Federal court dinner held for first time since 2019

The Federal Bench and Bar Dinner for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York was held Wednesday for the first time in about three years.

The event that had been held annually for about 30 years was cancelled the past two years because of the COVID pandemic. The last dinner was held on Oct. 23, 2019, in Buffalo.

“I think it would be an understatement to say that a lot has happened since then,” Chief U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford told the crowd of about 160 at the Woodcliff Hotel & Spa event tent.

“In many ways Oct. 23, 2019, feels like a lifetime ago. Many of us have had our personal and professional lives impacted in significant and meaningful ways,” Wolford said.

“We’ve lost loved ones, our jobs have changed, and we’ve experienced other significant milestones. The court is no exception to that,” she said.

Since the last dinner, Wolford has replaced Judge Frank P. Geraci as chief judge and Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. and Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen have been appointed to the bench.

Unfortunately, two judges have died since the last dinner — Michael A. Telesca, on March 5, 2020, and Magistrate Judge Hugh B. Scott, on Feb. 19, 2021.

Telesca started the federal court dinner when he was chief judge.

“He believed it was important to bring people together in a friendly, congenial way to promote civility in the practice of law. And there’s no question that that’s been one of the losses that we have all experienced the past several years — the opportunity to gather together at events like this,” Wolford said.

“The legal community and the Western District of  New York is unique and special, and one of the reasons for that is that members of our community are able to go to battle in the courtroom, but at the end of the day we can share a meal together, a drink together, a laugh together, and you don’t let the personal animosity extend into your meetings with each other outside of the courtroom,” she said.

“The suspension of those types of opportunities has impacted, in my opinion, at least our sense of connection. But I am optimistic that those darker days are behind us and hopefully this will be one of many many events that we have going forward where we’re able to take advantage of the collegiality and the opportunity that we have in this district,” Wolford said.

Because the Western District of New York is recognized as one of the busiest and most productive in the nation. Wolford made a pitch to the attorneys in attendance to consider consenting to have magistrate judges handle cases.

“The case will move quicker, and even if it’s not an easy sell to your client in consenting to magistrate judge jurisdiction for the entire case, consider consenting to a discrete part of the case,” she said.

Wolford also encouraged attorneys to join the court’s pro bono panel. She said about 20% of all cases filed in the Western District involve a pro se party.

“And I would say, from personal experience, an enormous amount of judicial resources are devoted to pro se cases,” Wolford added.

“We all know that having an attorney involved in a case makes a difference, and we now have over 150 members of the bar who have signed up to be part of the volunteer pro bono panel, willingly taking on assignments,” she said.

Several individuals were presented with previously announced awards.

Patrick J. Brown and John F. Speranza received the Criminal Justice Act Award.

Pro Bono Award recipients included:  Reetuparna Dutta, Raymond J. Fadel, and Matthew K. Parker, of Hodgson Russ LLP; Kenneth A. Manning, of Phillips Lytle LLP; Amy Jane Agnew, of Law Office of Amy Jane Agnew P.C.; and Jeremy M. Sher and Travis R. Talerico, of Bond Schoeneck & King PLLC.

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