New York State Judicial Institute

With a few of my judicial colleagues at the NYS Judicial Institute for the graduation ceremony of the NY Legal Education Opportunity ("LEO") Program Fellows held on July 1, 2026. Best wishes to these outstanding Fellows as they get ready to enter law school next month!

This month, we had the honor of hosting the Second Annual Second Chance Summit in partnership with T.R.U.C.3., Inc. and Mount Vernon SNUG of Family Services of Westchester. The Summit brought together individuals with lived experience, community leaders, and members of the legal community for a powerful and transformative discussion on second chances, rehabilitation, and breaking cycles. Through thoughtful dialogue, the program explored early system involvement, diversion, accountability, reentry, and the critical role of community-based solutions in shaping better outcomes for our youth. We are deeply grateful to all of our presenters for sharing their insights and experiences. Their contributions made the program both meaningful and impactful, and will continue to inform this important work. We also extend our sincere thanks to the City of Mount Vernon and Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard for helping to frame the day with impactful opening remarks and for their continued commitment to advancing these efforts. We are especially appreciative to Hon. Angel Cruz for delivering a moving keynote address that thoughtfully set the stage for the panel discussions that followed. Programs like this reaffirm the importance of collaboration, perspective, and intentional decision-making in creating pathways forward.

⏳ Don’t wait—limited spots available! 📄 Request an application here: https://lnkd.in/eUHP5pXQ

The New York State Judicial Institute was honored to present the 2026 New Judges Seminar, welcoming more than 80 newly appointed judges from across New York State to the bench. The Seminar consisted of five days of in-person training at the Judicial Institute, followed by three days of virtual programming. It began with warm welcomes and words of encouragement from court leadership and continued with thoughtful, engaging programming led by distinguished judicial and legal leaders. We are proud to officially welcome these new judges to the bench and look forward to supporting them as they begin this important chapter of service. As always, we remain excited about the future of the Judiciary. Photos by Curtis Means for OCA

Congratulations to Brenneis Nesbitt for organizing “Voices of Justice,” a special event at the New York State Judicial Institute yesterday that showcased the perspectives of formerly incarcerated law students. I was honored to participate as a panelist discussing alternatives to incarceration and gratified to see state leaders, including Andrea Stewart-Cousins, lending their voice and support. Our justice system needs leaders like Brenneis Nesbitt—who is formerly incarcerated and a staffer at our Brooklyn Justice Initiatives. Having people who have been incarcerated join the bar and shape the future of justice is essential in order to have a system that is fair, humane, and effective.

On November 19, we had the honor of collaborating with Brenneis Nesbitt and CUNY School of Law’s Formerly Incarcerated Law Students’ Advocacy Association (FILSAA) to present: Voices for Justice: Perspectives from Formerly Incarcerated Law Students and the Juvenile and Criminal Justice System. This program highlighted the importance of the Second Look Act as discussed during the program by Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson, Senate Majority Leader Hon. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Member Hon. Latrice Walker. The day began with welcoming remarks from Dean Hon. Kathie E. Davidson and a framing conversation, where Brenneis shared his own experience and FILSAA’s work. The program highlighted leaders in the field of progressive prosecution and alternatives to incarceration, detention, and placement and featured the voices and stories of formerly incarcerated law students, attorneys, and judges. Many thanks to all of our panelists and those who attended the presentation both in-person and virtually! 

Congratulations to Brenneis Nesbitt for organizing “Voices of Justice,” a special event at the New York State Judicial Institute yesterday that showcased the perspectives of formerly incarcerated law students. I was honored to participate as a panelist discussing alternatives to incarceration and gratified to see state leaders, including Andrea Stewart-Cousins, lending their voice and support. Our justice system needs leaders like Brenneis Nesbitt—who is formerly incarcerated and a staffer at our Brooklyn Justice Initiatives. Having people who have been incarcerated join the bar and shape the future of justice is essential in order to have a system that is fair, humane, and effective.

📢 Apply Now to Join the NY LEO Faculty! We’re recruiting TAs (rising 2Ls, 3Ls & 4Ls encouraged to apply) and Program Assistants (open to undergraduates). Apply by December 8th for priority consideration! 👉 Teaching Assistant https://lnkd.in/e42gBa_B 👉 Program Assistant https://lnkd.in/eVJE5QT6