January 26, 2011
COUNTY CLERK OF NEW YORK COUNTY RECEIVES STATE
BAR’S EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
Hon. Norman Goodman, longest-serving clerk in New
York state, cited for developing innovative technology programs for
court system
NEW YORK— Hon. Norman Goodman of New York, county clerk of New
York County, was honored with the Excellence in Public Service Award
from the New York State Bar Association on January 25 during its Annual
Meeting at the Hilton New York in Manhattan. The award, sponsored by the
Committee on Attorneys in Public Service, recognizes individuals who
demonstrate a “higher calling” in government through their
extraordinary commitment to service, honor and integrity in the public
sector.
The committee presented Goodman with the prestigious award in
recognition of his five decades of service to the Office of the County
Clerk of New York County. He is widely regarded as the dean of the
county clerks throughout the 62 counties of New York, having served
longer than any of his colleagues. His accomplishments include
developing an efficient and effective means of filing judgment entries,
promoting welcome jury reforms, preserving historic court records in
digital form, and advancing electronic filing into the New York State
courts.
“This year’s recipients of the Excellence in Public
Service Awards have each contributed to advancing the public interest of
New Yorkers through making the courts more efficient and effective for
jurors, creating new education opportunities for disadvantaged students,
and ensuring the public’s right to collective bargaining,”
said State Bar President Stephen P. Younger of New York (Patterson,
Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP). “The State Bar is thrilled to
recognize their decades of outstanding work, and I congratulate Norman
Goodman on receiving this award.”
Other recipients this year were Jerome Lefkowitz of Albany, chair of
the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), and Frederick (Rick) P.
Schaffer of New York, general counsel and senior vice chancellor for
legal affairs at the City University of New York (CUNY).
“Guided by a sense of making the courts system more accessible
and responsive to the public, Norman Goodman’s technology prowess
and unceasing desire for greater efficiency have brought about
groundbreaking changes that have transformed our court operations and
the conduction of litigation in New York. His transformative work as
commissioner of jurors also has made jury service more pleasant for
those who serve as jurors and resulted in far less exemptions and
disqualifications for potential jurors,” said Committee Chair Hon.
Peter S. Loomis of Albany (New York State Department of Transportation).
“It is our distinct pleasure to honor Norman Goodman for his many
years of excellent public service and raising the bar for all who follow
him.”
A graduate of New York University and New York University Law School,
Goodman began his career in private practice and joined the Office of
the County Clerk of New York in 1966 as first deputy county clerk. He
became county clerk in 1969 and has served in that position ever
since.
The county clerk is both the clerk of the Supreme Court and the
Commissioner of Jurors in New York County. In his capacity as
Commissioner of Jurors, Goodman computerized the juror summons system,
which ensured the most accurate, fairest, and efficient implementation
of jury summons.
His work on Chief Judge Judith Kaye’s Jury Project, furthered
his commitment to preserving and promoting hard-won jury reforms and
also led him to identify and introduce further jury reforms such as
improving voir dire. Goodman previously served as one of the
commissioners on Chief Judge Kaye’s Commission on Public Access to
Court Records and the New Jury Project. He previously chaired the State
Bar’s Committee on Justice and the Community.
Last year’s award recipients were Diane Bosse, chair of the New
York State Board of Law Examiners; Hon. Patricia D. Marks of Rochester,
the presiding judge of the Monroe County Veterans Court; and Peter H.
Schiff of Albany, senior counsel to the solicitor general’s
office.
The 77,000-member New York State Bar Association is the official
statewide organization of lawyers in New York and the largest voluntary
state bar association in the nation. Founded in 1876, State Bar programs
and activities have continuously served the public and improved the
justice system for more than 130 years.
###
| 
News Center
