New York’s top judges on Monday heard from legal industry leaders as well as legal services attorneys and clients during a four-hour public hearing on access to justice and the new challenges brought by the pandemic.

Chief Judge Janet DiFiore Chief Judge Janet DiFiore

The hearing was held in a hybrid format, with Chief Judge Janet DiFiore noting that her in-person appearance at the New York State Court of Appeals alongside Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks, New York State Bar Association president T. Andrew Brown and the presiding justices of the state’s four appellate divisions underscores their commitment to the issue of unmet civil legal services needs.