JUDGE FOR A DAY

The New York Family Courts have jurisdiction over all matters of fundamental importance to their safety and stability, issues such as custody, visitation, child support, and abuse and neglect. These families are often in crisis, crisis which is exacerbated by the fact that few people entitled to receive free (court-appointed) legal representation and, because the majority of court users are low-income, few can retain counsel on their own. Thus, most families typically carry the added burden of representing themselves as they attempt to navigate the Courts.

How It Works and Why
The Family Court Judge for a Day Program introduces members of the private and public sectors to the New York City Family Courts. In partnership with the Family Court, the Program is held five times a year.

At Judge for a Day, participants sit alongside a Family Court judge and observe requests for orders of protection, juvenile delinquency trials, custody disputes, and other matters. Following the morning session in Court, participants attend a lunchtime discussion facilitated by LIFT and the hosting judges.

After the program, LIFT works with participants in an effort to help improve the conditions of Family Court and to bring resources to LIFT. For example, in 2005, an executive from AT&T attended Judge for a Day and was moved by LIFT’s substantial positive effect on court-involved families, and worked with LIFT’s Executive Director to assess how LIFT could use technology to boost its capacity. From there, in light of LIFT’s interest in enhancing our program operations and commitment to being a “green” office, and with the help of this executive, LIFT secured funding from the AT&T Foundation to purchase and configure handheld PC Tablets for use at our Court-based EI Sites. These PC Tablets have vastly improved LIFT’s capacity to collect accurate data and provide quick referrals.

Responses to the Experience
To read feedback from recent Judge for a Day presentations, click here.

To read a press release from Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum after she attended the a recent Judge for a Day program, click here.

To read an article about the experience of a group of participants from Pfizer at Judge for a Day, click here.

If you are interested in participating in Judge for a Day, please email development@LIFTonline.org.