About the Committee

The Committee is led by judicial co-chairs, the Hon. Joseph E. Lamendola and the Hon. Doris M. Gonzalez, and John S. Kiernan, a retired litigation partner at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. The Committee's expert group of judges, lawyers, ADR practitioners and academics are charged with examining the services currently accessible within the court system and making recommendations for improvement and expansion.

To contact the Advisory Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution, please send an email to [email protected].

Committee Members

Co-Chairs

The Hon. Doris M. Gonzalez,
The Hon. Joseph E. Lamendola, and 
John Kiernan, of Counsel, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
 

Members

Jeffrey Kyle Anderson 
Partner, Anderson, Moschetti and Taffany, PLLC

Simeon H. Baum
President, Resolve Mediation Services, Inc.

Hon. Anthony Cannataro
Associate Judge, Court of Appeals

Hon. Cheryl E. Chambers 
Associate Justice, Appellate Division, Second Department

Hon. Andrew A. Crecca
District Administrative Judge, Tenth Judicial District, Suffolk County 

Lisa D'Angelo
Chief Clerk, Supreme and County Courts, Westchester

Antoinette Delruelle
Senior Staff Attorney, Mediation Project, New York Legal Assistance Group

Philip Goldstein 
Mediator/Arbitrator/Special Master New York City Asbestos Litigation (NYCAL).

Gretchen Gonzalez
Executive Director/CEO, Volunteer Lawyers Project

Paul Gupta
Connected ADR LLC

Noah J. Hanft 
AcumenADR LLC 

Hon. Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix (Ret.)
Mediator, Arbitrator, Court-Appointed Neutral (Referee/Special Master) & Neutral Evaluator, JAMS (NYC)

Adriene Holder
Chief Attorney, Civil Practice, Legal Aid Society

Valerie L. James
Chief Clerk, Syracuse City Court

Hon. Anne-Marie Jolly
Administrative Judge, New York City Family Court

Elena Karabatos
Partner, Karabatos Rosenkrantz DeMarco Schoenfeld, PLLC

Michele Kern-Rappy
President, Michele Kern-Rappy Dispute Resolution, PLLC

Daniel Kolb
Senior Counsel, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

Hon. Gina Lopez-Summa
Judge, Court of Claims

Debra McClay
Chief Clerk, Supreme and County Courts, Putnam

John McCullough
Executive Director, New Justice Conflict Resolution Services, Inc.

Hon. Rita Mella
Surrogate, New York County

Melissa H. Nickson
ADR Program Administrator/Director
Martin P. Violante ADR Program, 8th Judicial District

Jacqueline Nolan-Haley
Director, ADR and Conflict Resolution Program, Fordham Law School

Bridget O’Connell
Principal Law Clerk to Hon. Shannon M. Heneghan, J.S.C.

Jill Pilgrim
Founder and Managing Attorney, Pilgrim & Associates Arbitration, Law & Mediation LLC

Rebecca Price
Director, ADR Program, U.S. District Court for the Southern District on New York

Hon. Edwina G. Richardson (Emeritus)
Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives

Seema Ali Rizzo
Partner, Rizzo & Rizzo Law Office, PLLC

Hon. Gary Rosa
Judge, Family Court, Delaware County

Sarah Rudgers-Tysz
Education and Training Unit, Division of Alternative Dispute Resolution, New York State Office of Court Administration

Hon. Brandon Sall
Surrogate, Westchester County

Hon. Saliann Scarpulla
Associate Justice, Appellate Division, First Department. 

Hon. Jeffrey S. Sunshine
Statewide Coordinating Judge for Matrimonial Cases

Robyn Weinstein
Associate Director, Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

Daniel M. Weitz
Director, Division of Professional and Court Services, New York State Office of Court Administration
 

Advisor

Lisa Courtney
Director, Division of Alternative Dispute Resolution, New York State Office of Court Administration
 

Counsel

Sebastian Dutz 
Litigation Associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Jeremy Zeliger
Assistant Deputy Counsel, Division of Alternative Dispute Resolution, New York State Office of Court Administration
 

Staff

Coleen Chin 
Regional ADR Coordinator
New York City

Daniel Kos
Statewide ADR Coordinator, Division of Alternative Dispute Resolution, New York State Office of Court Administration

Joel Kullas 
Regional ADR Coordinator
New York State Judicial Districts 3, 4, 9 & 10

Subcommittees

  • Application of Part 160 to Mediation-Trained Court Staff
  • Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence Screening
  • Consent to Mediation
  • Arbitration and other Non-Mediation Alternatives
  • Litigant Awareness of ADR
  • Utilization of Roster Neutrals
  • ADR Research Agenda