Virtual Proceedings in the New York State and Federal Courts: Lessons Learned and Next Steps: Roundtable on Best Practices

We hosted a one-year look-back on the dramatic pivot to remote proceedings across the full range of state and federal courts in New York City, as a diverse panel of judges and practitioners address what’s working well and where the challenges persist in virtual trials, appeals, case conferences, and related proceedings in the state and federal courts.  Representatives of the “peoples’ courts” including family, civil, housing, and criminal court, and the complex litigation courts, including the New York Supreme Court’s Commercial Division courts and the federal courts, reviewed lessons learned, best practices, what these courts can learn from each other, and how the conduct of these virtual proceedings can be improved – perhaps even after the pandemic restrictions have ended.

Moderator:
Hon. Elizabeth Stong, US Bankruptcy Court Judge, EDNY

Panelists:
Hon. Shahabuddeen A. Ally, Supervising Judge, New York County Civil Court
Jason Canales, Canales PLLC
Hon. Sarah L. Cave, U.S. Magistrate Judge, SDNY
Hon. Joel M. Cohen, Justice, Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County (Commercial Division)
Elizabeth Donoghue, Himmelstein, McConnell, Gribben, Donoghue and Joseph, LLP
Sara Wagner, Associate Director, Teamsters Local 237 Legal Services Plan
Tuozhi Lorna Zhen, Supervising Attorney, Domestic Violence Unit of New York LAG