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REALIZING THE DREAM: EQUALITY FOR ALL
LAW DAY 2013
A supplement to THE DAILY RECORD
2 M a y 1 , 2 0 1 3 L a w D a y • T h e D a i l y R e c o r d
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THE DAILY RECORDW E S T E R N N E W YO R K ’ S S O U R C E F O R L AW, R E A L E S TAT E , F I N A N C E A N D G E N E R A L I N T E L L I G E N C E S I N C E 1 9 0 8
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IndexLaw Day 2013 Introduction 3Adolph J. Rodenbeck Award 4Humanitarian Award 5Outstanding Jurist Award 6James R. Boyle Award 7William E. McKnight Award 9
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3L a w D a y • T h e D a i l y R e c o r d M a y 1 , 2 0 1 3
The next step in achieving diversity inthe legal profession is to focus on inclu-sion, according to author Vernā Myers, anationally recognized expert on diversityand inclusion within law firms, law de-partments and law schools.
“We went from removing barriers andopening doors and allowed people intoour professions,” she said. “The next stepthat is required is to involve people insuch a way that the organizations will re-ally change and support the success ofthem at the highest levels.”
Myers is the keynote speaker for theLaw Day luncheon May 1 at theRochester Riverside Convention Center.Her appearance is sponsored by theMonroe County Bar Association,Rochester Black Bar Association and theGreater Rochester Association for WomenAttorneys.
Myers will address “Realizing theDream: Equality for All,” the national LawDay theme set by the American Bar As-sociation.
Her presentation will draw from hernew book, “Moving Diversity Forward:How to go from Well-Meaning to Well-Doing,” published by the ABA.
“We are not short on good will, but we
are lacking in many ways the type of un-derstanding and skills to create the type ofjust world and profession we believe in andwant to live in,” said Myers, principal of Bal-timore-based Vernā Myers ConsultingGroup LLC, which works to make diversitya lasting reality and creative force in lead-ing law firms and related organizations.
The Law Day theme this year recog-nizes the 50th anniversary of Dr. MartinLuther King Jr.’s call for ending racism inhis famous “I Have a Dream” speech fromthe steps of the Lincoln Memorial inWashington, D.C.
Myers said shortly before that, Kingwrote “an incredibly pointed letter” fromhis Birmingham Ala., jail cell to the reli-gious community, asking what it wouldtake for them to be part of a movement forjustice. In it, as noted on the ABA Law Daywebsite, King wrote that “Injustice Any-where is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Myers said since then, there has been alot of legislation, including the Civil Rightsand Voting Rights acts, that have benefit-ted historically marginalized groups.
“King really taught us a lot about notusing someone’s identity against them,”she said. “The next step is to use people’sculture and experience and perspectivesin furtherance of our organization in soci-ety. I’ve been saying more recently we’vegotten as far as we can with the color blind
strategy. Now, we need to be color consci-entious if we are going to see many dis-parities disappear and how people of colorare doing in comparison to white peers.
“I think that people have been taughtin order to be good, they have to ignorerace, but if people are being treated dif-ferently and not as well, because of theirrace, you can see how ignoring it is notgoing to make it better,” Myers said, not-ing when people are color blind, that, insome ways, is an excuse not to be proac-
tive in improving a situation.She said diversity is not just about eth-
nicity, but includes gender, sexual orienta-tion, disability, education, socio-economicstatus and immigration status.
For instance, she said, if managers donot realize women are underrepresentedin their companies, it is going to be reallyhard to make women on par with every-one else.
Myers said one of the biggest roadblocks
Law Day 2013:Rochester welcomes national diversity speaker for Law Day
See LAW DAY page 9
By DENISE M. CHAMPAGNE
Daily Record Reporter
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4 M a y 1 , 2 0 1 3 L a w D a y • T h e D a i l y R e c o r d
C. Bruce Lawrence believes in giv-ing back to the community. AndRochester has been the beneficiaryof his commitment to both the legalprofession and the community atlarge, even though he did not growup here.
As head of Boylan Code LLP’sCreditor’s Rights Practice Group,Lawrence practices debtor/creditorlaw, bank and commercial collec-tions, business loan workouts andcommercial bankruptcy. His pro bonoservices were recognized in 1990with the Rochester Volunteer LegalServices Project’s McKnight Awardfor Outstanding Pro Bono Serviceand in 2005 by the New York StateBar Association President’s Pro BonoService Award.
Now, he can add the 2013 AdolphJ. Rodenbeck Award, given in honorof his exemplary professionalism andcommunity service.
The early yearsLawrence arrived at the University
of Rochester in 1962 as a pre-medstudent, coming of age thinking ofcareers along the lines of scientificadvancement. Maternal relatives inthe health care field also helped himlean in that direction.
“It was very competitive,”
Lawrence said, “and I was much bet-ter in the psychology courses with mystrength in reading comprehension.”
By the time he completed hisbachelor’s degree in psychology atthe University of Rochester in 1966,Lawrence was enrolled in DickinsonCollege (now known as Penn StateLaw). At that point, he still envisionedmaking Pennsylvania his home sincehe had extended family in the Pitts-burgh area. Lawrence spent much ofhis youth in Wilmington, Del., wherehis father worked for the DuPont Co.But he knew his parents wouldn’tstay in Wilmington forever.
As law school graduation ap-proached, Lawrence realized he wasmore comfortable in Rochester, sohe chose Rochester to start his legalcareer. And that was 44 years agothis May.
“I applied for staff attorney atMCLAC,” Lawrence recalled. “I didn’tget it.”
Lawrence did get an opportunityto cut his teeth on commercial lawunder the guidance of Burns, Suter &Doyle. By 1994, that firm had becomeLawrence, Werner, Kesselring,Swartout & Brown LLP, whereLawrence served as managing part-ner. In 2000, the firm merged withBoylan Brown.
And, right from the start, he wasinterested in getting involved in thecommunity.
Community outreachLawrence was active in the Demo-
cratic Party and ran for county legis-lature. His defeat did not dissuadehim from actively supporting hisparty, and he served as campaigntreasurer for U.S. Rep. LouiseSlaughter from 1987-1994.
Finger Lakes Health SystemsAgency was another commitmentthat was on his calendar for nearlytwo decades. He served as vice-chairof the agency from 1996-2000 andspeaks fondly of his years involvedwith the agency and colleague ReneReixach.
His long list of legal community
commitments range from VLSP boardto current president-elect of the Foun-dation of the Monroe County Bar.Lawrence acknowledged retiredMCBA Executive Director Beth Keigheras a key influence in his early commit-ment to the local bar association.
Lawrence was MCBA president in1994-1995, and served as a trustee onthe MCBA board for several years inthe 1980s and 1990s. He sat on thefoundation board for most of the 1990s,and rejoined the foundation in 2010.
With his extensive background inbankruptcy, Lawrence has taken onVLSP clients and mentored other at-torneys in bankruptcy law, student
Adolph J. Rodenbeck Award:Giving back the norm for C. Bruce Lawrence of Boylan Code LLP
See LAWRENCE page 9
By NORA A. JONES
Special to The Daily Record
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Humanitarian Award:Retired Judge Patricia Marks honored by bar foundation
Retired Monroe County CourtJudge Patricia D. Marks has experi-enced her own ups and downs, butfeels lucky to have often found her-self in the right place at the righttime. Consider law school, where shemet her late husband, Jeffrey Marks— also an attorney.
“I was dating his roommate,”Judge Marks explained, “who flunkedout.”
She and her husband fell in love,married and moved to his hometown.
“I’m originally from Poughkeepsieand my husband was from[Rochester],” Judge Marks said. “Ijokingly say that getting married andmoving to where my husband livedwas the last traditional thing I did.”
Once here, Judge Marks’ careertook its own fortuitous twists andturns. With a bachelor’s in politicalscience from Vassar College and alaw degree from Albany Law Schoolat Union University, Judge Marksjoined the Monroe County Depart-ment of Social Services, as a legal as-sistant, expecting to focus on familylaw and poverty law.
“But, then, I had the opportunity tobe [an assistant] district attorney,which probably was the furthestthing from my mind,” she said.
Judge Marks, who transferred overto the Monroe County District Attor-ney’s Office in 1976 and founded thatoffice’s Economic Crime Bureau, said
that despite sometimes having tofight to be heard or work throughmisperceptions about women inpower, many men encouraged heralong the way.
“I was very lucky that my husband[was supportive]; my career path wasmy career path and there was neveran [issue],” she said.
District Attorney Larry Larry T. Kur-lander (1975-1981) was instrumentalin helping her get a foothold and de-velop unpopular but critical areas offocus: rape, violence against womenand child abuse. District AttorneysDonald O. Chesworth (1981-1983)and Howard R. Relin (1983-2004)also urged her to pursue issueswhich were new to the legal land-scape.
“My training, from the get go, wasreally progressive and [led to] growthfor me,” Judge Marks said.
The more she stretched, the moreher knowledge base and professionalnetworks grew. This allowed her tocreate comprehensive plans and behighly effective. So much so thatDonald O. Chesworth of Harris,Chesworth, O’Brien, Johnstone &Welch LLP suggested she run forMonroe County Court judge.
“Democratic judges just didn’t getelected back then,” she explained ofthe political climate. “But I won thefirst time I ran and was nominated in1984. Of course, a lot of attentionwas focused on the upstate womanjudge — and I had the audacity to getpregnant while I was on the bench.”
That would have been with Jeremy,now 31. She and Jeffrey have a sec-ond son, Bryan, 25.
Before stepping down from thebench in January 2011, Judge Markspresided over the Drug, MentalHealth and Veteran Treatment courtswhich she helped initiate and imple-ment. Nearly 30 of her decisions havebeen published in New York state’sofficial reports and her judicial in-sights have appeared in publicationsas diverse as the New York State BarAssociation Journal, PsychiatricQuarterly and Law and Popular Cul-ture: Text, Notes and Questions.
Accolades include being namedWoman of the Year by the RochesterArea Women’s Political Caucus in1984 and receiving a 1988 MCBA
President’s Award, a 1994 RetiredDetectives of the RPD DistinguishedCitizen Award and a 2002 RochesterPolice Rosewood Club DistinguishedService Award. She was named2002’s Citizen of the Year by the Ital-ian American Law Enforcement Or-ganization and won an IWCC, orItalian Women’s Civic Club, award in2005.
In 2009, Judge Marks was nameda Leader in Law by The Daily Record.That same year she received aThomas Richards Award and a Viet-nam Veterans (Chapter 20) Commu-nity Service Award. She earned anNYSBA Award for Excellence in Pub-lic Service in 2010, a Contribution toJustice Award from RIT in 2011 and
By CHRISTINE ADAMO
Special to The Daily Record
See MARKS page 11
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© 2012 Boylan Code LLP
145 Culver Road Sui te 100Rochester, New York14620
To learn more about Boylan Code, please visit www.boylancode.com in [email protected] .232 .5300
6 M a y 1 , 2 0 1 3 L a w D a y • T h e D a i l y R e c o r d
Outstanding Jurist Award:Justice Francis Affronti a strong contributor to the bench
Among the things state SupremeCourt Justice Francis A. Affronticounts as a highlight of his long legalcareer is being selected to receivethe Monroe County Bar Association’s2013 Outstanding Jurist Award.
“I’m proud of reaching the point inmy profession and career leading tothe culmination of being recognizedby members of the Monroe CountyBar Association for whatever I havebeen able to contribute to the pro-fession,” he said. “I’m so proud of thefact that I’ve been selected to what Ibelieve to be the most satisfying pro-fession I ever dreamed of. I think youcan make a difference in this profes-sion.”
He heard he had been selected forthe award in a phone call from MCBAPresident Connie O. Walker, whom hesaid told him she thought she wouldput a smile on his face.
“I was overwhelmed and I told herI’m not usually at a loss for words,”Justice Affronti recalled. “Knowingthat it’s coming from your own col-leagues — attorneys and judges —that makes it all the more gratifyingand satisfying.”
Walker said Justice Affronti is aperfect choice for the OutstandingJurist Award.
“He has the ultimate respect forpeople and his deep regard and re-
spect and understanding for the lawis outstanding,” she said. “He issomeone who is extremely collegialand excellence is clearly the standardby which he undertakes anything andit drives him to give his very besteach and every day.”
MCBA Executive Director Mary C.Loewenguth called Justice Affronti arespected and very humble jurist whois actively engaged in the activities ofthe bar association.
Justice Affronti is also active inmany other community groups, par-ticularly those related to his Italianheritage and law enforcement, thelatter being a throwback to his earlydays as a prosecutor and defenderwhen he began building relationshipswith police officers and law enforce-ment organizations.
Justice Affronti is an honorarymember of the Rochester Police Lo-cust Club and its Rosewood Club. Heis also active in the Italian CivicLeague, Sons of Italy and the Italian-American Law Enforcement Officersof Greater Rochester, all of whichhave honored him with their mostprestigious awards.
“I’ve always been active in thepublic,” he said. “I think it’s essential.I believe it’s also important as anelected official to engage in thosecommunity activities.”
Justice Affronti, a 1963 graduateof St. John Fisher College, attendedthe University of San FranciscoSchool of Law, but never graduated.
His dream of becoming a lawyer wassidetracked by family health issuesand he initially started a career in theinsurance business.
While in law school, he becameengaged to Heather Burnett, a nativeof Rochester who now works forRE/MAX Realty Group. Justice Af-fronti credits his achievements to thesupport of his wife of nearly 50 years.
He said she encouraged him toquit his insurance job and pursue alaw career so, in 1968, he clerkedwith attorney James Philippone, who
certified him to take the bar exami-nation.
“I’m extremely thankful and appre-ciative for the many opportunities I’vebeen given,” Justice Affronti said.“Just having the pleasure to havedaily contact with so many outstand-ing and talented colleagues and ad-ministrative people makes mydecisions and willingness to continueto serve so much more essential.”
He began his legal career as anassistant district attorney in 1970,
See AFFRONTI page 11
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Daily Record Reporter
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Matthew J. Fero admits he has a fewtricks up his sleeve when it comes tobuilding a rapport with some of hisclients.
For one, he’ll take a piece of paper andcrumple it into a ball. Then toss it backand forth with them.
Pretty soon, the children lose theirnervousness over meeting with a lawyer.At worst, he helps them forget for just abit about their uncertain futures –whether it’s their role in a divorce pro-ceeding and custody battle, a case ofneglect, or worse – he helps themthrough a difficult time in their lives.
A game of catch with a wad of papereases a worried mind, and subtly helps achild feel comfortable with him and gaina voice as Fero works to make a differ-ence in their lives, he said.
“I love it,” Fero said. “It’s always thebest part of my day. I feel like I’m helping,and it’s pretty rewarding. It’s like I’m noteven working.”
Fero will receive the James R. BoyleAward for Child Advocacy, which is pre-sented annually to individuals and organ-izations that advocate for and protect therights of youths in the Rochester area.The award is named after James R. Boyle,who was the county’s first law guardian, aposition now referred to as attorney forthe child.
“I am surprised and humbled I waschosen,” Fero said. “I don’t think my work
is any better than the other law guardiansand attorneys who do the work.”
Fero, who concentrates on family law,is a partner in the Rochester firm of Fero& Ingersoll LLP where his father, Dean J.Fero, is senior partner. The younger Ferois a member of the Monroe County BarAssociation and its Family Law Section.He also serves as board member of CourtAppointed Special Advocates for chil-dren, or CASA.
Matthew Fero joined the firm aftergraduating from Suffolk University of Lawin Boston in 2003, but not before settingout on his own for a time.
Although his dad was an attorney, andFero interned at his firm while attendingBrighton High School, he landed a job infinance after a few of his college buddiesheaded for Boston.
Soon enough, he realized he wantedmore out of life and headed for home.
“I knew my dad would give me a job,so I came home,” Fero said, laughing. “Itis a great honor to work with Dad.”
Fero, who lives today in Brighton andfor a time lived in Brighton, Mass., soldhis future wife, Avery, on Rochester –“Jedi mind-tricked her,” he said – andtoday, they have two children, Jack, 3, andLilly, 10 weeks.
Fero, who played collegiate lacrosse inhis undergrad days at St. Lawrence Uni-versity, still plays in a men’s box lacrosseleague. A board member of Ducks Un-limited, he also enjoys hunting, fishingand playing tennis. All of that, however,comes after work and family, he said.
Being a parent helps both with the
children he represents, but also thegrown-ups he represents as part of hispractice, he said.
“It gives me a perspective on the day-to-day issues that affect my clients,” Ferosaid. “I’m a firm believer in ‘tough love’with my clients. Step up and do what youshould be doing. You have to be ac-countable for some things.”
Stephen R. Weisbeck, director of the
juvenile justice division of The Legal AidSociety of Rochester, said Fero is an ex-cellent attorney, both in Family Court liti-gation and his role as advocate forchildren through his work as an attorneyfor the child.
“He also has taken numerous probono cases and done an outstanding jobon those cases,” Weisbeck said.
7L a w D a y • T h e D a i l y R e c o r d M a y 1 , 2 0 1 3
See FERO page 11
James R. Boyle Award:Matthew Fero recognized for child advocacy
By MIKE MURPHY
Daily Record Reporter
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9L a w D a y • T h e D a i l y R e c o r d M a y 1 , 2 0 1 3
An attorney active in non-parentcustody cases, a labor litigator will-ing to take the plunge into family lawand a longtime member of the orga-nization’s pro bono panel have beennamed as the winners of VolunteerLegal Services Project’s 2013 WilliamE. McKnight Volunteer ServiceAwards.
VLSP created the award to com-memorate the memory of Bill McK-night, a dedicated pro bono attorneyand the first African-American part-ner with Nixon Hargrave, now NixonPeabody LLP. A 1973 graduate ofCornell Law School, McKnight wasactive with the VLSP board when hedied at age 36 in 1985.
This year’s McKnight Award win-ners are Michael Schnittman, KarenSmith Callanan and Steve Carling.
Schnittman, a retired partner fromLacy Katzen LLP, has been a memberof the VLSP board of directors since1990 and its pro bono panel for overa decade. He also serves the organi-zation through the New York StateBar Association Attorney EmeritusProgram.
Over the years, he has assistedmore than 125 low income clients
and dedicated over 100 hours of probono time for VLSP. He has also vol-
unteered forVLSP Debt Col-lection AdviceClinics, and mostrecently has rep-resented clientsstruggling withforeclosure is-sues.
Among theseare two recentcases to whichhe has dedicated
over 30 hours of his time. One of thecases has concluded with a loanmodification that will allow the clientto keep her home.
“I felt the organization was able toaccomplish something a lot of otherlegal services can’t and that is get-ting members of the bar involved inpro bono work,” Schnittman said onwhy he has been so involved throughthe years. What the organizationdoes provides real benefit to bothparties, he added. Clients get accessto high quality legal representation,which is something they truly appre-ciate, and lawyers get a prime op-portunity to fulfill their pro bonoduties and help the public,Schnittman said.
Despite a busy schedule as a solepractitioner, Smith Callanan has beenactive with VLSP for many years.Since 2003, she has taken on 19 probono cases, focusing on family courtcustody and visi-tation issues andalso handling nu-merous divorcescases involvingdomestic vio-lence. Thirteen ofthe cases havebeen resolvedand she is cur-rently working onthe remainingones.
The VLSP se-lection committee cited SmithCallanan’s particular willingness totake on non-parent custody cases,despite the much higher legal stan-dards this entails.
Though the idea of managing probono clients in addition to one’s reg-ular workload may sound imposing,Smith Callanan insists that is doablewith a bit of planning and knowledgeof the legal venue you are workingin. The reality of family court, for ex-ample, is that three different casescan be scheduled for the same timebut actually be heard at different
ones, she said. Knowing the ebb andflow of the court you are working incan make things much easier, sheadded.
Carling, an associate at Underberg& Kessler LLP, has been an active vol-unteer with VLSP since 2002, whenhe was a summer associate at NixonPeabody. VLSP’s selection committeepraised Carling’s willingness to helpout at the last minute and under un-expected circumstances as well ashis willingness to take the time to lis-ten to each individual’s story. All told,Carling has devoted roughly 200
hours of time toVLSP clinics andcases. Thoughlabor employ-ment and litiga-tion is hisprimary area offocus for Under-berg Kessler, hehas carved out aniche for himselfat VLSP’s FamilyLaw Custody
Clinic in addition to others. “I just really liked what they were
doing,” Carling said. “[There is] justa real, immediate return.”
That, he added, is not a feeling youget every day.
William E. McKnight Award:VLSP highlights three attorneys for pro bono work
By ERIC WALTER
Special to The Daily Record
CALLANAN
CARLING
SCHNITTMAN
to diversity has been “implicit bias or un-conscious bias,” especially with race andgender. She said people know everyonedeserves to be treated with dignity, butoften act on implicit unacknowledged bi-ases for certain groups and against others.
She said a lot of times, it is the small-est thing such as when a black man goesinto court and the bailiff and judge showhim where the defendant’s box is, eventhough he is wearing a suit and carryinga brief case because he is an attorney.
“Why is he a defendant?” she asked.“Why is that the first place he goes? Allof us are rapidly sorting, however wehave sort of a corrupted meter inside ofus that is influenced by old ideas.”
Another example she used is a woman
walking into a boardroom to lead a con-ference and people assuming she is thestenographer. Myers said women are notconsidered for promotions a lot of timesbecause they are not seen as leaders;there is a descriptive bias in which leader-ship is defined in a very male sort of way.
“We will be asking people to not denybias, but to accept it as something that weall have and then to go looking for andthen countering it,” Myers said, encourag-ing managers to focus on job related ques-tions and be curious about people who arenot like them, so they remember to not justhire someone who is just like themselves.
“All of us have a lot of work to do to beaware of other people’s cultures and to ap-preciate them,” she said. “I think there are
opportunities all around us every day in re-gard to relationships and bigger things.”
She said people should ask themselveswhat they can do, suggesting they join theirfirm’s diversity committee or get involvedwith a church program promoting diversity.
Myers said there are so many reasonsto promote diversity and inclusion.
“One is that people don’t have the besttalent if they don’t have a way of attract-ing and developing people from all differ-ent backgrounds,” she said. “You justdon’t want to be hampered in that way.”
She said there is more creativity, pro-ductivity and better problem solving andthat a firm will not be as good if it is elim-inating an entire segment of the popula-tion, something she said firms are alsobeginning to realize concern their clients.
Myers, who presents more than 100speeches a year, was invited to Rochesterby MCBA President Connie O. Walker andExecutive Director Mary C. Loewenguth,
whom she met last summer when shespoke at the National Association of BarExecutives’ annual meeting in Chicago.
Myers is working on a second book,“What If I Say the Wrong Thing?: 25 Habitsfor Culturally Effective People,” due out thissummer, which she said offers “the to-dos” for people who want to be engaged.
Prior to establishing VMCG, Myerswas the first executive director of TheBoston Law Firm Group, a consortium offirms committed to increasing racial andethnic diversity. She served as deputychief of staff for the Massachusetts attor-ney general where she executed a com-prehensive diversity and inclusioninitiative; and also practiced corporateand real estate law for six years at twoBoston firms.
Myers is a graduate of Harvard LawSchool and received a bachelor of Arts,magna cum laude, from Barnard College,Columbia University.
Law Day 2013n LAW DAY from page 3
loan discharges and similar matters.He’s been a frequent presenter forthe VLSP Debt Clinic, in addition tohis perennial support of the Cam-paign for Justice.
In 2010, Lawrence was named toChief Judge Jonathan Lippman’sTask Force on Civil Legal Funding.That dovetailed nicely with much ofhis service with the New York StateBar Association, as an officer andcommittee leader. He continues tobe active on the NYSBA Access toJustice Committee, is a House of
Delegate representative for the Sev-enth Judicial District, and is on thenominating committee.
Outside the officeLawrence and his wife, Sue, have
two dogs – Bella, a black lab, andNell, a yellow lab – that share theirBristol Hills getaway.
He was also a dog obedience in-structor for the 4H of MonroeCounty, working with 10-12 year-olds. He keeps a thank you notefrom a grateful student as proof that
he was good at it, he said.Lawrence met his wife at the Uni-
versity of Rochester when they hadthe same group of friends. Suetaught history at Monroe HighSchool in her early career, and re-tired as the regional director of NYSEconomic Development for the Fin-ger Lakes.
They love to travel, and have tripsto Italy and Alaska booked in thecoming months. They have visitednumerous U.S. national parks andmade many trips abroad.
On some of these trips,Lawrence has taken specific pho-tography courses, combining hispassion for travel with his passionfor photography.
“I literally got the chance to walkand photograph in the footsteps ofAnsel Adams twice in YosemitePark,” he shared.
Cooking is another passion. Withhis focus on Italian dishes in recentyears, Lawrence admits their up-coming trip to Italy ties nicely to hisinterest in Italian cooking. Fresh in-gredients are the key, he said.
Lawrence also shared his interestin biographies — particularly ofTeddy Roosevelt — and socialthemes related to Darwinism. Hementioned “To Kill A Mockingbird”as an influential book.
“It’s an idealized image of what alawyer should be,” Lawrence said.
Rodenbeck Awardn LAWRENCE from page 4
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DATE AMOUNT 1/10/11 3,250,000 1/25/11 1,310,000 2/4/11 2,150,000 2/14/11 2,500,000 2/24/11 8,250,000 2/28/11 6,850,000 3/2/11 1,310,000 3/2/11 3,000,000 3/3/11 2,500,000 3/7/11 8,250,000 3/8/11 6,750,000 3/10/11 1,225,000 3/16/11 2,250,000 3/18/11 1,475,000 3/22/11 1,700,000 3/28/11 1,800,000 3/28/11 2,000,000 3/31/11 6,750,000 4/7/11 11,800,000 4/8/11 1,200,000 4/20/11 1,100,000 4/27/11 1,000,000 4/27/11 2,700,000 4/28/11 1,200,000 4/28/11 3,100,000 5/5/11 2,700,000 5/9/11 1,515,000 5/11/11 8,500,000 5/16/11 2,450,000 5/24/11 1,100,000 6/8/11 3,250,000 6/9/11 1,200,000 6/10/11 2,400,000 6/10/11 3,000,000 6/15/11 2,400,000 6/17/11 1,200,000 6/17/11 1,200,000 6/17/11 1,500,000 6/21/11 8,500,000 6/21/11 2,200,000 6/23/11 6,000,000 6/27/11 1,000,000 7/6/11 2,180,000 7/15/11 1,500,000 7/19/11 1,750,000 7/20/11 3,500,000 7/21/11 1,000,000 7/22/11 1,100,000 7/25/11 1,150,000 7/27/11 1,750,000 7/27/11 4,250,000 7/27/11 2,700,000 7/28/11 3,000,000 8/9/11 6,000,000 8/9/11 1,490,000 8/12/11 1,000,000 8/19/11 2,500,000 8/24/11 1,000,000 8/25/11 4,100,000 8/25/11 3,000,000
DATE AMOUNT 8/29/11 3,500,000 8/31/11 1,750,000 9/1/11 3,000,000 9/7/11 1,500,000 9/8/11 2,350,000 9/9/11 1,000,000 9/15/11 2,100,000 9/20/11 2,500,000 9/20/11 2,50,000 9/20/11 1,000,000 9/21/11 3,000,000 9/23/11 1,500,000 9/27/11 1,700,000 9/27/11 2,500,000 9/28/11 3,900,000 9/28/11 3,500,000 9/29/11 1,500,000 9/30/11 3,000,000 9/30/11 2,400,000 10/5/11 2,250,000 10/6/11 1,700,000 10/10/11 3,000,000 10/10/11 1,220,000 10/12/11 2,500,000 10/14/11 1,200,000 10/17/11 1,50,000 10/18/11 3,900,000 10/26/11 1,300,000 10/27/11 5,000,000 10/27/11 2,347,500 11/2/11 4,000,000 11/3/11 1,400,000 11/10/11 1,100,000 11/14/11 1,000,000 11/17/11 1,400,000 11/21/11 3,375,000 11/21/11 1,200,000 12/5/11 3,150,000 12/6/11 1,900,000 12/12/11 3,150,000 12/15/11 1,000,000 12/21/11 1,120,000 12/21/11 1,250,000 12/21/11 1,400,000 1/3/12 3,000,000 1/4/12 2,000,000 1/4/12 1,400,000 1/4/12 5,800,000 1/6/12 1,200,000 1/10/12 1,200,000 1/11/12 3,900,000 1/12/12 2,000,000 1/13/12 1,200,000 1/13/12 1,950,000 1/19/12 5,700,000 1/25/12 1,800,000 2/1/12 17,900,000 2/1/12 1,800,000 2/7/12 2,900,000 2/08/12 3,000,000
DATE AMOUNT 2/8/12 2,950,000 2/13/12 1,25,000 2/13/12 2,750,000 2/13/12 2,715,000 2/15/12 1,400,000 2/21/12 5,700,000 2/21/12 4,150,000 2/22/12 3,250,000 2/23/12 1,500,000 2/24/12 1,500,000 2/27/12 1,800,000 2/28/12 3,750,000 3/2/12 2,100,000 3/5/12 1,000,000 3/14/12 1,800,000 3/15/12 1,750,000 3/20/12 5,500,000 3/20/12 3,300,000 3/26/12 1,300,000 3/27/12 2,500,000 3/30/12 2,700,000 4/3/12 2,250,000 4/3/12 1,500,000 4/4/12 4,150,000 4/5/12 15,550,000 4/9/12 2,950,000 4/12/12 1,500,000 4/16/12 3,400,000 4/16/12 3,300,000 4/19/12 15,550,000 4/25/12 3,000,000 4/26/12 2,250,000 4/30/12 3,300,000 5/4/12 11,000,000 5/4/12 1,75,000 5/4/12 4,400,000 5/7/12 1,800,000 5/10/12 2,700,000 5/10/12 1,000,000 5/10/12 1,300,000 5/11/12 1,250,000 5/15/12 4,250,000 5/16/12 4,250,000 5/17/12 4,250,000 5/21/12 1,500,000 5/22/12 1,850,000 5/24/12 1,350,000 5/31/12 2,500,000 5/31/12 2,500,000 5/31/12 2,250,000 6/1/12 1,50,000 6/6/12 1,000,000 6/8/12 1,750,000 6/8/12 1,450,000 6/14/12 3,250,000 6/15/12 2,700,000 6/15/12 1,800,000 6/19/12 1,200,000 6/20/12 11,000,000 6/21/12 1,200,000
DATE AMOUNT 6/21/12 1,200,000 6/22/12 3,300,000 6/25/12 4,700,000 6/26/12 3,750,000 6/26/12 1,111,111 6/26/12 1,300,000 6/26/12 2,850,000 6/29/12 1,25,000 7/2/12 11,500,000 7/6/12 1,250,000 7/11/12 5,900,000 7/11/12 1,850,000 7/12/12 1,200,000 7/12/12 1,229,000 7/13/12 1,100,000 7/16/12 1,250,000 7/16/12 2,350,000 7/16/12 5,900,000 7/17/12 4,000,000 7/19/12 2,800,000 7/24/12 2,350,000 8/2/12 2,000,000 8/2/12 2,800,000 8/2/12 2,500,000 8/6/12 1,950,000 8/6/12 1,700,000 8/7/12 1,229,000 8/9/12 2,000,000 8/10/12 2,250,000 8/13/12 1,000,000 8/14/12 1,700,000 8/15/12 1,350,000 8/16/12 1,150,000 8/17/12 2,000,000 8/21/12 1,300,000 8/22/12 3,750,000 8/23/12 3,000,000 8/29/12 5,000,000 9/5/12 1,425,000 9/7/12 1,700,000 9/7/12 3,000,000 9/10/12 4,000,000 9/11/12 2,000,000 9/11/12 1,500,000 9/11/12 1,500,000 9/12/12 2,500,000 9/12/12 1,750,000 9/14/12 2,933,333 9/18/12 3,000,000 9/21/12 1,500,000 9/24/12 1,350,000 9/28/12 11,500,000 10/1/12 1,725,000 10/1/12 3,000,000 10/1/12 2,800,000 10/1/12 2,925,000 10/2/12 12,000,000 10/3/12 4,700,000 10/8/12 1,350,000 10/9/12 1,700,000
DATE AMOUNT 10/10/12 2,850,000 10/11/12 1,750,000 10/11/12 3,000,000 10/12/12 1,300,000 10/19/12 3,000,000 10/22/12 3,000,000 10/23/12 1,200,000 10/23/12 2,850,000 10/23/12 3,400,000 10/25/12 1,550,000 10/26/12 1,950,000 10/26/12 1,000,000 10/31/12 1,350,000 11/6/12 5,350,000 11/6/12 1,650,000 11/6/12 1,300,000 11/9/12 1,000,000 11/13/12 1,950,000 11/14/12 4,700,000 11/15/12 2,925,000 11/15/12 1,492,500 11/16/12 1,50,000 11/16/12 3,000,000 11/19/12 5,350,000 11/19/12 1,975,000 11/19/12 1,492,500 11/27/12 2,800,000 11/29/12 1,700,000 12/3/12 2,000,000 12/6/12 1,650,000 12/10/12 1,650,000 12/13/12 2,900,000 12/13/12 2,900,000 12/17/12 9,500,000 12/17/12 2,750,000 12/18/12 2,800,000 12/27/12 3,000,000 1/3/13 2,400,000 1/3/13 1,750,000 1/8/13 1,300,000 1/8/13 1,500,000 1/9/13 1,900,000 1/14/13 1,000,000 1/16/13 5,600,000 1/16/13 2,500,000 1/31/13 1,50,000 2/6/13 2,600,000 2/7/13 3,000,000 2/7/13 1,900,000 2/7/13 7,000,000 2/11/13 1,300,000 2/13/13 2,30,000 2/15/13 2,800,000 2/15/13 2,110,000 2/26/13 7,000,000 3/4/13 1,300,000 3/6/13 1,400,000 3/6/13 2,800,000 3/11/13 2,000,000 3/11/13 3,500,000
11L a w D a y • T h e D a i l y R e c o r d M a y 1 , 2 0 1 3
One of the biggest complaints Feroheard when entering the field of mat-rimonial law was that many of thecases seem to have no closure anddrag out for years. The sex abuse andneglect cases involving children he’sseen are “heart-breaking.”
But, he said, the work gets a badrap.
Fero enjoys catching up with former
clients, to see how they’re doing. Onegirl he helped came from circumstances“worse than terrible” and is now ex-celling academically in school. The workmakes him grateful for what he has.
“I look at it a different way,” Ferosaid. “I look at it as establishing rela-tionships with people at their worst,and providing a service when they re-ally need it.”
while maintaining a part-time privatepractice doing mainly real estate,negligence and matrimonial work. Heleft the district attorney’s office in1976 to devote full time to his privatepractice which is when he startedcriminal defense work.
In 1980, Justice Affronti and threepartners founded their own firm: Af-fronti, Jesserer, Andolina & Lamb,which he left in 1984 after beingelected to Family Court.
When Family Court Judge DonaldJ. Corbett Jr., now deceased, left hispost to become a Court of Claimsjudge, Justice Affronti jumped at theopportunity, not knowing if and whenanother would arise.
Between 1978 and 1983, he servedas part-time confidential law clerk tothe Hon. Raymond Cornelius, a Mon-roe County Family Court judge at thetime who is now with the Rochesterfirm McConville Considine Cooman &Morin PC.
Justice Affronti was elected to stateSupreme Court in 1989 and re-elected
in 2003. At 71, he has passed themandatory retirement age of 70 and isworking under his first two-year certi-fication. More recently, in October,Justice Affronti was appointed bystate Chief Administrative Judge A.Gail Prudenti as acting supervisingjudge of the eight-county Seventh Ju-dicial District’s criminal courts.
“I’ve always thought that being amember of the bench was the high-light or pinnacle of the profession,”he said. “I think it’s something manystrive for. I personally believe it ful-filled my legal career. I think I bring acommitment and a dedication to theposition, a deep and strong desire topromote the profession and to pro-mote the judiciary. “
Justice Affronti said he’s proud ofthe fact he has been able to make adifference in the lives of people whohave appeared before him, particu-larly when he served on the MonroeCounty Family Court bench from1983-88.
He still hears from parents, foster
children and Persons in Need of Su-pervision who are now adults whoselives have been impacted for thebetter.
“The adoptions are probably themost fulfilling,” Justice Affronti said.“I’ve had people tell me they wereadopted and tell me the successesthey’ve made in their lives. Those arethings I certainly will always cherishand remember.”
As recently as last year, he said, acouple whose adoption papers hesigned for their daughter asked himto perform her wedding ceremony.
Justice Affronti also hears fromconvicted felons, telling him how hisdecisions helped put them on theroad to making a new life for them-selves; that their sentences allowedthem to consider their past criminalconduct and resolve the problemsthat led them to crime.
Justice Affronti said he grew upwith a strong and solid work ethic,attending high school at theAquinas Institute of Rochesterwhere his mother would not let himparticipate in its boxing program.Not to be up against the ropes, helater trained young boxers andfound glory when his three sons be-came champions of the Aquinas
mission bout boxing program. His efforts were rewarded in 2003
when he received the AppreciationAward from the Rochester BoxingHall of Fame.
His son Francis C. Affronti is apartner with Barney & Affronti LLP;Daniel of Rhode Island works for theAltria Group; and Andrew for FrontierCommunications in Rochester. TheAffrontis’ youngest child, Leslie Af-fronti, is a deputy county attorney inthe Monroe County Law Department,married to Matthew Iacchetta.
The Affrontis also have ninegrandchildren.
Justice Affronti has been anMCBA member since 1970 and is amember of the New York StateSupreme Court Justices Association,Greater Rochester Association forWomen Attorneys and the St. JohnFisher College Justinian Order.
“In short, Justice Affronti is astrong contributor to the bench, barand community,” Supreme Court Jus-tice Evelyn Frazee wrote in support ofhis nomination by GRAWA for theOutstanding Jurist Award. “He is anupstanding and outstanding personwho is earnest, reliable and gener-ous.”
an M. Delores Denman Award fromthe Greater Rochester Associationfor Women Attorneys in 2011.
And now she is being recognizedwith the Monroe County Bar Founda-tion’s Humanitarian Award for herdedication to providing legal servicesto all, and for making the judicialsystem responsive and improving de-livery of service.
GRAWA President Kimberly F.
Duguay said that while working andin retirement Judge Marks has servedas an example to others by support-ing legal education; making the legalcommunity more responsive to thepublic interest; promoting programsfor the underserved; improving theadministration of justice; and helpingeducate the public about the law.
“She is also recognized, nationally,for her innovativeness and has been
asked to present at state and na-tional conferences,” Duguay added,“putting Rochester’s legal communityon the map.”
Robert D. Janson, chairman of theboard for the Veterans OutreachCenter — of which Judge Marks,whose husband was a medic in Viet-nam and whose father was a POW inGermany, served as interim CEO andpresident in 2012 — said JudgeMarks’ efforts continue to be note-worthy.
“The results of [her] efforts areseen every day in the people whohave been before her in the most dif-ficult of circumstances and have
come away with their dignity, self es-teem and life opportunities en-hanced,” Janson said.
“Not many people can say thatthey have had a direct impact on im-proving the lives of so many individ-uals,” Janson added. “That is the truedefinition of a humanitarian. JudgePatricia Marks meets that definitionabsolutely.”
She continues her service, as anemeritus attorney with VolunteerLegal Services Project and a consult-ant on legal and treatment court is-sues on behalf of the Veterans Courtand others.
Humanitarian Awardn MARKS from page 5
Outstanding Jurist Awardn AFFRONTI from page 6
Boyle Awardn FERO from page 7
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Dr. Donald E. Bain and the Justinian Order of St. John Fisher College
cordially invite members of the Judiciary, the Bar,
Government, Law Enforcement, and the Business Sector to:
The 12th Annual Civic Luncheon
Thursday, May 23, 2013 12:00 p.m.
Rochester Plaza Hotel 70 State Street, Rochester, NY
Guest Speaker:
The Honorable Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
Tickets: $25 per person
To RSVP: Call (585) 385-7322 or email [email protected]
by May 16, 2013.