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Four generations: Court of Claims Judge Debra Martin holds her granddaughter Madelyn, while her mother, Alyce Martin, talks to the baby and her daughter Becky Merrill enjoys the moment.
The Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys hosted a members-only cocktail party to honor the recent appointment of Judge Debra Martin to the Court of Claims bench. Friends, colleagues and members of Judge Martin’s family mingled at the Rochester Area Foundation parlor and library on Tuesday.
GRAWA President-elect Pam Reynolds welcomed everyone, and introduced past GRAWA Presidents Kate Callery and Elaine Cole, who provided some insights into their long-term friendships with Judge Martin, recalling her various professional positions and past GRAWA presidency.
Originally from Syracuse, Judge Martin completed her law degree at the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University of America in 1978, and came to Rochester in 1980 as an associate with Harris Beach PLLC.
From Harris Beach, Judge Martin followed an opportunity at Aetna Casualty & Surety Co. as in-house counsel, leaving there in 1988 to start her own practice, primarily handling insurance defense cases. She and Janice Iati were together more than 20 years in the firm Judge Martin founded, until she accepted a position as attorney general in charge of the Rochester Office in 2008.
Doug Merrill, Judge Martin’s husband of 36 years, is actually the guy responsible for bringing Judge Martin to Rochester back in 1980 when he accepted a position at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Judge Martin expressed her delight at being in a position to truly administer justice, and joked about the size of judicial robes, suggesting an entrepreneurship opportunity for someone to come up with better robe designs and sizing.
— Photos by Nora A. Jones
A flashback to the Martin & Iati LLP days with Judge Debra Martin, paralegal Dawn Samuel and Janice Iati.
Lauren Fritz, Marla Woodrek and Lauren Frank were among the GRAWA members in attendance.
Natalie Pincus and GRAWA Past President Kimberly Duguay.
GRAWA Past Presidents Kate Callery and Tiffany Lee.
Long-time GRAWA friends, from left, Sharon Kelly Sayers, the Hon. Ann Pfeiffer, Court of Claims Judge Debra Martin and June Castellano.
Which Sharon is it? Sharon Stiller pauses for a photo with Sharon Sayers.
GRAWA Past President Greta Kolcon and Judge Martin’s law clerk Amy Hartman Nichols.
GRAWA President-elect Pam Reynolds is pictured here with GRAWA Past Presidents Elaine Cole and Laurie Giordano.
All in the family: From left are Becky Merrill, Madelyn Merrill, Doug Merrill and Alyce Martin.
RACF Executive Director Jennifer Leonard and Karen Sanders.
Congrats to Judge Martin. I was a volunteer paralegal for the AG’s office and got to work with Judge Martin. I can’t think of a better person to be sitting on the bench in the court of claims.