Editor’s note: This letter was submitted in response to Brian Lee’s article “NY Family and Civil Courts to Add 28 Judges Under Bill Signed Into Law,” which the New York Law Journal published July 18.
The addition of 28 Family and Civil Court judgeships across New York state demonstrates the commitment of the governor, the judiciary, and the legislature to improving access to justice for all New Yorkers. We understand that some of the new Civil Court judges will be assigned, temporarily, to New York City Family Court, to help alleviate the well-documented backlog of cases there. The addition of dedicated Family Court judges would have been preferred, but we welcome any Civil Court judge who presides in Family Court, where the attorneys for children (AFCs) from our offices zealously advocate each day on behalf of thousands of at-risk children and young people who are the subjects of a range of challenging cases.
