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Kings County Housing Court Bar Association selects six to honor at annual luncheon

January 16, 2018 By Rob Abruzzese, Legal Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Pictured from left: Jim Kasdon, John Cannavo, Rigoberto Martinez, Hal Rose, Vicki Gail Price, Teddy Weiss, David Troupp, Shorab Ibrahim, Michael Rosenthal, Alan Redner and Vijay Kitson. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese
Pictured from left: Jim Kasdon, John Cannavo, Rigoberto Martinez, Hal Rose, Vicki Gail Price, Teddy Weiss, David Troupp, Shorab Ibrahim, Michael Rosenthal, Alan Redner and Vijay Kitson. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese
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The Kings County Housing Court Bar Association (KCHCBA) discussed the need for its annual luncheon and settled on a slate of honorees during its most recent monthly meeting at Rocco’s Tacos in Downtown Brooklyn on Thursday.

This year’s slate will include five honorees, including KCHCBA President Michael Rosenthal, who has led the organization for 17 years. The other honorees include Judge Jean Schneider, court clerk Tanya Faye, late Court Officer Lt. Ben Fitzgerald and court attorney Heela Capell.

Rosenthal told the Brooklyn Eagle that the group actually considered not having its annual luncheon this year, but explained that its members insisted on continuing the tradition.

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“I wasn’t sure if there would be a desire to continue the luncheon, but when we brought it up at the meeting there was an overwhelming desire to keep it going,” Rosenthal said. “It promotes the organization. It’s a fairly unique opportunity for attorneys from both sides of the bar, and the judges, to come together. There aren’t a lot of these opportunities.”

When discussing the honorees, many members of the organization suggested that this would be a good time to honor Rosenthal, who is the fourth president in KCHCBA’s history. Rosenthal doesn’t plan on stepping away from the bar association anytime soon, but his career recently transitioned from being a daily court practitioner to an office supervisor at his firm Hertz, Cherson & Rosenthal, P.C., so many of the members felt the timing was right to honor their leader.

“I was surprised,” Rosenthal admitted. “I’m gratified, but I’m surprised because I don’t expect to step away for several more years, but the members felt like the timing was right. It’s an honor.”

Of the other honorees, Rosenthal said that KCHCBA looks for people who are good at their jobs and treat everyone fairly.

“We look for people who help make the courthouse a better place to practice, who treat people fairly but don’t necessarily overstep their position and become advocates,” Rosenthal said. “We look for people who are considerate of our time and don’t make us wait needlessly. There are some parts where you sit for hours on end, they know you’re there and they don’t call you so we want to recognize good work when we see it.”

The official date for the luncheon has yet to be announced, but it is expected to be held sometime in the spring, likely in May or June.

The next KCHCBA meeting will be pushed back one week to Feb. 8, 2018. The reason is because the Brooklyn Civil Court is hosting a continuing legal education seminar on diversity that was scheduled for the same time so the bar association pushed its meeting back one week to accommodate its members that want to attend the training.

 


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