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Contact: Mark Mahoney March 19, 2012 STATE BAR ASSOCIATION FAMILY COURT TASK FORCE TO HOLD HEARING MARCH 22 ON LONG ISLANDA State Bar Association task force studying New York’s Family Court system, placing particular emphasis on its impact on children and families, will convene the third of four statewide hearings on Thursday, March 22 on Long Island. The Task Force on Family Court hearing, in the Appellate Division, Second Department, will be held from 9:20 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Nassau County Bar Association, 15th and West Streets, Mineola. During the past decade, family courts have seen their workloads rising as the number of cases involving child custody, visitation and child support increases. “The growing burden placed on our Family Court system is having a direct impact on our most vulnerable population -- our children,” said State Bar President Vincent E. Doyle III of Buffalo (Connors & Vilardo). “With these hearings, we are collecting information from a variety of experts that we hope will lead to improved conditions for children and the courts.” The task force previously held hearings in Albany and New York City. The final hearing is scheduled for March 29 in Buffalo. “We were impressed with the depth of information we received during the first two hearings, and expect to gain further insights from the Long Island and Buffalo forums,” said task force Co-chair Susan B. Lindenauer, retired counsel to the president and attorney-in-chief of The Legal Aid Society of New York City. “The testimony will be very valuable in shaping our recommendations for improving the Family Court system,” said Broome County Family Court Judge Mary Rita Connerton, who co-chairs the task force. Among those expected to testify on March 22 are family court judges and others affiliated with the courts, local bar associations, legal service groups and organizations that serve children, families and battered women. Confirmed speakers include: • Melissa Breger, professor of law,
Albany Law School The Appellate Division, Second Department, is comprised of 10 counties: Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester. Written testimony can be submitted to the Task Force on Family Court, One Elk Street, Albany, NY 12207. The 35-member Task Force on Family Court, created in 2010, has four
subcommittees, which address resources for litigants; resources for the
courts; operations, case management and staffing; and technology. The
task force will issue its preliminary report in June 2012 and a final
report in November 2012. That report will be presented to the state
chief administrative judge and others for consideration. Despite rising caseloads -- including a record 742,365 statewide in
2009 -- only four new Family Court judgeships have been created
statewide since 1999 and none in New York City since 1991. STATEWIDE Source: New York State Unified Court System, Report of the Chief
Administrator of the Courts, 2010, 2001 The 77,000-member New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. It was founded in 1876.
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