Contributor

Dina Bakst

Co-Founder & Co-President of A Better Balance

Dina Bakst is Co-Founder and Co-President of A Better Balance (ABB), a leading national legal advocacy organization, headquartered in New York City, dedicated to advancing the rights of working families, promoting fairness in the workplace, and helping workers across the economic spectrum care for their families without risking their economic security. Bakst has ushered A Better Balance through to several accomplishments, including the recent passage of the New York State Paid Family Leave Act, landmark legislation which guarantees 12 weeks of paid leave when caring for an infant or family member. In 2012, Bakst’s op-ed in The New York Times – “Pregnant and Pushed Out of Job” – inspired the introduction of the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Dina also helped draft, and contributed to passage of the New York City Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2013, which inspired passage of similar laws in 10 states and 5 localities. Her work successfully enforcing the NYC PWFA through representation of several low-income pregnant workers has been featured twice in The New York Times. In 2015, Dina was awarded the Edith I. Spivack Award, named for the woman who was a pioneering lawyer and role model for generations of women, for her work championing women’s rights. Dina is also co-author of Babygate: How to Survive Pregnancy and Parenting in the American Workplace, a groundbreaking national know your rights guide for expecting and new parents covering everything from pregnancy discrimination, leave and breastfeeding rights, and workplace flexibility. Prior to co-founding A Better Balance, Dina was an attorney with the NOW Legal Defense & Education Fund (now Legal Momentum) where she pursued litigation and public policy advocacy on a wide range of women’s issues including economic justice, child care and reproductive rights. Dina is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Michigan. She also served as a litigation associate with Kaye, Scholer LLP. In addition to leading A Better Balance, Dina is a National Commissioner of the Anti-Defamation League and Board Member of Congregation Rodeph Sholom.