Fall 2022 Newsletter

Recent news, events, and useful information from the

Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association

The Board of Judges of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York (“NDNY”) is actively soliciting applicants to join our Criminal Justice Act (“CJA”) panel, which provides representation for indigent federal criminal defendants in the NDNY. The NDNY has no local CJA attorneys in Utica and one local CJA attorney in Binghamton, and needs additional local CJA attorneys in Syracuse and Plattsburgh.

Upcoming Events Fall 2022

September 15, 2022, 12 p.m. – 2022 Virtual POWER Act Event,

Flyer and Registration Details

September 19, 2022 – NDNY FCBA Golf Tournament & CLE, Mohawk Golf Club, Schenectady

Flyer and Registration Details

September 23, 2022, 1:30 to 5:30 pm – CLE: Supreme Court Review at Syracuse University College of Law Alumni Weekend

Flyer and Registration Details

September 27, 2022 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. – Pro Bono Recognition Ceremony, Syracuse

Program Information Here

September 27, 2022, 6:30 to 7:30 pm – Happy Hour at Talking Cursive Brewing Co., Syracuse, with the First Decade Committee

Details and RSVP Here

September 29, 2022, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – CLE: Trying a Civil Rights Case, Albany

CLE Notice and Registration Here

September 30, 2022 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – CLE: Trying a Civil Rights Case, Syracuse

CLE Notice and Registration Here

October 12, 2022 12 to 2 p.m. – CLE: Legal Writing with Michael Langan, Esq.

CLE Notice and Registration Coming Soon

October 17, 2022 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. – Pro Bono Recognition Ceremony, Albany

Program Information Here

December 8, 2022 – NDNY FCBA 19th Annual Dinner, Crowne Plaza Albany – The Desmond Hotel

More information coming soon!

President’s Message: A Discussion with our new Chief Judge, the Honorable Brenda K. Sannes

Our system of justice depends fundamentally on the skill, diligence, and commitment of the members of the federal judiciary. For the past seven years, our court was ably led by the Honorable Glenn T. Suddaby, an excellent trial judge and a skilled administrator. When COVID-19 struck our communities and court system, there was no question that Judge Suddaby was the right person to have at our district’s helm. He worked around the clock to lead the judges and court staff through an unprecedented transition from in-person to virtual. And day after day, Judge Suddaby worked to keep our courts open, accessible, and safe. I am privileged and honored to be in a position to thank Judge Suddaby for his selfless service as Chief Judge and to welcome his successor, the Honorable Brenda K. Sannes.

I recently sat down with Chief Judge Sannes, our district’s first female Chief Judge, to discuss topics ranging from judging during a pandemic to cycling in Central New York. Some highlights follow.

Supreme Court Issues Major Second Amendment Ruling in NDNY-Originating Case

On June 23, the Supreme Court issued its decision in NYSRPA, holding that New York State’s proper-cause requirement for obtaining a license to carry a concealed firearm violated the Fourteenth Amendment in that it prevented law-abiding citizens with ordinary self-defense needs from exercising their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

Gun Manufacturers Unsuccessfully Challenge Constitutionality of New York Law

In National Shooting Sports Foundation v. James, fourteen gun industry members and a trade association (“Plaintiffs”) sued New York State Attorney General Letitia James (“Defendant”) regarding the constitutionality of N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 898-a-e (“§ 898”), which imposed civil liability on gun industry members.

Judging Under Way in FCBA’s Seventh Annual Constitution Contest

The FCBA’s Seventh Annual Constitution Contest received more than three-dozen entries from high school students across the Northern District.

Seven high schools from four counties were represented this year: Bethlehem Central High School in Albany County, Cazenovia High School in Madison County, Clayton A. Bouton High School (Voorheesville) in Albany County, Clinton Senior High School in Oneida County, Fayetteville-Manlius High School in Onondaga County, Guilderland High School in Albany County, and Jamesville-DeWitt High School in Onondaga County.

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