NEWS RELEASE
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Lorri Montgomery, Communications Manager
The National Center for State Courts
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Chief Administrative Judge of New York Courts Named Vice-Chair of National Court Reform Organization and President of National Court Association
Williamsburg, Va. (August 8, 2005) – Chief Administrative Judge of New York Courts, Jonathan Lippman, has been named vice-chair of the Board of Directors of the National Center for State Courts (NCSC). At the same time, Lippman also was named president of the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA), a national organization that represents the top judicial officers of the 50 states and U.S. territories, and of which the National Center serves as executive staff. Both positions are one-year terms. The appointments were made during the National Center’s Board meeting and COSCA’s annual meeting, July 31 – August 3 in Charleston, South Carolina.
“We are honored that Judge Lippman has moved into a leadership role with the National Center and in the nation’s court community,” said Mary McQueen, president of the National Center. “He’s an outstanding leader and positive force, and his knowledge and experience are invaluable to the National Center.”.
In January, 1996, Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye appointed Judge Lippman as Chief Administrative Judge of all New York State courts. In that capacity, he oversees the administration and operation of the statewide court system with a $2.1 billion budget, 3,600 state and locally paid judges and 15,000 non-judicial employees in over 300 locations around the state. Judge Lippman is Chair of the New York State Court Facilities Capital Review Board, and serves on the New York State Probation Commission.
Judge Lippman’s leadership and resourcefulness in keeping the courts open and functioning in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks has become the starting point for court-related emergency preparedness efforts around the country. In September 2002, the NCSC and New York hosted the Nine/Eleven Summit, which was attended by hundreds of court leaders from around the country.
The NCSC, headquartered in Williamsburg, VA, is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. The NCSC, founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, provides education, training, and technology, management, and research services to the nation’s state courts. The NCSC also is taking the lead on several key issues facing the justice system. For example, it has established a major civil justice initiative, a multi-year project that is examining best practices in civil case management and how complex litigation procedures can be improved. Other national initiatives being driven by the NCSC include judicial selection reform and increasing citizen participation in jury service.
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