I am very honored to serve as Presiding Member of the Judicial Section this year, although I am disappointed that all our activities have to be virtual, rather than in person. As judges, we thrive on the collegiality amongst us, as well as the constant interaction we enjoy with the lawyers and litigants, all of which we are missing this year. The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented and unimagined world in which we are all learning many new skills and trying to adapt, and to simultaneously promote the cause of justice which we all serve.

Our Section represents judges from upstate to downstate, federal and state courts, from Supreme and Family Courts to Criminal, Housing and Surrogates Court and Town and Village Justices. As Chief Judge DiFiore has mentioned numerous times in her weekly presentations, the judges, assisted by extraordinarily dedicated chambers and other non-judicial staff, have conducted thousands of virtual conferences, hearings and trials, drafted thousands of decisions, and worked to resolve an enormous number of cases throughout these difficult times.