 [with Zoom option]. |
| Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 12:00 pm | Held via Zoom |
| Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 12:00 pm | Carvel Office Building, 820 N. French St., Room #398, Wilmington, DE 19801 [with Zoom option] |
| Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 12:00 pm | Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, 222 Delaware Avenue, Suite 800, Wilmington, DE 19801 [with Zoom option] |
| Thursday, February 13, 2025 |
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. |
Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP, Hercules Plaza, 1313 North Market Street, 6th Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801 [with Zoom option]. |
| Thursday, April 30, 2025 |
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |
Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP, 1000 N. King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 [with Zoom option]. |
| Thursday, September 11, 2025 |
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. |
TBD |
| Thursday, November 13, 2025 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | TBD |
Past Awardees of LGBTQ+ Section Summer Reception:
July 10, 2024 – Roddy Flynn, Esq.
Location: The Delaware Center for Horticulture
July 11, 2023 – The Hon. Kathy Miller
Location: Young, Conaway, Stargatt & Taylor, LLP
2019 – State Senator Sarah McBride
2017 – Lisa B. Goodman, Esq.
2016 – Mark Purpura, Esq.
2015 – Attorney General Matthew Denn, Esq.
2014 – The Hon. President Judge Jan Jurden
Past Chairs:
2014 – 2015, Roddy Flynn
2015 – 2017, Ryan Maerz
2017 – 2020, Jason Angelo
2020 – 2021, James Griffin-Stanco
2021 – 2023, Emily Bryant-Álvarez & James Griffin-Stanco
2023 – 2024, Ciara Sprance & Zach Stirparo
2024 – 2025, Zach Stirparo
Membership:
The LGBTQ+ Section is an inclusive group of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and allied attorneys and welcomes new members, regardless of whether they identify as LGBTQ+ or not. If you would like to join the LGBTQ+ Section, please contact LaTonya Tucker at (302) 658-5279 x 103.
For information regarding Sections, please contact LaTonya Tucker, Director of Bar Services and Membership.Changes to the Section’s webpage must be sent to arooney@dsba.org.