Brooklyn Housing Court bar holds annual luncheon

May 13, 2013 By Charisma L. Miller, Esq. Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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While other counties may not have such celebratory gatherings, the Kings County Housing Court Bar Association held its annual luncheon Monday at Brooklyn Law School’s Forchelli Conference Center at 205 State St. Surrounded by magnificent views of Brooklyn and Manhattan, the judges, lawyers, and personnel who work and practice in Housing Court celebrated the hard work and dedication of their colleagues.

“No other county does anything like this,” said Michael Rosenthal, KCHCBA president, referring to the way in which Brooklyn notably stands apart from other housing court associations. “It is very easy to forget that while we all have roles to play in the [court] system, we have personal lives.”

This year’s luncheon honored the efforts of five individuals who have dedicated much of their career to Brooklyn’s Housing Court. “I have seen Kim Moser go from court attorney to become a judge,” Rosenthal said as he presented Housing Court Judge Kimberly Moser with an awards plaque.

“[Kim’s] is one of those people who you knew was fit for the bench,” Rosenthal said. “If I was that good. I would be impressed with myself,” Moser said as she accepted her award. “I am humbled and honored.”

Longtime court clerk Deborah Giddens is the “model of what a court clerk should be,” Rosenthal stated. Having spent over 20 years working in the court system, an “overwhelmed” Giddens just wanted to say “thank you.”

Court attorney Charles Liu “takes the time to hear what people are saying and not just the words that come out of their mouths,” Rosenthal said as Liu approached the podium to accept his award. “We are just doing our jobs,” said Liu. “But it is good to be recognized.”

“We call him the expeditor,” Rosenthal said as he described the next award recipient Kenneth Burger. “Being the expeditor is not an easy job. Parties are agitated and the expeditor has to keep order. Ken does it without losing his cool. He runs Part X like a machine.”

In a brief acceptance speech, Burger noted, “I am a public servant by career and I work to serve the best way I can.”

The final award recipient was court interpreter Serge Bastien. While Bastien is the first court interpreter to receive an award from the KCHCBA, Rosenthal noted that “all interpreters provide an invaluable work to [Housing] Court.” Bastien was unable to attend the event.