| SECOND CIRCUIT COURTS COMMITTEE |
| Consideration of procedural and substantive legal issues of significance is conducted through the Second Circuit Courts Committee, including drafting the comments submitted by the Federal Bar Council on proposed changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The Committee co-sponsors with the First Decade Committee a Fall Bench & Bar Retreat each year which enables lawyers to interact with judges and attend engaging CLE programs. The Committee is currently working on a book about Courthouses in the Second Circuit. The Committee meets monthly, sometimes with a speaker of note, usually a judge within the Second Circuit, who addresses the informal gathering and answers questions.
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| Contact: |
Mary Kay Vyskocil, Esq.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
425 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017-3954
(212) 455-3093
Fax (212) 455-2502
mvyskocil@stblaw.com |
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| PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE |
In 1989, Honorable Morris Lasker received the Federal Bar Council's Learned Hand Medal for Excellence in Federal Jurisprudence. In his acceptance speech, Judge Lasker challenged our members, as lawyers and citizens, to be mindful of the less fortunate members of society. The Federal Bar Council's Public Service Committee explores ways in which federal practitioners can make a valuable contribution to the world around us.
Today, the Federal Bar Council's Public Service Committee consists of partners and associates from approximately twenty law firms as well as two judges. The Public Service Committee is dedicated to providing both legal representation and non-legal public service in a variety of areas identified by the PSC. During the past two years, the PSC has pursued several initiatives, including:
Immigration Projects. The Public Service Committee is sponsoring two projects to help secure pro bono representation for the immigrant poor who are subject to removal proceedings. With the assistance of Legal Aid, Human Rights First, the City Bar Justice Center, and the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association (New York Chapter), the Public Service Committee is enlisting volunteer lawyers to participate in counseling sessions for detained immigrants housed at the Varick Detention Facility in Manhattan. During these one-on-one counseling sessions, volunteer lawyers will screen their cases for eligibility for pro bono services and to determine whether the cases should be referred to public service organizations for representation. In addition, the Public Service committee is enlisting volunteer lawyers to take cases of non-detained immigrants who have cases pending at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan. For these non-detained immigrants, the volunteer lawyers often will defend against removal charges by presenting live testimony. These non-detained cases will already have been screened for eligibility and merit by Legal Aid, Human Rights First, Catholic Charities, or Hebrew Immigration Aid Society. For both sponsored programs, volunteer lawyers will be mentored by acknowledged experts and will have resources to assist them in serving the immigrant poor.
School Court Visits Program. In conjunction with the law firm MENTOR Program, the Federal Bar Council's Public Service Committee has developed a program to bring public school students together with federal judges. To date, over forty federal judges and thirty firms have volunteered to participate. Under the program, school classes, accompanied by lawyers from a participating firm, meet with the judge, attend a trial or hearing and then have lunch with the lawyers. To date there have been approximately forty visits.
SSI Legal Advocacy Project. Public Service Committee member firms have represented children who were denied disability benefits in eleven federal Social Security cases. Young associates have received front-line experience while gaining benefits for their clients. The Public Service Committee firms have already been successful in eight of these cases.
In addition to the cases and programs noted above, the Federal Bar Council's Public Service Committee seeks to identify additional cases which consist largely, but not exclusively, of federal impact litigations. These cases are then handled by PSC member firms who commit to take one case a year. The PSC is currently in the process of developing additional programs addressed to advocacy on behalf of persons subject to foreclosure proceedings.
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| Contact: |
Jamie A. Levitt, Esq.
Morrison & Foerster LLP
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10104-0050
(212) 468-8203
Fax (212) 468-7900
jlevitt@mofo.com |
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| CENTRAL ISLIP U.S. COURTHOUSE COMMITTEE |
| The Central Islip U.S. Courthouse Committee works with that Court and promotes CLE programs and social events of interest to federal practitioners in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
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Anton J. Borovina, Esq.
Law Office of Anton J. Borovina
510 Broad Hollow Road - Suite 304A
Melville, NY 11747
(631) 630-1101
Fax (631) 465-8935
ajb@borovinalaw.com |
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| PROGRAM COMMITTEE |
As an accredited provider of Continuing Legal Education in New York, the Federal Bar Council offers free CLE programs to its members. The programs usually are moderated by judges of the federal districts served by the FBC and held in the Ceremonial Courtroom of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse at 500 Pearl Street in Manhattan. From time to time, programs are held in other locations.
The Council also conducts educational programs for new federal law clerks to orient them in such areas as habeas, securities and employment litigation.
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| Contact: |
David B. Pitofsky, Esq.
Goodwin Procter LLP
The New York Times Building
620 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10018-1618
(212) 813-8972
Fax (212) 355-3333
dpitofsky@goodwinprocter.com |
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| SECOND CIRCUIT REDBOOK |
The Federal Bar Council makes available to its members without charge the annual Second Circuit Redbook which is a compendium of biographical information about sitting judges of all courts within the Second Circuit. It provides useful contact information for the Clerk’s Office and each judge’s staff. A directory of the members of the Federal Bar Council is also contained in the Redbook.
EDITOR
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| Contact: |
Jeanette Redmond, Esq.
Executive Director
Federal Bar Council
123 Main Street - Suite L100
White Plains, NY 10601-3104
(914) 682-8800
Fax (914) 682-4400
jeanette.redmond@federalbarcouncil.com |
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| FEDERAL BAR COUNCIL QUARTERLY |
| To keep our members informed of issues and events of possible importance to them, the Council publishes the Federal Bar Council Quarterly. The FBC Quarterly contains articles on topics of interest to the Federal Bar Council community, including reviews of new judicial decisions, legal histories, profiles of judges, along with new judicial appointments, practice developments and recent programs of the Council.
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| Contact: |
James L. Bernard, Esq.
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
180 Maiden Lane - 32nd Floor
New York, NY 10038-4925
(212) 806-5684
Fax (212) 806-2684
jbernard@stroock.com
Bennette Deacy Kramer, Esq.
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP
26 Broadway - 19th Floor
New York, NY 10004-1703
(212) 344-5400
Fax (212) 344-7677
bdk@schlamstone.com
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| FEDERAL BAR FOUNDATION PUBLICATIONS |
| The Federal Bar Foundation has generously supported the publication of works of merits on a variety of subjects, most notably the biographies of great jurists. With Foundation support, a work on the lives of Learned and Augustus Hand, entitled The Remarkable Hands: An Affectionate Portrait (Federal Bar Foundation 1983) was published and made available without charge to members of the Federal Bar Council. Other similar works, such as Glimpses of Walter Mansfield (William Nelson Cromwell Foundation 1995) and Edward Weinfeld: A Judicious Life (Federal Bar Foundation 1998), have been published with Foundation support and made available to members of the Council without charge.
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| Contact: |
Jeanette Redmond, Esq.
Executive Director
Federal Bar Council
123 Main Street, Suite L100
White Plains, NY 10601-3104
(914) 682-8800
Fax (914) 682-4400
jeanette.redmond@federalbarcouncil.com |
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| INN OF COURT |
| In 2000, the Federal Bar Council created an Inn of Court which is associated with the American Inns of Court program. The Inn brings together judges, senior members of the bar and newly admitted lawyers. The members of the Inn meet monthly from September through June to present thoughtful CLE programs to their fellow members. Applications for the Inn, including a resume and statement of interest, are accepted in late April through May of each year.
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| Contact: |
Sheila S. Boston, Esq.
Membership Secretary
Kaye Scholer LLP
425 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10022-3598
(212) 836-7197
Fax (212) 836-7153
sboston@kayescholer.com |
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| FIRST DECADE COMMITTEE |
| The First Decade Committee is composed of those members who have been admitted to the bar for ten years or fewer. The purpose of the First Decade Committee is to organize social and educational programs of interest to those in the early years of practice.
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| Contact: |
Lawrence A. Dany, Esq.
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
1114 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036-7703
(212) 389-5038
Fax (212) 389-5099
larry.dany@sablaw.com |
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| MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE |
The Committee actively seeks new members and welcomes them to the Federal Bar Council. For information on membership benefits and dues structure, please click on our membership page. It includes a downloadable application.
COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
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Tracy Richelle High, Esq.
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
125 Broad Street - 27th Floor
New York, NY 10004-2498
(212) 558-4728
Fax (212) 558-3588
hight@sullcrom.com
Elizabeth A. Fitzwater, Esq.
Arkin Kaplan Rice LLP
590 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022-2524
(212) 333-0203
Fax (212) 333-2350
efitzwater@arkin-law.com
Russell M. Yankwitt, Esq.
Yankwitt & McGuire, LLP
Attorneys At Law
140 Grand Street - Penthouse 2
White Plains, NY 10601-4831
(914) 686-1500
russell@yankwitt.com
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| CONNECTICUT COMMITTEE |
| Over 160 members of the Federal Bar Council live or practice in Connecticut. The Federal Bar Council, through its Connecticut Committee, conducts receptions, legal education programs, and public service projects of particular interest to Connecticut members. Membership in the Federal Bar Council enables Connecticut practitioners to have Circuit-wide input.
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| Contact: |
David A. Slossberg, Esq.
Hurwitz, Sagarin, Slossberg & Knuff, LLC
147 North Broad Street
Milford, CT 06460-0112
(203) 877-8000
Fax (203) 878-9800
dslossberg@hssklaw.com |
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| U.S. ATTORNEY INTERNSHIP COMMITTEE |
The Federal Bar Council, through its U.S. Attorney Internship Committee, provides on-going coordination and continuity with respect to summer internships. Historically, U.S. Attorney alumni groups have funded stipends for what would otherwise be unpaid summer internships in the U.S. Attorney's Office. These stipends have been provided by groups including the Honorable J. Edward Lumbard Association, the former law clerks of the Honorable Lloyd F. MacMahon, the Robert B. Fiske, Jr. Association and the Riot Relief Fund. The Federal Bar Council, through its U.S. Attorney Internship Committee, now provides on-going coordination and continuity with respect to these summer internships.
The hiring decisions are made by the U.S. Attorney's Office which then refers to the Committee those candidates who want to do an internship but cannot do so without financial assistance. The U.S. Attorney's Office has no funds to pay them directly, but they do allow them to work under an approved grant program such as the one we are talking about. The funds are held separately and administered by the New York Community Trust, and the Committee's role is to recommend to the Trust suitable candidates for summer internship grants. The Committee also seeks to maximize the use of the funds by obtaining matching grants and/or work-study funding from the students' law schools.
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| Contact: |
Jonathan S. Sack, Esq.
Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason, Anello & Bohrer, P.C.
565 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10017-2413
(212) 856-9600
Fax (212) 856-9494
jsack@maglaw.com |
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| JOINT COMMITTEE ON JUDICIAL CONDUCT |
A Committee on Judicial Conduct has been formed by the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the Federal Bar Council. Its mission is to receive confidential written complaints from members of the Bar regarding the conduct (as opposed to the merits of the decisions) of the Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and where appropriate and with the approval and ex officio participation of the Presidents of both Bar Associations, to address such complaints in a constructive, confidential, and effective manner.
The Rules of the Committee are set forth in the Second Circuit Redbook.
Committee Members
Robert J. Anello
Matthew E. Fishbein
Loretta E. Lynch
Mary Kay Vyskocil
Gerald Walpin
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| Contact: |
Committee on Judicial Conduct
c/o President
Association of the Bar of the City of New York
42 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036-6689
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| AWARDS COMMITTEE |
| The Awards Committee makes recommendations to the Board for the conferral of the Emory Buckner Award for Outstanding Public Service which is presented at the Thanksgiving Luncheon, the Whitney North Seymour Award for Outstanding Public Service by a Private Practitioner which is presented at the Winter Bench and Bar Conference and the Learned Hand Award which is presented at the Law Day Dinner.
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| Contact: |
Dean Joan G. Wexler
Brooklyn Law School
250 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201-3700
(718) 780-7900
Fax (718) 780-0393
joan.wexler@brooklaw.edu |
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| HISTORICAL COMMITTEE |
| In 2009, the Historical Committee began work on the history of the Federal Bar Council. Building on a document that reported the Council's history from it's inception in 1932 to around 1985, the Historical Committee will endeavor to flesh out the Council's history and bring this important record up to date.
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| Contact: |
George B. Yanwitt, Esq.
Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P.
1095 Avenue of the Americas - 31st Floor
New York, NY 10036-6797
(212) 872-9898
Fax (212) 872-9815
gyankwitt@ssd.com |
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| WESTCHESTER COMMITTEE |
| The Federal Bar Council's Westchester Committee organizes programs and events of particular interest to those who live and/or practice in Westchester County and the surrounding areas.
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| Contact: |
Russell M. Yankwitt, Esq.
Yankwitt & McGuire, LLP
Attorneys At Law
140 Grand Street - Penthouse 2
White Plains, NY 10601-4831
(914) 686-1500
russell@yankwitt.com |
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| PRISON REFORM COMMITTEE |
| The Prison Reform Committee helps to monitor and suggest various improvements in sentencing, prison conditions and post-discharge assistance.
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| Contact: |
Robert J. Anello, Esq.
Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason, Anello & Bohrer, P.C.
565 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10017
(212) 880-9520
Fax (212) 856-9494
ranello@maglaw.com
Frederic S. Nathan, Esq.
Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
101 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10178-0062
(212) 808-7840
Fax (212) 808-7897
fnathan@kelleydrye.com
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| NOMINATING COMMITTEE |
| Pursuant to the Council By-laws, the Nominating Committee recommends members for election to the Council and Foundation.
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| Contact: |
The Honorable David G. Trager (Chair)
U.S. District Judge
U.S. Courthouse - EDNY
225 Cadman Plaza East
Brooklyn, NY 11201-1818
(718) 613-2510
Anton J. Borovina, Esq.
Law Office of Anton J. Borovina
510 Broad Hollow Road - Suite 304A
Melville, NY 11747-3606
(631) 630-1101
ajb@borovinalaw.com
Steven M. Edwards, Esq.
Hogan Lovells US LLP
875 Third Avenue - 25th Floor
New York, NY 10022-5516
(212) 918-3506
steven.edwards@hoganlovells.com
Robert B. Fiske, Jr., Esq.
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
450 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017-3911
(212) 450-4090
fiske@davispolk.com
Sheila S. Boston, Esq.
Kaye Scholer LLP
425 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10022-3598
(212) 836-7197
sboston@kayescholer.com
Bernard W. Nussbaum, Esq.
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
51 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019-6150
(212) 403-1266
bwnussbaum@wlrk.com
Kevin J. O'Connor, Esq.
Bracewell & Giuliani LLP
225 Asylum Street - Suite 2600
Hartford, CT 06103-1516
(860) 947-9000
kevin.oconnor@bgllp.com
Bettina B. Plevan, Esq.
Proskauer Rose LLP
1585 Broadway
New York, NY 10036-8299
(212) 969-3065
bplevan@proskauer.com
The Honorable Gerald Walpin
875 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10075-0341
(212) 288-5324
gwalpin@earthlink.net
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