Rural Pathways: Presiding Justice Elizabeth A. Garry
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
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Promoting Diversity in the Courts: Esther Louis-Juste
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
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Promoting Diversity in the Court System: Elizabeth Booth, 8/7/19
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.
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