Establishing a permanent legacy to honor and carry on the work of Judy Lichtman
“For over 50 years, I’ve tried to make this world a better place for women and families. We’ve come a long way, but our work is far from done. My daughters, and all of our children, deserve a future that is truly free of discrimination, and where all families have the support they need to succeed at home and on the job. I know from experience — if we can imagine it, we can make it happen.”
– Judy Lichtman
Establishing a permanent legacy to honor and carry on the work of Judy Lichtman
The National Partnership for Women & Families is proud to announce the Judith L. Lichtman Legacy Fund (Lichtman Legacy Fund) in recognition of Judy’s 50th anniversary as a member of the National Partnership’s staff.
“For over 50 years, I’ve tried to make this world a better place for women and families. We’ve come a long way, but our work is far from done. My daughters, and all of our children, deserve a future that is truly free of discrimination, and where all families have the support they need to succeed at home and on the job. I know from experience — if we can imagine it, we can make it happen.”
– Judy Lichtman
About the Lichtman Legacy Fund
The Lichtman Legacy Fund will establish a general fund that can be used to support projects that honor Judy’s visionary spirit, strategic wisdom, legal expertise, coalition building, and unwavering commitment to equal opportunity and equal justice under the law. The fund will support, among other initiatives, the creation of the Judith Lichtman Fellowship, a 12-month position for a recent law graduate to work at the National Partnership as a policy counsel, which is consistent with Judy’s longstanding efforts to mentor countless young women and launch them into fields such as law, policy, and social activism. The fund will also be used to support transformative projects, infrastructure, and leadership investments at the National Partnership.
Honoring Judy Lichtman’s 50 years of service
At the 2024 Democracy in Action event in Washington, D.C., the National Partnership recognized the extraordinary contribution of our first paid staff member, Judy Lichtman. Here is a tribute video and remarks by NPWF President Jocelyn Frye.
Become a Lichtman Legacy Fund donor
The Lichtman Legacy Fund will support projects that honor Judy’s visionary spirit, strategic wisdom, legal expertise, coalition building, and unwavering commitment to equal opportunity and equal justice under the law. If you’d like to add your name to this incredibly important initiative, please contact Sarah Broudy at sbroudy@nationalpartnership.org to learn more or make a donation today.
Meet our first Lichtman Fellow: Delesiya Davis
Delesiya Davis graduated in 2019 from the University of Michigan with her bachelor’s in Women’s Studies and History with a Minor in Judaic Studies. After graduating from the University of Michigan, she participated in AmeriCorps for two years. During her first year, she worked with Girl Power, a nonprofit in Miami, Florida. At Girl Power, she collaborated with teams from communities across Miami to provide self-development services to young women ages eight to sixteen. During her second VISTA year, she worked for the Michigan College Access Network in Lansing, Michigan (MCAN). At MCAN, she helped to increase post-secondary college access for students of color, low-income, and first-generation students.
After her two AmeriCorps years, Delesiya attended Howard University School of Law and graduated in 2024 with her J.D. and a graduate certificate in women’s studies. While in law school, Delesiya interned at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Equal Rights Advocates, and with Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr, a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Furthermore, she participated in Howard’s Civil Rights and Re-entry Clinics, was a member of Howard Law School’s Womxn’s Law Student Association, and was the Community Service Chair for Howard’s Public Interest Law Society her 3L year.
At the National Partnership for Women and Families, Delesiya will serve as a fellow in the Economic Justice department. She looks forward to working on this area of women’s rights during her fellowship and learning more about women’s rights in general.
After her two AmeriCorps years, Delesiya attended Howard University School of Law and graduated in 2024 with her J.D. and a graduate certificate in women’s studies. While in law school, Delesiya interned at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Equal Rights Advocates, and with Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr, a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Furthermore, she participated in Howard’s Civil Rights and Re-entry Clinics, was a member of Howard Law School’s Womxn’s Law Student Association, and was the Community Service Chair for Howard’s Public Interest Law Society her 3L year.
At the National Partnership for Women and Families, Delesiya will serve as a fellow in the Economic Justice department. She looks forward to working on this area of women’s rights during her fellowship and learning more about women’s rights in general.
Highlights of the Lichtman Legacy Fund launch event
On September 16, 2024, nearly 250 people gathered to honor Judy Lichtman with the formal launch of the Judith L. Lichtman Legacy Fund at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, which featured special guest speaker Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Judy Lichtman’s Impact
Under Lichtman’s leadership, the National Partnership helped champion the enactment of landmark pieces of legislation, including the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.
Lichtman was instrumental in helping shape the Affordable Care Act’s historic anti-discrimination provisions – making it the first federal civil rights law ever to broadly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded health programs. Throughout her entire career, Judy also fought tirelessly to defend reproductive freedom against far-right attacks, expand access to abortion and reproductive care, and advance health equity and justice. Furthermore, she worked to elevate more women to leadership roles in public office, policymaking, and private industry — along with pushing for more women nominees to the federal bench who demonstrated a commitment to equal justice.
Judy has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’ Hubert H. Humphrey Award, and the American Bar Association’s Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award.
