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REMARKS OF LEWIS TESSER PRESIDENT, NYCLA AT 100th ANNUAL DINNER
REMARKS OF LEWIS TESSER
PRESIDENT, NEW YORK COUNTY LAWYERS’ ASSOCIATION
AT 100th ANNUAL DINNER
Waldorf Astoria
December 17, 2014
THANK YOU, BOB AND THE DINNER COMMITTEE, THANK YOU TO OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOPHIA GIANACOPLOS AND OUR WONDERFUL STAFF,
WELCOME TO OUR MEMBERS, GUESTS, SPEAKERS AND HONOREES.
WE WELCOME THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK‐WHICH IS CELEBRATING ITS 225TH ANIVERSARY.
JUSTICE GINSBURG AND JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR‐ WELCOME, AND BEHALF OF EVERYONE HERE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY.
THIS IS ALSO THE 100TH ANNUAL DINNER OF THE NEW YORK COUNTY LAWYERS’ ASSOCIATION – THE FIRST MAJOR BAR ASSOCIATION IN THE COUNTRY TO ADMIT ALL ATTORNEYS AS MEMBERS WITHOUT REGARD TO GENDER, RELIGION, RACE OR OTHER DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC.
THE FIRST BAR ASSOCIATION TO ISSUE ETHICS OPINIONS—THE FIRST BAR ASSOCIATION WITH A CIVIL RIGHTS COMMITTEE –THE BAR ASSOCIATION THAT WAS THE CATALYST FOR RACIALLY NEUTRAL POLICIES AT THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION.
THE BAR THAT HAS SPEARHEADED EFFORTS REGARDING ACCESS TO JUSTICE, RELIEVING CONGESTION ON COURT DOCKETS, UNIFYING THE CIVIL AND CRIMINAL COURT SYSTEM, PROMOTING JUST COMPENSATION AND MERIT SELECTION FOR JUDGES, IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF DEFENSE AFFORDED TO INDIGENT DEFENDANTS, ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF TREATMENT OF CHILDREN IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND MOST RECENTLY, THE ADEQUATE FUNDING OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
106 YEARS AFTER IT’S FOUNDING, NYCLA CONTINUES TO BE THE OPEN AND INCLUSIVE BAR ASSOCIATION.
IT IS EMBEDDED IN OUR DNA THAT WE ARE ENGAGED IN AN EFFORT TO PROMOTE THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF OUR PROFESSION‐AND TODAY‐ OUR ETHICS INSTITUTE, OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER, OUR OVER 60COMMITTEES ON CIVIL RIGHTS, THE COURTS, AND SUBSTANTIVE AND NOT‐SO‐ SUBSTANTIVE DISCIPLINES. AND OUR MULTITUDE OF INITIATIVES, INCLUDING THE WOUNDED WARRIOR PROGRAM FOR VETERANS SUFFERING FROM PTSD, WE ARE CONSTANTLY STRIVE TO FULFILL THE PROMISE OF OUR IDEALS.
AND . . .
WE’VE GOT A GREAT NEW MEMBERS’ LOUNGE ‐ PLEASE USE IT WHEN YOU’RE DOWNTOWN—IT IS YOURS!!
WHAT IS IT ABOUT NYCLA? TO ME, OUR ASSOCIATION ATTRACTS PEOPLE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PUBLIC INTEREST, JUSTICE AND DUE PROCESS.
AND WE ARE ALSO CENTERED IN NEW YORK— WHICH JUST HAPPENS TO BE THE HOME OF AN ENTITY YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD OF‐‐THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK‐ A BENCH WHICH, BY THE EXAMPLE IT SETS FOR US, DEMANDS EXCELLENCE FROM OUR BAR.
THE NECESSARILY ADVERSARIAL NATURE OF LITIGATION BRINGS TO MIND THE UNNECESARILY CONTENTIOUS ASPECTS OF CURRENT POLITICAL DISCOURSE. THE DIFFICULTY OF PROBLEM SOLVING FROM THE POLES IS THAT IT CREATES ENEMIES INSTEAD OF COLLEAGUES—ALTERNATIVES ARE LOOKED AT AS MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. THE DEBATE BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE RESOLUTION.
THIS SPRING WE WILL HOLD A CONFERENCE TO EMPHASIZE THE ROLE OF THE RULE OF LAW AS A STABILIZING FORCE—LOOKING AT HOW THE LAW BALANCES SUCH PROBLEMS AS OUR NEEDS OF PRIVACY AND SECURITY AND HOW THE JUDICIAL PROCESS NECESSARILY ADDS NUANCE TO A COMPLICATED DISCUSSION.
WHEN WE TOOK THE OATH AS LAWYERS, WE WERE AGREEING TO PLAY OUR PART, TO TAKE THE OAR TO HELP PRESERVE THE ESSENTIAL BALANCE THAT THE LAW PROVIDES.
AND TALK ABOUT TAKING THE OAR‐WE NEED LOOK NO FURTHER THAN OUR OWN CHIEF JUDGE LORETTA PRESKA OF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK.
THE KOSTELANITZ PRESIDENT’S MEDAL IS AWARDED TO A MEMBER WHO HAS DEMONSTRATED THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF DEDICATION AND SERVICE TO THE ASSOCIATION AND THE LEGAL PROFESSION.
CHIEF JUDGE PRESKA HAS BEEN A NYCLA MEMBER FOR‐WELL SHE SAID A HUNDRED YEARS‐ BUT I’M NOT GOING TO CORROBORATE THAT‐ SHE’S BEEN A MEMBER FOR—A LONG TIME.
SHE ALWAYS PARTICIPATES IN OUR LUNCH WITH A JUDGE PROGRAM‐SHE WILLINGLY AND GRACIOUSLY PARTICIPATES IN OUR CLE PROGRAMS, AND, MOST RECENTLY, WAS AN INVALUABLE SPEAKER AT OUR FORUM ON THE JUDICIAL PAY CUTS.
SHE IS WISE, GRACIOUS, GENEROUS AND KIND.
CHIEF JUDGE PRESKA HAS BEEN A DISTRICT JUDGE SINCE 1992 AND CHIEF JUDGE SINCE 2009. A GRADUATE OF FORDHAM LAW WITH AN LLM FROM NYU ‐ NOMINATED TO THE 2ND CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS IN SEPTEMBER, 2008, SHE CURRENTLY SERVES ON THE NEW YORK FEDERAL‐STATE JUDICIAL COUNCIL
‐‐RECIPIENT OF THE LEFKOWITZ PUBLIC SERVICE ALUMNI AWARD FROM FORDHAM LAW, AND DOCTORATE OF HUMANE LETTERS, HONORIS CAUSA, FROM THE COLLEGE OF ST. ROSE, ALBANY, NY,
RECIPIENT OF THE CARROLL AWARD FROM THE CATHOLIC LAWYERS GUILD, AND THE WOMEN IN BUSINESS LAW LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.
IN FACT CHIEF JUDGE PRESKA HAS RECEIVED MORE AWARDS AND HAS SERVED ON MORE IMPORTANT COMMITTEES THAN THERE ARE TABLES HERE IN THIS ROOM.
IT IS MY GREAT PRIVILEGE, ON BEHALF OF NYCLA, TO BESTOW THE 2014 KOSTELANITZ PRESIDENT’S MEDAL TO A TRUE FRIEND OF NYCLA—CHIEF JUDGE LORETTA A. PRESKA.