At the New York County Lawyers’ Association’s (NYCLA) Annual Meeting this past May, its Task Force on Judicial Budget Cuts presented Unsung Heroes Awards to honor non‐judicial members of the state and federal court systems who have distinguished themselves in the exemplary performance of their duties during these difficult times of reduced resources and increased caseloads.
“During our ongoing investigation into the impact of the judicial budget cuts on the administration of justice, it became clear to the members of NYCLA’s Task Force on Judicial Budget Cuts that the impact would have been considerably more severe were it not for the exemplary performance and dedication of court clerks and other non‐judicial personnel,” says Michael Miller, co‐chair of NYCLA’s Task Force on Judicial Budget Cuts and former NYCLA president. “They are the unsung heroes of the court system and have prevented the impact of the cuts from being even more severe than they were.”
Honorees from the United States District Court, Southern District of New York: Wayne Bowman, Michael Fitzpatrick, and Edward A. Friedland. Honorees from the New York County Supreme Court : Reginald Bouchereau, Yvonne C. Cleland, Jack Dooley, Steven Flatow, Doreen Gushue, Michael Markowitz, Raphael Moser, and its E‐Filing Resource Center staff: Maureen Galvin, Peter Garganese, Karen Mackin, Veronica Schmachtenberg, and Roger Shapiro. Honorees from the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York: Eileen Kelly, I. Alexei Martinez, and Douglas Palmer. Honorees from the New York City Civil Court: Lauren Blackman, Fran Stahl, and Antonella E. Tropea. Honorees from the New York City Criminal Court : Anthony Cuva and Fernando Smith. Honorees from the New York City Family Court: Angela Britton and Dahyana Grullon.
NYCLA also inducted as directors to its board: Thomas G. Draper, Joseph M. Drayton Jr., Gordon Eng, Hon. Margaret J. Finerty, Adrienne Koch, Eugene B. Nathanson, Jonathan Pressment, Felix Shipkevich, Asha Smith, Daniel K. Wiig, and Alison Wilkey, and as officers, Stewart D. Aaron, President, Barbara Moses, president‐elect, Lewis F. Tesser, vice president, Carol A. Sigmond, treasurer, and Susan J. Walsh, secretary.
In addition to presentations of awards and inductions of directors and officers, NYCLA announced publication of The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York: A Retrospective (2000‐2010), which contains in sight into the court’s history, covers notable cases, trials, and decisions in various areas of law, and provides bios of current and former judges.