New York State Bar Association Recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Legal Education
7.29.2025
The New York State Bar Association was honored this week with the award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Interest programming by the Association of Continuing Legal Education. Members of the NYSBA public interest and marketing departments accepted the award at the continuing legal education conference in Montreal.
The award recognizes NYSBA’s 2024 Partnership Conference, which was held in Albany. The biennial event brings together attorneys and advocates in the field of legal aid and legal services. The theme of the conference was “Pearls of Wisdom: 30 Years of Partnership Past, Present and Future,” and featured 25 accredited programs over two days covering critical areas of law affecting low-income and vulnerable populations.
NYSBA created the conference with the goal of addressing issues that civil legal service providers are facing.
More than 500 providers attended the event to discuss important issues including education, health care, immigration and affordable housing. For 30 years, the New York State Bar Association has supported civil legal service providers with training and networking opportunities during the conference.
“The partnership conference provides an opportunity for civil legal service attorneys, law firm attorneys and public interest attorneys to get together for substantive CLE programming and networking,” said Eunice Bencke, NYSBA public interest program manager. “Through the years, it’s become more than a conference of colleagues but a community of professionals who feel like family.”
“It feels great to have our efforts recognized,” said Stefanie Markiewicz, assistant director of marketing for NYSBA. “Having our work in marketing acknowledged by others really solidifies a feeling of accomplishment.”
Kathy Suchocki, associate executive director of the New York State Bar Association, presided over the ACLEA conference as its newly installed president. Suchocki ascended to the presidency following a successful year implementing the New York State Bar Association’s new membership model. As senior director of Continuing Legal Education and Law Practice Management for the New York State Bar Association, Suchocki oversees the production of 500 legal education courses each year.
“The future of CLE lies in creating learning experiences that are personalized, tech-forward, and immediately relevant to a lawyer’s evolving practice,” Suchocki said. “It’s about making CLE not just mandatory, but meaningful.”
Under the new model, NYSBA members receive free Continuing Legal Education courses. Membership in two of the association’s law practice sections such as the Trusts and Estates Law Section or the Family Law Section or demographic groups such as the Women in Law Section or the 50+ Section is included with membership as are downloadable forms and e-books.
