Driven by her passion for law, Marcia Wishengrad dedicated 53 years to the field before retiring. She started out by earning a Bachelor of Arts and a JD from Cornell University in 1957 and 1960, respectively, upon which she immediately joined the practice of Brady Devlin Grubbs Lawler & Reed. After two years, Ms. Wishengrad transferred to Irving Segel, Esq., and in 1963, she became an attorney for the Monroe County Family Court in Rochester, NY. That year, she also opened her own private practice, where she stayed until her retirement in 2013. During that time, she garnered additional experience as an attorney for the Monroe County Legal Aid Society, a senior urban renewal attorney for the City of Rochester, and a deputy county attorney for Monroe County. Ms. Wishengrad was permitted to practice in New York and before the Supreme Court of the United States and the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York in conjunction with the United States District Court.
When Ms. Wishengrad wasn’t working, she enjoyed using her knowledge to help her community. Notably, she served the American Red Cross of Monroe County as a member of the board of directors between 1983 and 2000 and as the president between 1991 and 1993, as well as the Arc Foundation of Monroe as thee vice president between 1990 and 1999. Ms. Wishengrad also joined the State School Industry on the board of visitors from 1983 to 1998 and as the president of the organization from 1991 to 1998. Further, she was involved with prominent organizations like the New York State Bar Association, the Monroe County Bar Association, the Greater Rochester Association of Women Attorneys, and the Rochester-Monroe County Domestic Violence Consortium.
Ms. Wishengrad’s hard work, dedication and distinction did not go unnoticed. She received the Rochester Daily Record Excellence in Law Award in 2012, and was honored with inclusion in eight editions of Who’s Who in America and six of Who’s Who in American Law.
Now that she is not longer part of the professional workforce, Ms. Wishengrad enjoys using her free time for reading, boating, and tennis. She also likes to spend time with her husband, Robert, and her daughter, Jocelyn.