NEWS RELEASE
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Lorri Montgomery, Director of Communications
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Chief Judge of New York Inducted Into Warren E. Burger Society
of the National Center for State Courts
Williamsburg, VA (March 1, 2006) – Judith S. Kaye, Chief Judge of the State of New York, was inducted into the National Center for State Courts’ Warren E. Burger Society Feb. 28. The Burger Society honors individuals who have demonstrated the highest commitment to improving the administration of justice through extraordinary contributions of service and support to the National Center for State Courts (NCSC).
Chief Judge Kaye was inducted into the Burger Society by Chief Justice of Indiana, Randall T. Shepard, who is the Chair of the NCSC Board of Directors and President of the Conference of Chief Justices, and Mary Campbell McQueen, President of the NCSC. The ceremony took place as part of the 12th annual Justice William Brennan Jr. Lecture at New York University School of Law.
“It’s a special moment for the National Center for State Courts to be able to honor someone who has dedicated so much time and leadership to improving justice in the state courts,” McQueen said. “Chief Judge Kaye has made a significant difference in courts in New York and around the country through her leadership and her innovative, problem-solving approach to justice.” McQueen described Kaye’s approach as people-oriented, creating more successful outcomes and improving the public’s trust and confidence in the courts. “Her knowledge and experience are invaluable to the National Center,” McQueen said.
Chief Judge Kaye’s commitment to the NCSC is long-standing— and has long been recognized. During her service as Chair of the NCSC Board of Directors, and President of the Conference of Chief Justices, she was a tireless leader on behalf of the state courts and introduced a variety of high-profile reform initiatives. Chief Judge Kaye took the lead in launching the National Program to Increase Citizen Participation in Jury Service Through Jury Innovations, a national program to improve the conditions of jury service both inside and outside of the courtroom. Most recently, she has been instrumental in a national effort to improve court outcomes for abused and neglected children. Justice for Children – Changing Lives by Changing Systems, calls for judicial leadership in helping to reform the foster care system.
In 1999, Chief Judge Kaye was named the recipient of the NCSC’s William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence, which recognizes judges who demonstrate the highest quality of integrity, fairness, open-mindedness, knowledge of the law, professional ethics, creativity, sound judgment, and intellectual courage. It’s the highest award NCSC presents to a sitting state court judge.
Burger Society inductees are selected by a committee chaired by Texas attorney Charles Noteboom who commissioned the original portrait of Chief Justice Burger, which hangs in NCSC’s headquarters. Each society member receives a limited edition print of the portrait, which is signed and numbered by the artist.
The NCSC, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., is a non-profit court reform 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 National Center 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 National Center include judicial selection reform and strengthening court safety and security.
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National Center for State Courts, 300 Newport Avenue, Williamsburg, VA 23185-4147