Schuyler County Expands Legal Services for Local Veterans with Free Legal Services Event

Schuyler County officials and Cornell Law School’s Veterans Law Practicum have announced a free civil legal services advice clinic event for local veterans and service members to be held this spring.

According to Schuyler County Veterans Services Director Crystal Kawski, the event will be held Wednesday, March 19, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Schuyler County Human Services Building, Montour Falls, New York.

The event is intended to offer legal advice to veterans and service members on a variety of issues, including veterans benefits, discharge upgrades, eviction prevention, family law, estate planning, as well as benefits claims with the VA or Social Security Administration, Kawski explained. The clinic is not able to provide advice on any criminal matters, she noted. Law students and a supervising attorney will provide the legal assistance, she said.

The clinic, Kawski said, has been developed with the assistance of Schuyler County Attorney Steven Getman and Cornell adjunct professor James Hardwick, the Law School’s first full-time veterans law staff attorney.

Said Kawski: “The impact of having an attorney present onsite is incredible, especially when veterans apply for benefits or an upgrade in their military discharge. Studies show veterans are much more successful in claims for VA benefits when they have an attorney helping them.”

According to Getman, the county strongly encourages veterans to sign up in advance so they can secure a spot, though walk-in appointments will also be available. Information that will be helpful to receive during registration includes a short description of the issue, location and date of any pending hearings or deadlines, and names of any opposing parties.

Said Getman: “As the son and nephew of Navy veterans, I am proud to be able to assist our local veterans service agency in providing needed civil legal services. As a Cornell Alum (CALS ’86), I am happy that my alma mater can and will be giving something back to our local veterans community.”

Hardwick said that the clinic can offer 12 slots during the event. The clinic will be staffed with at least three law students plus a supervising attorney. Most advice will not be given on the date of the clinic but will come in a follow up advice letter after the students do any necessary research into the issue, he explained.

Said Hardwick: “We are happy to review any civil matters or claims veterans might have with state and federal agencies. We are grateful for the opportunity for our students to work with local veterans. The students will witness first-hand our obligation as lawyers to leverage our legal training in the service of others, especially for those who served our country.”

Veterans and service members seeking assistance at the event may contact the county veterans’ services agency at (607) 535-2091 or complete an intake form at the agency’s office, 323 Owego Street, Montour Falls NY 14865. Interested veterans and service members may also email: ckawski@schuylercountyny.gov.

If the event is successful, Schuyler County and the law school hope to host more legal assistance events for veterans and service members in the future, County Administrator Shawn Rosno said.

Said Rosno: “Schuyler County remains committed to our veterans. I want to applaud our veterans director and our county attorney for their initiative in setting up this event and I want to thank Cornell Law School for their assistance to our community.”

The Schuyler County Veterans Service Agency provides assistance to our Schuyler County veterans and members of the armed forces as well as their dependents and survivors through the pursuance of veterans benefits at the County, State and Federal levels and referrals to other agencies for possible assistance. This is done to promote better physical and mental health, improve quality of life and to ensure every veteran or dependent receives the benefits to which they are entitled.

The Schuyler County Attorney is the civil legal advisor to the county legislature and other county agencies, including the local veterans service agency. The county attorney prosecutes and defends civil actions on behalf of the county, in Family Court, Surrogates Court and New York State Supreme Court.

In Cornell Law School’s Veterans Law Practicum, students provide information, legal advice, and representation to veterans seeking legal assistance. Students work on cases, including to secure service-connected disability compensation, discharge upgrades, overpayment issues, and other related claims. In 2023, Cornell was one of three law schools nationwide to receive a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide legal services for veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Schuyler County solar development on farmland class to be held January 23

Solar development on farmland class to be held in Montour Falls (WETM-TV):

Schuyler County farmers and landowners are invited to an upcoming workshop to learn more about solar development on agricultural lands.

Schuyler County Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) and Schuyler County Farm Bureau are hosting a workshop to address critical issues around solar development as it becomes more common for solar panels to be installed on agricultural lands in the Finger Lakes Region. The workshop will educate farmers and landowners about the important issues and teach them the things

they should know before leasing land to solar companies.

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The workshop, which is called “Solar & Ag in Schuyler County: What you need to know,” will start at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23, and should end by 2:30 p.m. It will take place in the Human Services Complex, located at 323 Owego St. in Montour Falls. Registration is required, and there’s a $15 fee to join. The fee will include lunch.

For more information on factors to consider when leasing land for solar power, see below:

Leasing your land for solar... by Steven Getman

Legal assistance for veterans and their families available

Did you serve in the Military? Do you need legal help?

Cornell Law School is starting a Veterans Law Practicum and recently received a grant for addressing housing and civil legal services for Veterans and their families.

They are serving the entire Sixth Judicial District, which includes Schuyler, Tompkins, Chemung and Tioga counties. They are hoping to have enough cases for the Practicum and the Staff Attorney to handle to meet their deliverables.

The Cornell Law Veterans Practicum can help with:

• Disability rights
• Housing problems
• Veterans benefits
• Discharge upgrades

and more.

Eligible veterans and their families can scan a QR code to fill out a form for legal help or call (607) 307-5116 to leave a voicemail with their name and number.

Schuyler County “Bridging Community Connections” Event

Schuyler County officials, in conjunction with other state and local agencies, will be hosting a virtual panel discussion on “Bridging Community Connections,” and community resources available to youth and families living in Schuyler County.

The online event is Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 10:00 am. The keynote presentation will be by Jutta Dotterweich, and will focus on COVID-19’s impact on the emotional well-being of adolescents. The event will also be recorded for later viewing.

The registration deadline is February 19. The first 100 registrants will receive a “Bridging Communities” gift bag.

Interested community members can register for event by clicking here.

The event is sponsored by partnerships with the Schuyler County Youth Bureau, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Workforce New York, Council on Alcoholism and Addiction in the Finger Lakes, Glove House, Inc. and Catholic Charities of Chemung and Schuyler Counties.

Schuyler County calls on New York to increase support for Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Schuyler County officials are calling on New York State to increase financial support for Cornell Cooperative Extension after twenty years of “stagnant” funding.

At its meeting Monday (January 13, 2020), the Schuyler County legislature voted to ask the state to increase its appropriation for Cornell Cooperative Extension associations to $8 million statewide.

The resolution, introduced by legislator Mark Rondinaro (R-District VII) passed unanimously. It noted that “local extension educators are key community partners” in helping to implement state initiatives including maximizing agriculture, strengthening the economy, promoting healthier eating habits and partnering to promote tourism and local food and farm businesses.

“State funding is needed to ensure that the Cornell Cooperative Extension system can equitably work for all New York residents through increased resources to support rural, suburban, and urban community development needs,” the resolution continued.

However, the resolution said, “state appropriations for county cooperative extension associations to match county government appropriations …have remained stagnant for twenty years.”

Therefore, “the Schuyler County Legislature supports increasing the State appropriation for Cornell Cooperative Extension associations to $8 million, such funds to be distributed directly to the associations through Cornell University as agent for the state as provided by law.”

Currently, New York State law provides for state matching funds for each county or regional extension association, subject to the furnishing of equivalent sums from county appropriations. However, the current funding formula only allows, “fifty cents for each dollar up to the first $100,000 appropriated by such county, and five cents for each dollar in excess of $100,000, subject to annual appropriation by the (state) legislature.”

Cornell Cooperative Extension is a formal collaboration between the National Institute of Food and Agriculture at USDA, New York State, County Governments and the Citizens of the State that has served to apply research-based knowledge from Cornell, New York’s Land Grant University, to the needs of New Yorkers and their communities for over 100 years.

The County of Schuyler is governed by an eight-person legislature, headed by its Chair. Members serve staggered four-year terms. The legislature, in turn, appoints various department heads to oversee the county’s day to day operations, including the county administrator (Tim O’Hearn), county attorney (Steven Getman) and clerk to the legislature (Stacy Husted).

The current members of the legislature are Mark Rondinaro, James Howell, Jr., Gary Gray, David Reed, Michael Lausell, Van Harp, Philip Barnes and Carl Blowers, Chairman.

A complete copy of the resolution appears below.

SCHUYLER COUNTY LEGISLATURE: RESOLUTION SUPPORTING INCREASED STATE SUPPORT FOR CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSIO... by Steven Getman on Scribd

Home Truth: A Film Screening and Discussion on Domestic Violence and Human Rights

The Berger International Legal Affairs Program at Cornell Law School is co-sponsoring Home Truth: A Film Screening and Discussion on Domestic Violence and Human Rights:

In 1999, Colorado mother Jessica Gonzales experiences every parent’s worst nightmare when her three young daughters are killed after being abducted by their father in violation of a domestic violence restraining order. Devastated, Jessica files a

lawsuit against the police, claiming they did not adequately enforce her restraining order despite her repeated calls for help that night. Determined to make sure her daughters did not die in vain, Jessica pursues her case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and an international human rights tribunal, seeking to strengthen legal rights for domestic violence victims. Meanwhile, her relationship with her one-surviving child, her son Jessie, suffers, as he struggles with the tragedy in his own way. Filmed over the course of nine years, HOME TRUTH chronicles one family’s pursuit of justice, shedding light on how our society responds to domestic violence and how the trauma from domestic violence tragedies can linger throughout generations.

There are two screening Opportunities:

Wednesday, March 14 @ 5 p.m. Myron Taylor Hall, Room 186

Thursday, March 15 @ 6 p.m. Cinemapolis, 120 East Green Street, Ithaca

A panel discussion will follow both screenings.

Jessica's case is now studied in textbooks around the country, and the domestic violence advocacy community refers to her work and her case as one of the most significant legal cases in the history of the movement.

For more on the film and the panel discussions, click here.

Scam Alert: Fake Email Copying Cornell

The Cornell IT Department has issued the following Security Alert: Fake Email Copying Cornell Alert

Date: 2017-03-15 11:25:00
Status: Open
Brief Description: Scammers have sent fraudulent emails copying the style of official Cornell Alerts. The message may indicate that unless a link is clicked, the recipient’s mailbox will be shut down. These emails are fake and the link in them should not be clicked.
Current Status: N/A
Services Affected:
Email and Calendar
Subsites Affected:
Faculty/Staff Email (Office 365)
Incident Response
Student Email (Cmail)
Full Description: Scammers have sent fraudulent emails copying the style of official Cornell Alerts. The message may indicate that unless a link is clicked, the recipient’s mailbox will be shut down. These emails are fake and the link in them should not be clicked. To see an example, visit the Phish Bowl at https://it.cornell.edu/phish/4526 . Remember to check links in emails and on websites to make sure they are what they claim to be. See how, and other ways to keep your account safe at https://it.cornell.edu/security-and-policy .

History in the Making: Cornell Perspectives on Election 2016

This evening at 7:00 p.m., Cornell University will broadcast History in the Making: Cornell Perspectives on Election 2016, an exclusive live panel discussion about the 2016 presidential election, available online to 1865 Society members only.

Gretchen Ritter, Harold Tanner Dean of Arts & Sciences, and members of the faculty will share insights and analysis, as well as respond to your questions.

Panelists are: Adam Seth Levine, Assistant Professor of Government, Bruce Lewenstein, Chair, Science & Technology Studies, Professor of Science Communication, Departments of Science & Technology Studies and Communication, Jamila Michener, Assistant Professor, Department of Government and Sergio Garcia-Rios, Assistant Professor Department of Government and Latina/o Studies.

This event is in collaboration with the College of Arts & Sciences and Cornell Annual Giving Programs.

The link to Livestream is here.

Faith-Based Perspectives on Advancing Women's Equality: From Oppression to Empowerment

Cornell Law School’s Christian Legal Society, the Avon Global Center for Women and Justice, and the Jewish Law Students Association

are presenting this program Wednesday (March 23) at 4:30 pm in Myron Taylor Hall.

Christian, Jewish, and Muslim women's equality advocates will give their perspectives on how they use their respective faiths to empower women and promote gender equality.

For more information, click here.

#DVFree: Implementing the Human Right to be Free from Domestic Violence

A panel discussion will be head Tuesday, October 20th at 12:20 p.m. in Saperston Student Lounge, G65 Myron Taylor Hall, Cornell University:

"#DVFree: Implementing the Human Right to be Free from Domestic Violence in Tompkins County, NY."

Panelists will discuss their work in drafting guidelines for employers to protect victims of domestic violence.

The panel will include Heather Campbell, Executive Director, Advocacy Center of Tompkins County, Alexander Gutierrez, J.D. Candidate and member of the Global Gender Justice Clinic, Carolina Morales, J.D. Candidate and member of the Global Gender Justice Clinic, and Amanda Reynoso-Palley, J.D. Candidate and member of the Global Gender Justice Clinic.

The panel is sponsored by Cornell Law School’s Global Gender Justice Clinic and the Avon Global Center for Women and Justice.

Lunch will be served. Interested attendees should RSVP by Monday, October 19 to Christina Price, cmp265@cornell.edu.

Legal links of interest for the week ending June 7, 2013

Some of the stories about courts, the law and lawyers in the news this past week:

City's red light camera program may be challenged in court: lawsuit claims program denies constitutional right to due process.

When court takes up privacy, Scalia finds himself with unlikely teammates: Scalia, with those three liberal justices joining him, said that DNA sampling constitutes an impermissible search under the Fourth Amendment.

New York's Court of Appeals asked to hear fracking home rule cases: Attorneys for Norse Energy and an Otsego County farmer made the filing, asking the state’s highest court to take on the cases of upstate towns that changed their zoning laws in 2011 to ban hydrofracking and gas drilling

Ohio prosecutor fired after posing as an accused killer's girlfriend on Facebook: A prosecutor in Ohio has reportedly been fired after admitting to a chat with an accused killer’s alibi witnesses in an attempt to persuade them to change their testimony.

Judge's ruling challenges US transplant system: a federal judge has allowed one dying child - and a day later another - to essentially jump the line in rulings that could have ramifications for thousands of people awaiting new organs.

How the IRS scandal may damage anti-terror data mining: A Cornell law professor argues that explanations and justifications which might have worked in the past no longer are enough, thanks to the IRS.

Legal links of Interest for the week ending October 5, 2012

A number of stories about the law and lawyers in the news this week:

Judge rejects birth mother & gives custody to partner: A Family Court judge has awarded full custody of a young child to her adopted mother, instead of her biological mom, in what is believed to be the first such New York state case involving a same sex couple. 

 Judge Rejects Binghamton’s Fracking Ban: Justice Lebous ruled that the city had failed to show that the moratorium was needed because the state has not decided whether to allow fracking. 

 Attorney General Too late for Prosecution in Securities Meltdown: While New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman alleges massive fraud in mortgage-backed securities in a lawsuit filed this week, he’s not criminally prosecuting anyone. 

Mootness Dooms Suit Against County Attorney: A civil action accusing Madison County's part-time county attorney of self-dealing has been dismissed because the attorney has paid back some of the money and there is little likelihood the situation will arise again.
Cornell Law School Aids Undocumented Students: Cornell Law School professors and students worked to assist undocumented youth applying for deferred action — a status that, if granted, may allow thousands of undocumented immigrants living in upstate New York to temporarily be protected from deportation.

 Knox Supreme Court Decision Strengthens Worker Rights: the Court ruled 7–2 in the plaintiffs’ favor, striking down the SEIU’s fundraising scheme and reaffirming the rights of public-sector employees to refrain from supporting union politics [and] Justice Samuel Alito authored an expansive five-member opinion that raises the possibility that the Court could require unions to receive affirmative consent from nonmember employees before spending their money on politics at some point in the future.