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May 3, 2012
JUDGE JUDITH S. CLAIRE AND TAMARA STECKLER RECEIVE
STATE BAR’S 2012 HOWARD A. LEVINE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN
JUVENILE JUSTICE AND CHILD WELFARE
Chautauqua Family Court Judge Judith S. Claire and Tamara Steckler,
attorney in-charge of the Juvenile Rights Practice of the Legal Aid
Society, are the 2012 recipients of the Howard A. Levine Award for
Excellence in Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare.
The award, given by the Committee on Children and the Law of the New
York State Bar Association, recognizes individuals for their work
protecting and promoting the rights of New York’s children. The
awards were presented at the State Bar Center on May 2nd in Albany.
“Judge Judith Claire and Tamara Steckler have done outstanding
work to ensure justice for children in New York. They recognize that
every case, no matter the size, affects a child’s future. Their
individual efforts have helped reform our juvenile justice system for
the better,” said Professor Merril Sobie of White Plains (Pace
University School of Law), chair of the committee. “We are pleased
to present the Howard A. Levine Award to these two extraordinary
leaders.”
Judith S. Claire has served as Chautauqua County’s sole Family
Court judge since 1998. She has spearheaded successful programs
such as “Youth Orientation Day,” where older children in
foster care visit the family courthouse facilities to ease their fears
and learn about the players in a permanency hearing. Chief Judge
Jonathan Lippman appointed Judge Claire to the Family Court and Rules
Committee in 2004. She serves on the subcommittee for juvenile
justice.
Tamara Steckler of Manhattan has been the attorney-in-charge of the
Juvenile Rights Practice of the Legal Aid Society since 2005. Her
advocacy has led to caseload caps for attorneys for children to improve
the quality of representation; policies that respect children with
decision-making capability; and weekend and holiday arraignments so
arrested children spend more time at home than in detention. She is a
member of the Permanent Judicial Commission on Children and previously
served on the Task Force on the Future of Probation in New York
State.
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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