Courts and Law

Pro Bono Barrister: Sunshine guest speaker at Columbian Lawyers

February 24, 2014 By Charles F. Otey, Esq. Brooklyn Daily Eagle
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The Kings County Columbian Lawyers Association will gather for their next CLE on Tuesday, March 4, at the Rex Manor with a gourmet sit-down dinner.

The timely topic will be “NY Matrimonial Law 2014–Where Are We Going, Where Have We Been?” The guest speaker will be

Justice Jeffrey S. Sunshine, supervising judge for matrimonial matters, Kings County.

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Leading the Columbians this term is President Robert Musso, supported by First Vice President Bartholomew Russo, Second Vice President Rose Ann C. Branda, Third Vice President Dean Delianites, Treasurer Mark Longo, Secretary Linda Locascio, Recording Secretary Hon. Frank Seddio, Historian George Siracuse, and Msgr. David L. Cassato as chaplain. Court Attorney Lucy Di Salvo is Columbian secretary.


Will Digital World Harm Future of the Trial Bar?

Changes in law-related technology are taking place faster than their impact can be evaluated, but that doesn’t stop some of us for trying to tackle the bewildering challenge, for instance, Prof. Fred Lederer, who offered “Some Thoughts on Technology and the Practice of Law” in an article appearing in “The Bencher” – the magazine of the American Inns of Court.

Lederer acknowledges that “The degree to which young people are addicted to texting is clear, if only from the effort to stop texting while driving.” Yet, he adds, “the social and collateral consequences may be less clear.”

He observes how even cartoonists have savaged the texting set – “They have illustrated how teens standing next to each other text rather than talk, how e-mail is so ‘last generation.’”

Lederer’s piece notes another mind-set change among younger lawyers in that a number of our student “lawyers” were highly annoyed that they were expected to be available to their “clients” by phone!!

“More recently,” wrote the professor,who is Chancellor professor of law at William & Mary Law School, “the Wall Street Journal reported the difficulties faced by some companies whose employees refuse to use the phone, favoring electronic text communications.”

Can a texting revolution be far away? one might ask. Is the day far off when trial lawyers no longer haul in one or more double-sized briefcases loaded with documents, depositions, witness statements, photographs and other exhibits?

Will it ultimately be trial by iPad? Will there still be a place in the courtroom for trial lawyers?

“The trial lawyer will still be essential”, he assures his readers, “but the underlying evidence will become even more important – and it will need to be visually presented. “


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