The William Schonfeld Memorial Award and Lecture: Rethinking Juvenile Justice

Date: May 9, 2012
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

For 50 years, New York’s criminal justice system has treated 16- and 17-year-olds who commit crimes, however minor, as adults. However, recent research into the long-term effects of incarceration on adolescents, along with an evolving understanding of adolescent brain development, has made it clear that this response is neither effective nor just.

This year, New York’s courts are moving forward with changes to the way cases involving 16- and 17-year-olds accused of non-violent crimes are handled. With pilot courts and proposed legislation, New York State will no longer lag behind nearly every other state in the nation, but instead will modernize to better serve its communities and its children. Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman will address the new developments in New York State, along with some of the history behind the current status of the law.

William Schonfeld, MD was the Founding President of the Society for Adolescent Psychiatry, Inc. Dr. Schonfeld was also the first President and a founding member of the American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry. This prestigious award is given to individuals recognized for their outstanding contributions to the well- being of adolescents and to the field of adolescent mental health.

About the Speaker(s)

Jonathan Lippman became Chief Judge of the State of New York and Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals in February 2009. During his tenure on the Court of Appeals, Chief Judge Lippman has authored major decisions addressing constitutional, statutory and common law issues shaping the law of New York State. As the State’s Chief Judge he has championed equal access to justice issues and taken the leadership role in developing a systemic process to fund civil legal services in New York, strengthening the state’s indigent criminal defense system, addressing the systemic causes of wrongful convictions, and reforming New York’s juvenile justice system, among many other areas.

Prior to becoming Chief Judge, he was the Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Department, one of the largest and most influential appellate courts in the country. In that capacity, he dramatically reduced the court’s pending backlogs and served on the Administrative Board of the Courts, the policy and rule-making body of the New York State Court System.

Judge Lippman was the Chief Administrative Judge of all New York State Courts from 1996 to 2007, and played a central role in many far-reaching reforms of the Judiciary and the legal profession. Judge Lippman also served as an elected Justice of the Supreme Court, a Judge of the New York Court of Claims, and Deputy Chief Administrator for Management of the statewide court system. He started his career in the court system more than 40 years ago as an entry-level court attorney.

Judge Lippman is a member of the Board of Directors of the Conference of Chief Justices, and a former President of the Conference of State Court Administrators. In 2008, he received the William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence of the National Center for State Courts. Judge Lippman received his BA in 1965 from New York University and his JD from New York University School of Law in 1968.

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Cost: Free, but advance registration required
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