May 5, 2016: New York State Bar Association Honors Two for Excellence in Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare
5.5.2016
Kathleen R. DeCataldo and James J. LeCain have been honored with 2016 Howard A. Levine Awards for Excellence in Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare, given by the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Children and the Law.
The awards, presented on May 4 at the State Bar Center in Albany, recognize the vital services of lawyers and non-lawyers who have done outstanding work to improve New York’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
“This is a very special honor reserved for those who go above and beyond to improve the juvenile justice and child welfare system,” said Betsy R. Ruslander, chair of the Committee on Children and the Law and director of the Office of Attorneys for Children, Third Judicial Department. “Kathleen and James are outstanding individuals and their work inspires us all.”
DeCataldo, an attorney, is the executive director of the New York State Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children in Albany. She is responsible for developing and implementing the work of the commission, which aims to improve the lives and opportunities of children in the court system.
LeCain founded and is director of Brookwood Secure Center’s college program, which offers incarcerated youths the opportunity to earn college credits. The program is an extension of Brookwood’s high school educational program at the New York State Office of Children and Family Services and Juvenile Justice facility, located in Claverack.
The Howard A. Levine Award is named for retired Court of Appeals Judge Howard A. Levine (Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP), who was the first chair of the Special Committee on Juvenile Justice, now the Committee on Children and the Law. He is an advocate and leader in the effort to improve New York’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
The 74,000-member New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. It was founded in 1876.
Contact: Christina Couto
Senior Media Writer
518-487-5535
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