2024 Howard A. Levine Award
The New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Children and the Law each year presents the Howard A. Levine Award for Excellence in Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare to recognize individuals who have done outstanding work to improve New York’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems. The Committee on Children and the Law is seeking nominations for the 2023 Howard A. Levine Award for Excellence in Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare.
The New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Children and the Law created the Howard A. Levine Award in 1986. It is named for retired Court of Appeals Judge Howard A. Levine (Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP), who was the first chair of what was then called the Special Committee on Juvenile Justice. He has been and continues to be a strong proponent and leader in the effort to improve New York’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
The award recognizes the vital services of lawyers and non-lawyers who have done outstanding work to improve New York’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems. The winners are honored by the Association at an annual Spring reception at the New York State Bar Association State Bar Center in Albany. Nominees should be individuals who have a career history of distinguished and longstanding service in the field of juvenile justice and child welfare. Potential nominees can include lawyers, social workers, government officials, community advocates and New York State court personnel.
Past recipients include Senator Velmanette Montgomery (NYS Senate District 18), George E. Reed, Jr., Esq., Hon. Edward O. Spain (Appellate Division, Third Department), Prof. Meril Sobie, Margaret Burt, Prof. Jane Spinak, Mishi Faruqee, Prof. Sarah H. Ramsey Hon. Joseph M. Lauria (New York City Family Court), Hon. Sharon S. Townsend (Erie County Supreme Court), Hon. Eugene F. Pigott, Jr., NYS Court of Appeals, Hon. Judith S. Kaye, retired Chief Judge, NYS Court of Appeals, Matilda Cuomo, former First Lady of New York State, Hon. Kathie E. Davidson, Administrative Judge, Ninth Judicial District and Betsy R. Ruslander, Director, Office of Attorneys for Children, Third Judicial Department.
Past Winners of the Howard A. Levine Award
1987
Matilda Cuomo
Honorary Chair, NYS Council on Children & Families
Co-chair, NYS Citizens Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect
Philip C. Pinksy
First Assistant Counsel to the Majority Leader, NYS Senate
1988
Hon. William B. Hoyt
Chair, NYS Assembly Committee on Children & Families
Subcommittee on Child Abuse
Elizabeth T. Schack
Staff Associate for Juvenile Justice Citizens Committee for Children of N.Y., Inc.
1989
Hon. Mary B. Goodhue
Chair, NYS Senate Committee on Child Care
Robert P. Patterson, Jr.
Former NYSBA President
Hon. Albert Vann
Chair, NYS Assembly Committee on Children & Families
1990
Hon. Sol Wachtler
Chief Judge of the State of New York
Charles Schinitsky
Founder & First Attorney-in-Charge, The Legal Aid Society of New York
1991
Eve Block Brooks
Executive Director, Statewide Youth Advocacy, Inc.
Shirley Mitgang
Former Deputy Counsel, Office of Court Administration
1992
Hon. Kathryn A. McDonald
Administrator for New York City Family Court
1993
Hon. G. Oliver Koppell
Chair, NYS Assembly Judiciary Committee
Sister Mary Paul
Center for Family Life in Sunset Park
1994
Hon. Judith S. Kaye
Chief Judge of the State of New York
Prof. Ellen Schall
Former Commissioner, NYC Dept. of Juvenile Justice
1995
Lenore Gittis
Attorney-in-Charge, The Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Division (1981-1995)
Hon. Helene Weinstein
Chair, NYS Assembly Judiciary Committee
1996
Barbara Blum
President, Foundation for Child Development
Jules Kerness
Legislative Director, New York State Senate Committee on Children & Families
1997
Hon. Anthony V. Cardona
Presiding Justice, App. Div., Third Dept.
Hon. Sondra Miller
Justice, App. Div., Second Dept.
1998
Kay C. Murray
General Counsel, Department of Juvenile Justice, NYC
Lucia B. Whisenand
Solo Practitioner, Syracuse
1999
Michael Corriero
Acting Justice, Supreme Court, First Department
Carol R. Sherman, Esq.
Executive Director, Children’s Law Center, Brooklyn
2000
Nicolette Pach
Justice, Suffolk County Family Court
Hon. Gloria Sosa-Litner
Justice, New York City Family Court
Professor Merril R. Sobie
Pace University School of Law
2001
Patricia Countryman, Esq.
Law Guardian, Schenectady County
James S. Hinman, Esq.
Law Guardian, Monroe County
Jayne Ann McPartlin, Esq.
Law Guardian, Suffolk County
David I. Waldman, Esq.
Law Guardian, Richmond County
2002
Joan T. Byalin
Counsel to Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein
Hon. Edward O. Spain
Associate Justice, Appellate Division, Third Department
2003 Founder’s Award
Hon. Howard A. Levine
(Retired) Associate Judge, New York State Court of Appeals and
Senior Counsel to Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP
2003
Hon. Joan O. Cooney
Supervising Judge of the Family Courts, Ninth Judicial District
Gary S. Solomon, Esq.
Director, Legal Support for the Juvenile Rights Division, The Legal Aid Society
2004
John E. Carter, Jr., Esq.
Director of the Law Guardian Program, Appellate Division, Third Department
Hon. Elizabeth W. Pine
Associate Justice, Appellate Division, Fourth Department
2005
Hon. Eugene F. Pigott, Jr.
New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division Fourth Department
Janet R. Fink, Esq.
Deputy Counsel, New York State Unified Court System
2005
Special Recognition Award
William J. Carroll, Esq.
(Retired) Executive Director, New York State Bar Association
2006
Hon. Joseph M. Lauria
Administrative Judge
New York City Family Court
Hon. Sharon S. Townsend
Administrative Judge
Eighth Judicial District
2007
Sarah H. Ramsey, Esq.
Professor of Law, Syracuse University College of Law
Director of the Family Law and Social Policy Center
Mishi Faruqee
Director, Juvenile Justice Project
Correctional Association New York
2008
Margaret A. Burt, Esq.
Attorney at Law
Professor Jane M. Spinak
Columbia University School of Law
2008
Honorable Judith S. Kaye (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Chief Judge of the State of New York
Kathryn Grant Madigan, Esq. (Special Recognition Award)
President of the New York State Bar Association
2009
Commissioner Gladys Carrión
New York State Office of Children and Family Services
Karen J. Freedman, Esq.
Executive Director, Lawyers for Children, Inc.
2010
Senator Velmanette Montgomery
New York State Senate – 18th Senate District
George E. Reed, Jr., Esq.
Attorney, White Plains
2011
Hon. Jonathan Lippman
Chief Judge, New York State Court of Appeals
Stephanie J. Gendell, Esq.
Associate Executive Director, Citizen’s Committee for Children of New York, Inc.
2012
Hon. Judith S. Claire
Chautauqua County Family Court, Mayville, NY
Tamara A. Steckler, Esq.
Attorney-in-Charge, Juvenile Rights Practice, The Legal Aid Society, New York
2013
Harriet R. Weinberger, Esq.
Director of the Attorneys for Children Program, Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department
Glenn R. Metsch-Ampel, Esq.
Deputy Executive Director, Lawyers for Children
2014
Hon. Monica Drinane
Supervising Judge, Bronx County Family Court, City of New York
Hon. Vincent J. Reilly, Jr.
New York State Supreme Court, Fourth Judicial District, Schenectady County
2015
Hon. Edwina G. Mendelson
Administrative Judge, New York City Family Court
Jacquelyn D. Greene, Esq.
Sr. Project Associate, National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice
Former Executive Director of the Governor’s Commission on Youth, Public Safety and Justice
Special Recognition Award
Hon. Jonathan Lippman
Chief Judge, New York Court of Appeals
2016
James J. LeCain
College Program Director, Brookwood Secure Center
Kathleen R. DeCataldo, Esq.
Executive Director, New York State Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children
2017
Hon. Karen K. Peters
Presiding Justice, Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department, Albany, NY
Theodor S. Liebmann, Esq.
Professor, Hofstra Law School, Hempstead, NY
2018
Hon. Kathie E. Davidson
Administrative Judge, Ninth Judicial District, White Plains
Betsy R. Ruslander, Esq.
Director, Office of Attorneys for Children, Third Judicial Department, Albany
2019
Hon. Jeanette Ruiz
Administrative Judge, New York City Family Court, New York, NY
Tracy M. Hamilton, Esq.
Director, Office of Attorneys for Children, Fourth Judicial Department, Rochester, NY
Angela O. Burton, Esq. (Special Recognition Award)
Director of Quality Enhancement, Parent Representation, New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services, Albany, NY
2020
Professor Melissa L. Breger
Albany Law School
Professor Randy Hertz
New York University School of Law
Special Recognition Award
Professor Merril Sobie
Pace University School of Law
2021 Award Winners
Karen Crandall, Esq.
Crandall is in private practice and has been an attorney for children for more than 20 years. She was cited as an example for all attorneys for children on how to represent child-clients. Her nominators noted her ability to examine witnesses and improve the lives of her clients.
Hon. Mark Meddaugh | Sullivan County Family Court Judge
Meddaugh has dedicated his entire career to Family Court, first in private practice and then as a judge. He also is an acting justice of the Sullivan County Supreme Court in the Third Judicial District of New York. He is chair of the Advisory Committee for the Office of Attorneys for Children, Appellate Division, Third Department.
2022 Award Winners
Douglas Broda, Esq.
Attorney for the Children, Rensselaer County, Troy, New York
Hon. Elizabeth A. Garry
Presiding Justice, Appellate Division, Third Department, Albany, New York
2023 Award Winners
Professor Martin Guggenheim
New York University School of Law
Michele A. Brown
Former Chief Attorney at the Children’s Legal Center in Buffalo, NY