Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Law Day 2017 Theme Announced

The American Bar Association has announced the theme for Law Day 2017, which is “The Fourteenth Amendment: Transforming American Democracy.”

As our nation approaches the 150th anniversary of the Fourteenth Amendment, the theme explores how the Citizenship, Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of this amendment served as the cornerstone of civil rights legislation, the foundation for court decisions protecting fundamental rights, and a source of inspiration for those who advocate for equal justice under law.

Click here to learn more about the 14th Amendment.

Law Day is held on May 1st every year to celebrate the role of law in our society and to cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal profession. Learn more about the history of Law Day and past themes here.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Happy birthday, 19th Amendment

Ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote. Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle, which began in Seneca County, New York.

The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention. It advertised itself as "a convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman." Held in Seneca Falls, New York, it spanned two days over July 19–20, 1848.

Several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution. Finally, when Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, it passed its final hurdle of obtaining the agreement of three-fourths of the states.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

New Advisory Committee on Evidence

New York State Office of Court Administration:
Chief Judge Janet DiFiore today designated the members of the new Judicial Advisory Committee on Evidence, a panel of experts charged with compiling a guide to New York’s existing law of evidence that will be readily available to judges, lawyers and the public.

With its evidence law broadly dispersed among myriad cases and statutory provisions, New York is unique in lacking a consolidated source of the law of evidence, whether by statute or guide. The guide to be produced under the careful supervision of the Advisory Committee will state – in an organized, easy-to-use format − what the rules are. It will be divided into sections, and the rules will be accompanied by notes that include sources of authority and additional information, where appropriate. Once released, the guide will be updated annually to reflect any changes in the law of evidence.

The aim of the guide is to provide judges, lawyers and others with an easily accessible, important reference tool they can look to in discerning New York’s evidentiary rules.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

New Task Force on the New York State Constitution

New York State Office of Court Administration:
In anticipation of Election Day 2017 − when for the first time in two decades New Yorkers will have the opportunity to vote on whether there should be a convention held to amend the New York State Constitution − Chief Judge Janet DiFiore [has] announced her appointment of the Judicial Task Force on the New York State Constitution.

A group of leading judges, attorneys and academics from around the state, the Task Force will conduct a thorough review of Article VI of the New York State Constitution, which establishes the structure, organization and jurisdiction of New York’s Judiciary, and propose for Chief Judge DiFiore’s consideration possible revisions that may advance the work of New York’s state court system, making it more modern, efficient and accessible.

The State Constitution requires that the question of whether to call for its amendment be put on the ballot every 20 years. Should New York’s electorate in 2017 approve the holding of a constitutional convention, the process would then call for delegates to be elected to the convention in the next general election (November 6, 2018), with the convention to commence on the first Tuesday in April following the election of delegates (April 2, 2019.

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Calling all superheroes: the CASA fun run for abused children

The 4th Annual CASA SuperHero 5K and 1K Fun Run will be held on Sunday, September 18th at Kinsella Park in Painted Post, NY

The 5K Race starts @ 9AM and the 1K Fun Run starts @ 9:45AM.

Pre-register by September 14 to save $5.00 and reserve CAPES for kids. RACE T-SHIRTS for ages 12 and over for first 100 participants.

For more information, click here.