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Ground Breaking for Nation's 1st Judicial
Institute
White Plains, N.Y. Governor
George E. Pataki and Chief Judge Judith S.
Kaye today joined with state and local officials in a groundbreaking
ceremony for the Judicial
Institute—the first judicial training and research facility in the
nation built by and for a state court system. The Institute will be
housed at the Pace Law School campus, where it will have complete
access to the University’s faculty, students and library and benefit
from the synergy of this unique partnership between the New York
courts and academia.
Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye stated,
“The Judiciary has a responsibility to stay abreast of pressing
societal issues, such as domestic violence, drug addiction, juvenile
crime and environmental abuses, and actively consider whether the
courts are meeting the needs of the public. In this regard, the
Judicial Institute will be a valuable resource to the court system,
providing a venue for research and development regarding justice
issues, as well as serving as a hub for judicial scholarship. It is
the first center in the nation to be devoted exclusively to judicial
training and research at the state level and, as such, epitomizes the
commitment to innovation and progress for which New York’s courts
have become known. I thank the Governor and the Legislature for
supporting the creation of this pioneering Institute, which will
surely raise the bar of excellence for the state’s judiciary.”
Governor Pataki said, “I’m proud
and honored to stand today with men and women who have a vision of
justice and how it can be accomplished in our legal system. Our laws
are only as good as the people who oversee them, and this Judicial
Institute—the first ever—will ensure that we have the finest
judiciary and court system possible. I thank Judges Kaye and Lippman
for their hard work to make this Institute a reality.” The Judicial
Institute will provide a forum for:
- Identification of new and emerging legal, technological, social,
criminal and administrative trends affecting the courts
- Continuing education through courses, seminars and conferences
- Advanced study of how interdisciplinary influences, such as
technology, medicine, ethics and the social sciences, affect the
law and the judicial process
- Participation in cooperative education programs involving other
branches of government, as well as other state and federal
judicial systems
Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman said, “With the
establishment of the Judicial Institute, New York will be at the
forefront of judicial education and training nationally. The
Institute, which is a cooperative effort of the Judiciary, the
Governor, the Legislature and Pace University, will provide a
permanent, year-round facility for the court system’s judicial
education programs, and its affiliation with Pace University School of
Law will infuse it with the energy inherent in an environment of
higher learning. I am delighted to participate in today’s
ground-breaking ceremony, which marks the beginning of construction
for this innovative new Institute.”
Pace University President David Caputo said, “Pace University Law
School is uniquely positioned to support and enhance judicial
education in New York State. In partnership with the Judicial
Institute, Pace Law School provides five valuable resources:
innovative education techniques, faculty expertise, student talent,
research and, technological innovation. In addition, Pace Law School
and the Judicial Institute will benefit from the input and resources
of Pace University including: the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences;
Lubin School of Business; School of Computer Science and Information
Systems; School of Education and the Lienhard School of Nursing.”
The Judicial Institute will be governed by a Board of Trustees,
consisting of judges, legislators, law professors and practicing
attorneys. It will be operated by court personnel, and the court
system will reimburse Pace for expenses related to maintenance of the
physical plant. Construction costs for the three-story facility are
estimated at $15 million, which will be provided through the Court
Facility Incentive Aid Fund. The State Dormitory Authority has issued
bonds to finance the construction, with the Institute’s opening
slated for 2002.
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