Historical Society of the New York Courts

The society's most significant activities in the calendar year 2024 were performed in a hybrid fashion, incorporating both pre- and post-covid-19 practices of in-person and remote activities. Staff worked together both in person at the office and through remote access, and programs were held using both methods. There was continued expansion to obtain and operate new technology hardware and software and to develop new skills to adapt to this new environment. Administration responsibilities including staff, board, and committee meetings were held substantially in a hybrid fashion. The society held its annual gala in 2024. The event is the society's most significant fundraiser of the year. The society received $504,700 in total contributions, with $373,700 paid in 2023 for the 2024 event. Grants in 2024: the society did not receive substantial grant funding in 2024, though it did disburse grant funding from prior years, as described below. - commercial division film fund: $60,000 was raised to support the creation of a new commercial division film that features new interviews with judges and attorneys as well as updates in the industry. $40,000 was spent to create the new film. Donations & transfers: significant donations included: - the society received a donation of 250 Apple stocks, which were sold for $63,297. $45,000 was allocated to the society's aspen institute fund, to be used to pay for two fellows in 2025. - in honor of one of the society's long-serving trustees, $7,100 was donated in his memory. Disbursement of grant and donation proceeds: the following expenditures of grant proceeds were made in 2024. The society worked to implement the provisions of the various grants and to report to grantors: - william nelson cromwell foundation grant: $867 for purchasing copies the eight to gift to members. This grant has also been used for publication expenses as well as outreach for the book and developing book talks. - first department representation of justice fund: $42,500. These funds were raised in 2023 for the appellate division, first department to contextualize its existing artwork in the courthouse, as well as add additional pieces that better represent the diversity of judges, attorneys, and court users, whether by gender, race, or other demographic, and highlight the inclusivity of justice today. In 2024, the society disbursed $14,600 for this program: $100 for cash prizes for a student art competition and $14,500 to replace the name "taney" from the courtroom's dome with "motley" to promote constance baker motley's tireless civil rights work and relocate roger b. Taney's nameplate due to his majority decision in dred scott v. Sandford. The following is our most significant programming during 2024: (a) educational programs open to the public on topics of nys legal history were conducted in a variety of formats - by webinars for online programming, in-person, and hybrid offering both choices. Below is a list of public programs: - in-person: young lawyers committee welcome celebration | february 20, 2024 - hybrid: judicial independence: the Israeli experience | march 4, 2024 - hybrid: celebrating emeline, the heroine of the lemmon slave case: a high-water mark for the New York Courts | may 21, 2024 - hybrid: hon. Norman goodman lecture ny county courthouse wpa murals: who created them and what do they represent? | june 25, 2024 - hybrid: the evolution of the u.s. Constitution: a constitution day look back and forward | september 17, 2024 - hybrid: a conversation on constitutionalism and the rule of law with two presiding justices | october 23, 2024 (b) podcasts & videocasts in 2024 in 2024, the society continued its two series chatting with the authors of judicial notice and wrecking ball: tales of preservation, the law, and the places that new yorkers love. - podcast episode #21: recovering justice cardozo (chatting with the authors). Two articles in judicial notice 18 feature benjamin n. Cardozo. This episode explores the lesser-known stories of cardozo's life, emphasizing his sense of humor and writing style. - podcast episode #22: about the high line (wrecking ball). This podcast explores the intersection of historic preservation, the law, and New York that is the high line, offering a crash course in American railroading, government regulation, and urban rebirth. - podcast episode #23: murder at madison square garden (chatting with the authors). This episode traces the case of harry thaw's murder of stanford white as a complement to the article on the same subject that appears in judicial notice 18. - podcast episode #24: the gap in bilingual education, the impact of aspira v. Boe, and how the landmark mendez case inspired it all. This podcast, in collaboration with the court system's amici podcast, describes a case that ended school segregation in California, setting the state for future civil rights victories, and explores the differences between bilingual education and english as a second language (esl). - podcast episode #25: empire state plaza: albany's modern monolith (wrecking ball). This episode describes how the empire state plaza came to be and what its legacy is today. (c) student initiatives in 2024, the society continued its resident education fellowship. The fellow has been charged with developing collaborations inside and outside of the court system as well as developing relationships with educators. The fellow arranged opportunities for judges and attorneys to visit schools and discuss their career paths. A stipend of $27,800 was granted for this fellowship. The term was originally one-year, but due to staffing changes, the resident education fellow was hired as a full-time staffer. The society also continued to award students in a law day art contest, developed in partnership with the unified court system. The society awarded $1,000 total in three top prizes for students. (d) publications - the society published and distributed to its members the 2024 annual calendar. The topic for the 2024 calendar is New York Courts of yesteryear: how we began and where we are. - the society also published 60 centre street: a look back, with some ruminations about the future. This article explores the history of the iconic courthouse, from its creation to today. (e) oral history project the society is engaged in an ongoing project to record the oral histories of prominent retired judges and other legal luminaries of nys to preserve the record of their experiences and accomplishments as part of nys legal history. In 2024, the society continued the process of making available existing interview footage as well as filmed a new interview in which New York attorneys robert s. Dean and lynn fahey were interviewed by david l. Goodwin. A transcript from the interview is currently in production. (f) communications strategy fellow in 2024, the society continued its part-time communications fellowship that has expanded the society's digital communications on social media and the website as well as develop new networks to expand the society's reach and plan podcasts. A stipend of $20,000 was granted for a year-long fellowship.