Hundreds of Lawyers To Descend on Albany To Tackle Legal Issues Affecting Vulnerable New Yorkers
9.17.2024
More than 500 lawyers from across the state will descend on Albany’s Capital Center for the New York State Bar Association’s two-day biennial Partnership Conference. The event offers more than two dozen programs and panels educating lawyers on issues such as affordable housing, immigration, education reform, consumer bankruptcy and student loan debt.
The event kicks off on Wednesday, Sept. 25, with an address by Chief Judge Rowan Wilson. He will discuss the value of promoting the stories of legal services clients. Increasing staff and funding for civil legal services has been one of the chief judge’s priorities.
“Under the leadership of Chief Judge Wilson, New York is leading the way in supporting legal services for our most vulnerable neighbors,” said New York State Bar Association President Domenick Napoletano. “Our Partnership Conference builds on that effort by educating lawyers on the most important legal issues that impact at-risk New Yorkers.”
Topics to be covered include:
- Racial Disparities in Low Level Traffic Stops.
- Combatting Veteran Homelessness.
- Chronic Health Conditions Among Public Housing Residents.
- Advocacy for Immigrant and Refugee Communities.
- Helping Gender-Based Violence Survivors With Developmental Disabilities.
- Discharging Student Loan Debt in Bankruptcy.
- Expanding Special Education to Age 22.
The theme for the 2024 Partnership Conference is Pearls of Wisdom: 30 Years of Partnership Past Present and Future; it will be held from Sept. 25 through Sept. 26 at the Capital Center in Albany. You can see a full rundown of the event here.
Journalists and photographers are invited to attend. Please contact Jennifer Andrus at [email protected] to be placed on the media list.
The Partnership Conference also recognizes attorneys, staff members and organizations for outstanding work in the field of civil legal services.
The Denison Ray Award honors exceptional work by lawyers and organizations. It is named in memory of the former executive director of the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York. The Phil Dailey Award recognizes the vital services paralegals and other staff members provide in ensuring access to justice. It is named in memory of Dailey who was a paralegal at Legal Assistance of Western N.Y.
“As a result of the work of our award winners, thousands of people were represented by lawyers who would not have been otherwise,” said New York State Bar Association President Domenick Napoletano. “It is a privilege to recognize their hard work and dedication. They embody the very best of our profession.”
Recipients of this year’s Denison Ray awards are:
Kaitlyn Lauber, staff attorney at the Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project. She serves domestic abuse survivors and other crime victims across Western New York.
Mark H. Wattenberg, supervising attorney, Legal Assistance of Western New York. For nearly 50 years, Wattenberg has worked in Western New York and the Southern Tier helping residents with issues from disaster relief to housing, foreclosure defense and bankruptcy.
Kristin Brown, president and CEO of the Empire Justice Center. Over the last 18 years, Brown has built the Empire Justice Center’s policy and government relations practice building a strong coalition of civil legal aid and non-profit agencies.
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley is honored for providing counsel in civil matters to vulnerable people and its efforts to dismantle systemic oppression. Legal Services of the Hudson Valley handled 12,000 cases impacting 27,000 households last year.
The Phil Dailey Award honors James M. Denson, a staff paralegal with Long Island Legal Services. Denson has more than 25 years of experience helping physically and mentally impaired clients prepare for Social Security hearings. He is recognized for his exceptional work in preparing pre-hearing writing arguments for federal court.
The Partnership Conference is sponsored by the NYSBA Committee on Legal Aid, President’s Committee on Access to Justice, Young Lawyers Section, 50+ Section, General Practice Section and the Committee on Continuing Legal Education.
