Four Esteemed and Pioneering Members of the Bench To Receive Judicial Section Awards at the New York State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting
1.14.2025
Four distinguished members of New York’s judiciary will be honored at a luncheon at the New York Hilton Midtown on Friday, Jan. 19, during the New York State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting.
The association’s Judicial Section will recognize New York’s Chief Judge Rowan Wilson and Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas with its Distinguished Jurist Award.
Presiding Justice Dianne Renwick, Appellate Division, First Department, and Justice James Hyer, New York State Supreme Court, Westchester County, will receive the Advancement of Judicial Diversity Award.
“Chief Judge Rowan Wilson has proven to be a thoughtful, conscientious, and collaborative leader who focuses on communication and an exchange of ideas. He leads with compassion and always prioritizes the best interests of the people of New York. We look forward to continuing to grow our relationship with him,” said Domenick Napoletano, president of the New York State Bar Association.
Wilson, a previous winner of the association’s prestigious Stanley H. Fuld Award, became New York State’s first Black chief judge in the court’s 176-year history in 2023. He had been an associate judge of the Court of Appeals since 2017. Before that, he was a litigation partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore for nearly 30 years, where his caseload included antitrust, intellectual property, securities fraud, civil rights, and complex commercial cases.
Judge Zayas, who will also receive the Betty Friedlander Award from the association’s Trial Lawyers Section during Annual Meeting, was appointed by Chief Judge Wilson to be New York’s first-ever Latino chief administrative judge, the highest-ranking administrative judge in the court system. Judge Zayas oversees the day-to-day administration and operation of the statewide court system, including 3,300 state and local judges and 15,000 non-judicial employees in over 300 locations across the state.
Justice Renwick is the first woman of color to be appointed as presiding justice of any Appellate Division in the state, and only the second woman to lead the First Department since its creation in 1894. She serves on the Board of Trustees of the Historical Society of the New York Courts, the Practicing Law Institute, and the New York State Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children. Justice Renwick began her legal career representing indigent criminal defendants as a staff attorney for the Bronx office of the Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Division.
Justice Hyer previously presided over civil discrimination complaints as an administrative law judge for the Westchester County Human Rights Commission. He is a past president of the Westchester County Bar Association, a past member of the New York State Bar Association House of Delegates and a former partner at Bashian & Farber.
“These four distinguished individuals are trailblazers who are solely dedicated to ensuring that all New Yorkers are treated equally and with compassion. They exemplify how those with varying backgrounds and life experiences help instill greater trust in the judicial system because all people should feel confident that their ideas and beliefs matter,” Napoletano said.
The Judicial Section, the New York State Bar Association’s oldest section, is celebrating its centennial at Annual Meeting. The section laid the groundwork as an early voice for public outreach, developed speakers’ bureaus to educate the public about the judicial system, and advocated for a code of judicial conduct and continuing education for judges.
Honoring attorneys who render extraordinary service to the public and the profession is part of NYSBA’s Annual Meeting tradition. This year’s event promises to be dynamic and informative, featuring a wide range of sessions and activities tailored to the diverse interests and needs of lawyers practicing in New York. Annual Meeting starts today and goes to Jan. 17 at the New York Hilton Midtown.
Highlights of Annual Meeting include the Presidential Gala, where retired Associate Justice Stephen Breyer of the Supreme Court of the United States will receive the association’s most prestigious award, the Gold Medal. The gala is on Thursday, Jan. 16, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., at The Plaza Hotel. Justice Breyer will speak about his career, judicial philosophy and his recent book during a fireside chat at the gala.
The Presidential Summit, the marquee event of the New York State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting, is on Wednesday, Jan. 15, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The summit, entitled “Securing Justice: Addressing Sexual Violence and the Weaponization of Individuals and Groups During Conflicts and Wars,” will focus on justice for the victims of wartime human trafficking and sexual violence.
Distinguished guests include Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, international human rights law expert and founder and chair of the Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children; Susana SáCouto, director of the War Crimes Research Office of the American University Washington College of Law; and Abid Shamdeen, advocate for Yazidi genocide survivors and co-founder of Nadia’s Initiative. Susan Harper, treasurer of the New York State Bar Association, will moderate the discussion.
In addition, former Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court Bridget McCormack and Jennifer Leonard, legal tech expert and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, will present on the impact AI has had on the legal profession, and how lawyers are navigating changing regulations related to privacy and data security.
Each year, more than 120 different panels and social events make up the New York State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting and some 4,000 lawyers participate. For more information on NYSBA’s Annual Meeting, click here. Media are invited to attend programs, but please notify Susan DeSantis at [email protected] or 201-575-5756.
