The "Amici" podcast series was created to share information and insight from New York's judges and the Unified Court System with constituents, stakeholders and anyone else who might have an interest in these topics.
In this special Black History Month edition of Amici: News and Insights from the New York Courts, we shine a light on one of the most extraordinary and often overlooked stories in American legal history. It begins in Ulster County, New York, where a newly freed Black woman discovers that her young son has been illegally sold to a plantation in Alabama. Determined to bring her son home and seek justice for herself and her family, she turns to the Ulster County Courthouse in Kingston, NY. Her name was Isabella, the woman the world would come to know as Sojourner Truth. Thanks to the kindness of those she encountered in the courthouse and the bravery of the grand jury she stood in front of, Sojourner Truth became the first Black woman in the United States to successfully sue a white man and win. To help us explore this remarkable chapter of Sojourner Truth's life, we're joined by historian and Ulster County Commissioner of Jurors Paul O'Neill. Paul has made it part of his mission to share Sojourner Truth's story with today's jurors as a reminder “That each of us plays a role, and each of us can make a difference.” Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2026-02/Paul-O-Neill-Sojourner-Truth.pdf
In the latest Diversity Dialogue podcast, Mindy Jeng, Executive Director of Pro Bono Services and Special Counsel to Justin Barry, Executive Director of the Court System, discusses her family's roots in China and Taiwan and the importance of diversity in the Court System. “… It's when we get to know different people with different backgrounds and experiences that we will have a better understanding of the world and our work, and I think it really enriches all of our lives,” Mindy said. The Diversity Dialogues segment of the Court System's Amici podcast program is produced in conjunction with the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2026-01/mindy%201.7.26%20MJ%20%28002%29_0.pdf
The latest Amici podcast tells the unlikely and inspiring story of a 16-year-old girl who was suddenly rendered quadriplegic yet, without the use of arms or legs, grew up to be a Family Court Judge in Erie County— the Hon. Shannon Filbert. Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2026-01/filbert%20Transcript.pdf Content Warning: Frank medical discussion
Justice Llinét Rosado of the Appellate Division, First Department, is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who became a U.S. citizen in her early 20s. Justice Lourdes Ventura was born to Dominican immigrants. In this Amici podcast, the justices discuss their journey from very humble roots to the upper echelon of the NYS Judiciary. They explain their culture and experiences as part of the Dominican diaspora. Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2025-11/Exploring%20Dominican%20Heritage%20with%20Justices%20Rosado%20and%20Ventura.pdf
In this Diversity Dialogue segment of the Amici podcast program, we explore Indian boarding schools, institutions established in the U.S. and Canada with the expressed goal of eradicating indigenous culture. Our guest is Marnee Ryan Lehtonen, of Corning City Court. Marnee's grandmother grew up in the notorious Thomas Indian School and, with some prodding by Marnee, shared her experience. Here, Marnee shares what she learned from her grandmother. Diversity Dialogue is a production of the NYS Unified Court System's Office of Diversity & Inclusion. #indianboardingschools #orangeshirtday
Shortly after Peter F. Lane took office as a New York City Civil Court judge in January, he was surprised to get a call from the Estonian Embassy. He assumed it was a wrong number. Regardless, he picked it up and learned that he's apparently the first and only judge in the nation of Estonian descent. In this podcast, we'll explore Judge Lane's background and learn a little about a country in Northern Europe that some of us may have heard of, but most of us could never pinpoint on a map. Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2025-08/Judge%20Peter%20Lane.pdf
The lack of accessible legal services in rural areas is a national crisis, and New York State — where four million people live in rural areas – is certainly no exception. Presiding Justice Elizabeth A. Garry of the Appellate Division, Third Department, is attempting to address the crisis through a novel “Rural Pathways” initiative that places law students in remote areas where they can experience the camaraderie of the local legal community and appreciate the innumerable benefits of life and practice outside the bigger cities. In this Amici podcast, Justice Garry, who grew up on a dairy farm and spent most of her legal and judicial career in one of the more remote regions of the state, speaks of the need for legal services in rural areas and the recently completed and highly successful pilot program she embraced: Rural Pathways. Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2025-08/Rural%20Pathways.pdf
In the latest Diversity Dialogue podcast, Esther Louis-Juste, the Justice Coordinator for the Ninth Judicial District and the child of Haitian immigrants, discusses her role in the courts, and how her background and family experiences influence the way she views her job. “I think about my grandpa, who's 102,” she said. “If my grandpa came into this court building today, would he be able to access the courts in a safe manner? Will they be able to accommodate his language barrier or his physical barriers? Will he feel comfortable and safe? If I take the mission statement and apply it to anybody that I encounter, my challenge is making sure that people feel that us, as justice coordinators, and us, as court staff, are meeting their needs for equal justice and access to justice on a daily basis.” The Diversity Dialogues segment of the Court System's Amici podcast program is produced in conjunction with the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2025-06/OPTIMIZE%20Esther%20Louis%20Juste.%20docx.pdf
Transcript: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2019-08/Goodman-Booth_0.pdf
Transcript: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2019-08/Goodman-Zhu%20Final.pdf
Transcript: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2019-06/TamaraKersh.pdf
Transcript: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2019-05/Goodman-RazzaqFinal_0.pdf
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/doc/18126
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/doc/18131
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/doc/14006
In today's Diversity Dialogue, we'll meet a man well-known to many of us in the court system -- Martin Huynh. But who knew he was a Vietnamese refugee brought out of the country at the age of four by a single parent mom, or that their journey halfway around the world began on a boat and included a period of waiting in the Philippine Islands where they slept on hammocks? Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2025-05/Martin.pdf
Less than a decade ago, no Black person had ever been elected to state Supreme Court in any of the 28 counties of the Third Department, an area from Kingston to Canada that accounts for about 45 percent of the counties in New York. The woman who broke that barrier and paved the way for several others, the Hon. Christina L. Ryba, was recently appointed Administrative Judge for the Third Judicial District, which encompasses seven counties in the Albany area. In this episode of Amici, the Court System's podcast program, Justice Ryba discusses her journey, her dreams and her plans, and reveals personal details about her childhood, family — and year as the Albany Tulip Queen. Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2025-06/Judge%20Ryba.pdf
Transcript: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2019-07/GRIPCourt_0_0.pdf
Transcript: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/doc/20771
Transcript: /doc/13886
Transcript: /doc/13751
Transcript: /doc/10996
Transcript: Transcripts/AmiciSkinner.pdf
Transcript: Transcripts/JudgeBurns.pdf
Transcript: Transcripts/RobertPigott.pdf
Transcript: Transcripts/GeofHuth(edited).pdf
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/admin/amici/Transcripts/RajaRajeswari.pdf
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/admin/amici/Transcripts/AndraArbetter.pdf
Transcript: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2019-11/CynthiaLaFave6-27-19FINAL_0.pdf
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/doc/15536
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/doc/15531
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/doc/15526
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/admin/amici/Transcripts/EllerinInterview.pdf
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/admin/amici/Transcripts/DYoung12-5-16.pdf
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/admin/amici/Transcripts/MWork1-24-17.pdf
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/admin/amici/Transcripts/BTobin11-18-16.pdf
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/admin/amici/Transcripts/KDoyle12-05-16.pdf
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/admin/amici/Transcripts/MaeDAgostino10-21-16.pdf
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/admin/amici/Transcripts/HHeath10-27-16.pdf
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/admin/amici/Transcripts/VGraffeo10-27-16.pdf
Transcript: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2019-08/Goodman-Booth_0.pdf
Transcript: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2019-08/Goodman-Zhu%20Final.pdf
Transcript: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2019-06/TamaraKersh.pdf
Transcript: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/files/2019-05/Goodman-RazzaqFinal_0.pdf
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/doc/18126
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/doc/18131
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/doc/18131
Transcript: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/doc/14006
In this Jewish Heritage Month Diversity Dialogue segment, we are pleased to feature the Hon. Joan B. Lefkowitz. Judge Lefkowitz, who has been on the bench for 38 years, discusses the intricacies of holding true to her Orthodox traditions while serving in the relatively rigid environment of a Court System. It worked, she says, because both she and the Court System accommodated each other's needs. She also reveals that early in her career when she was young and married she was fired from a private sector job for getting pregnant. Diversity Dialogues is a presentation of the Office of Diversity & Inclusion
A Journey from the Homeless Shelter to the Bench: Hon. Raymond P. Fernandez (edited) by John Caher
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