September 30, 2008
NEW YORK STATE BAR IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT KATHRYN GRANT MADIGAN
APPOINTED TO THE INTEREST ON LAWYER ACCOUNT FUND BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Binghamton Lawyer Continues Commitment to Increasing Civil Legal
Services for the Poor
Kathryn Grant Madigan (Levene
Gouldin & Thompson LLP) of Binghamton,
immediate past president of the New York State Bar Association, has been
appointed by Governor David Paterson to the Interest on Lawyer Account
(IOLA) Fund Board of Trustees. The IOLA
Fund provides additional financial support to
civil legal service organizations which provide low income people
in New
York Statewith
a variety of legal services. These
services are often provided to people who need the assistance of a
lawyer to preserve basic human needs such as food, shelter, employment
and access to health care.
“As president of the New York
State Bar Association, Kate Madigan did an outstanding job of raising awareness about the need to
increase funding for civil legal services and working to protect the
IOLA Fund,” said President Bernice K.
Leber of New York(Arent Fox LLP). “Throughout her career as an attorney
and as a bar leader, she has continually worked to increase access to
the justice system and make justice for all a reality. I can think of no
better person than Kate to work on this vitally important issue. We
commend Governor Paterson for this excellent selection, and congratulate
Kate on this appointment. We have long believed that the State Bar, as
the state-wide advocate for adequate funding for civil legal services
for the poor, should also have a place at the IOLA table and we are
simply delighted that the Governor thought so, too."
“I am immensely honored to
work on behalf of the Interest on Lawyer Account Fund, which benefits
thousands of New York’s most needy residents,” said Madigan. “We
know that there is a lot of work ahead of us, as studies have
demonstrated that more than 80 percent of the civil legal services needs
of the poor are currently going unmet. Being named to this board is
truly an honor and I look forward to helping the poor citizens of New
York in this new capacity.”
Madigan is a partner in
the Binghamtonlaw
firm of Levene, Gouldin & Thompson LLP, concentrating her practice
in elder law and trusts and estates. The fourth female president of the
Association, Madigan is former chair of the Association’s
President’s Committee on Access to Justice and serves on the
American Bar Association’s House of Delegates. She is a Fellow of
the American Bar Foundation and a Life Fellow of the New York Bar
Foundation.
The 74,000-member New York State
Bar Association is the official statewide organization of lawyers
in New Yorkand
the largest voluntary state bar association in the
nation. Founded in 1876, NYSBA programs and
activities have continuously served the public and improved the justice
system for more than 130 years.
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