Nassau County Bar Association

The Wheatley School mock trial team prevailed over 45 high schools to take the Nassau County Championship of the 2025 New York State High School Mock Trial Tournament. W.T. Clarke High School placed second this year. The Wheatley School will represent Nassau County in the upcoming state finals to be held from May 18 to 20. The Nassau County Bar Association coordinates the Nassau County Tournament with hundreds of students from local high schools. Contributing to the success of the program this year were dozens of NCBA volunteers—attorneys who served as advisors to the teams and other attorneys and sitting and retired village magistrates and judges who presided over the 46 teams that competed in the seven rounds of the tournament. The competition is chaired by Peter Levy and Hon. Lawrence M. Schaffer. The Nassau Academy of Law, the educational arm of the Bar Association, coordinates the annual mock trial tournament. Congratulations to The Wheatley School, W.T. Clarke High School, and all of the exceptional student advocates who participated in the mock trial tournament this year!

An Evening with the Guardianship Bench with the NCBA Elder Law, Social Services & Health Law Advocacy Committee welcomed over 100 attendees, including attorneys, judges, court personnel, and law students. Thank you to the evening’s sponsors: Allied Community Support Services, Contour Mortgage Corporation, The Bristal Assisted Living, and KLG Business Valuators & Forensic Accountants, LLC. First photo from left: Christina Lamm, Esq., Makofsky Valente Law Group, P.C., Co-Chair of the NCBA Elder Law, Social Services & Health Advocacy Committee; Hon. Gary F. Knobel (Nassau County); David J. Gugerty, (Nassau County); Hon. Chris Ann Kelley (Suffolk County); Hon. Marian R. Tinari (Suffolk County); Hon. Bernice D. Siegal (Queens County); Hon. Lee A. Mayersohn (Queens County); Hon. Maria Aragona (Kings County); Hon. Arthur M. Diamond (Ret.); Lisa R. Valente, Esq., Makofsky Valente Law Group, P.C., Co-Chair of the NCBA Elder Law, Social Services & Health Advocacy Committee; Johanna C. David Esq., Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP, Vice Chair of the NCBA Elder Law, Social Services & Health Advocacy Committee; and Dana Walsh Sivak, Esq., Falcon Rappaport & Berkman LLP, Vice Chair of the NCBA Elder Law, Social Services & Health Advocacy Committee.

Take a moment to express appreciation for the lawyers in your life today!

Due to a power failure, the Long Beach City Court facility in Nassau County is inaccessible today, Monday, April 7. Necessary arraignments will be diverted to the District Court in Hempstead. For other inquiries, call 516-312-4728. 

On April 2, the NCBA Access to Justice Committee, in conjunction with Legal Services of Long Island, hosted its annual Pro Bono Recognition Event, honoring those who have demonstrated exemplary legal service to the community in 2024 in furtherance of access to justice. Congrats to all!

Join us on Thursday, May 1 as we celebrate the 2025 Law Day theme: “The Constitution’s Promise: Out of Many, One” with Keynote Speaker Major Gerald Gangaram, U.S. Army (Ret.) We will also honor CARECEN NY- Central American Refugee Center with the Liberty Bell Award, John Cialone with the Peter T. Affatato Court Employee of the Year Award, and Evelyn Lee with the Thomas Maligno Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award. Contact Emma Grieco for sponsorships and tickets.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our Internship Initiative Partnership, where NCBA members looking to fill internships and part-time help positions can connect with local student talent! See below for high school contact information.

The Nassau Academy of Law’s annual Hon. Elaine Jackson Stack Moot Court competition concluded on Thursday with two teams from Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center competing in the final round. Teams from Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University and St. John's University School of Law competed in the five-team tournament. Both teams from Hofstra Law advanced to the semi-final rounds. St. John’s Law won the Best Brief Award and Jessica Sullivan from Touro Law Center won the Best Oralist Award.

The Nassau County Bar Association is proud to join bar associations across New York and the nation in supporting the rule of law. American Bar Association New York City Bar Association Queens County Bar Association Bar Association of Erie County Monroe County Bar Association Women's Bar Association of the State of New York New York County Lawyers Association

The NCBA Annual Dinner Gala is less than two months away! Tickets, journal ads, and sponsorships are available for purchase at www.ncbadinnerdance.com. We hope to see you there!