2020
You, the Voter
How Far Have We Come? Is the Journey Over?
First Prize
HAROLD ROSARIO
Bronx Community College
Prof. Alana Barran, Faculty Advisor
Second Prize
ASHLEY BISONO
Bronx Community College
Hon. Elizabeth Taylor, Faculty Advisor
Third Prize
ALLI ABDULSALAM
Bronx Community College
Prof. Raymond Canals, Faculty Advisor
Honorable Mentions
Melissa Acevedo, Bronx Community College, Prof. Nikole Knight | Kirsy Baez, Bronx Community College, Prof. Nikole Knight | Papi Bhowmik, Bronx Community College, Hon. Eddie McShan | Joshua Cepero, Bronx Community College, Prof. Raymond Canals | Isaura Estrella, Bronx Community College, Prof. Nikole Knight | Robert Josman, Bronx Community College, Prof. Franklin Moore | Monet Merritt, Bronx Community College, Hon. Eddie McShan | Lourdez Molina, Bronx Community College, Prof. Nikole Knight | Angelina Ortiz, Bronx Community College, Hon. Eddie McShan | Alba Ruiz, Bronx Community College, Prof. Raymond Canals | Yarielis Sarita, Bronx Community College, Prof. Franklin Moore | Alicia Trammel, Bronx Community College, Prof. Nikole Knight
Hon. Dianne T. Renwick with all the winners who were present at the awards ceremony. (L-R): Lourdez Molina, Melissa Acevedo, Papi Bhowmik, Alli Abdulsalam, Harold Rosario, Hon. Dianne T. Renwick, Ashley Bisono, Alicia Trammel, Angelina Ortiz, Robert Josman
See more photos on the event page!
2018
Stolen Art: From the Holocaust to the Present
Role of the Courts in Restoring Cultural Objects to Their Rightful Owners
First Prize
FRANK CONIGLIO
Queensborough Community College
Prof. Ted Rosen, Faculty Advisor
Second Prize
ADORACION HERNANDEZ
Bronx Community College
Prof. Beth Tremallo, Faculty Advisor
Third Prize
RAFAEL RAMOS
Queensborough Community College
Prof. Christine Mooney, Faculty Advisor
Honorable Mentions
Michelle Garcia, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Christine Mooney | David Gilkarov, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Christine Mooney | Aljermaine Glaze, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Ted Rosen | Deyan Naraine, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Christine Mooney | Jolesa Reid, Bronx Community College, Prof. Martha Zornow | Frank Steele, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Christine Mooney | Sarita Williams, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Christine Mooney
Hon. Dianne T. Renwick with 2nd Place winner Adoracion Hernandez, accepting her award.
Hon. Dianne T. Renwick with 3rd Place winner Rafael Ramos, accepting his award.
2017
You, the Voter
How Far Have We Come? Is the Journey Over?
CUNY
RALPH ROMANELLI
1st Prize Winner
Queensborough Community College
Prof. Christine Mooney, Faculty Advisor
JOSEPH FORNATARO
2nd Prize Winner
Queensborough Community College
Prof. Christine Mooney, Faculty Advisor
ZHENXIAN LI
3rd Prize Winner
Queensborough Community College
Prof. Christine Mooney, Faculty Advisor
SUNY
DANIELLE KINNEY
1st Prize Winner
Genesee Community College
Prof. Charles Scruggs, Faculty Advisor
ANNA LEWIS
2nd Prize Winner
Genesee Community College
Prof. Charles Scruggs, Faculty Advisor
SHANNON DENT
3rd Prize Winner
Genesee Community College
Prof. Charles Scruggs, Faculty Advisor
Garfinkel Essay Scholarship winners at the 2017 Court of Appeals’ Law Day.
Left to Right: Joseph Fornataro (CUNY 2nd Place), Ralph Romanelli (CUNY 1st Place), and Anna Lewis (SUNY 2nd Place).
Court of Appeals Judges Eugene M. Fahey (far left) and Leslie Stein (far right) congratulate three of the 2017 Garfinkel Essay Scholarship winners
(Center, Left to Right: Joseph Fornataro, Ralph Romanelli, and Anna Lewis) during a special luncheon in their honor.
Winning essays for the 2017 Garfinkel Essay Scholarship have been temporarily taken down during the 2020 cycle.
2016
You, the Juror
What Role Does Jury Service Play in Our Democracy?
CUNY
DANIEL SAVITZ
1st Prize Winner
Queensborough Community College
Prof. Leslie Francis, Faculty Advisor
WAI SHAN NG
2nd Prize Winner
Queensborough Community College
Prof. Leslie Francis, Faculty Advisor
MAVIS DUNCAN-DYER
3rd Prize Winner
Queensborough Community College
Prof. Ted Rosen, Faculty Advisor
SUNY
JESSICA MARTIN
1st Prize Winner
Genesee Community College
JESSICA WICKHAM
2nd Prize Winner
Onondaga Community College
Ashlee Dow
3rd Prize Winner
Genesee Community College
Prof. Charles Scruggs, Faculty Advisor
1st Prize CUNY winner Daniel Savitz with the Society’s Executive Director Marilyn Marcus at a luncheon in honor of the Garfinkel Essay Scholarship winner at the Court of Appeals’ Law Day.
Society Executive Director Marilyn Marcus with 1st Prize SUNY winner Jessica Martin. The Society hosted a special luncheon in honor of the winners at the Court of Appeals’ Law Day where the winners’ family members joined us along with some of the staff and judges of New York’s highest court.
2015
LGBT: The Road to Equality
How Have the New York Courts Addressed Equal Human Rights for the LGBT Community?
NYS Community College Grand Prize
JESSICA CHERRY
Genesee Community College
Prof. Charles Scruggs, Faculty Advisor
CUNY Community College Prize
JOSHUA CRUZ
Queensborough Community College
Prof. Adam Leudtke, Faculty Advisor
SUNY Community College Prize
EVAN ECKFELD
Westchester Community College
Prof. Kristyan Rose Gilmore, Faculty Advisor
Honorable Mentions
Brooke Astarita, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Adam Leudtke | Diana Benevidez, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Linda Meltzer | Steve Brewer, Cayuga Community College, Prof. Gregory Sevik | Christopher Chang, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Linda Meltzer | Constance Eadie, Genesee Community College, Prof. Charles Scruggs | Melanie Hecker, Hudson Valley Community College, Prof. Valerie Lang Waldin | Ferany Kumar, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Christine Mooney | Aaron Pakow, Kingsborough Community College | Vidisha Patel, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Theodore Rosen | Cameron Veder, Tompkins Cortland Community College, Prof. Lisa Ford | Avraham Weiss, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Linda Meltzer
Hon. Jenny Rivera reads the winning essays at the Court of Appeals’ Law Day ceremony.
Judge Rivera with the Garfinkel Essay Scholarship winners.
Left to Right: Evan Eckfeld (SUNY Prize Winner), Jessica Cherry (Grand Prize Winner), and Joshua Cruz (CUNY Prize Winner).
2014
Who Watches the Watchers?
Free Speech and Free Press in the Electronic Age
NYS Community College Grand Prize
ZACHARY FIELD
Onondaga Community College
Prof. David Deacon, Faculty Advisor
CUNY Community College Prize
LIDA RAMOS ARCE
Queensborough Community College
Prof. Leslie Francis, Faculty Advisor
SUNY Community College Prize
RHONDA PARKER
Genesee Community College
Prof. Charles Scruggs, Faculty Advisor
Honorable Mentions
Claire Albrecht, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Leslie Francis | Wei Bin Bai, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Christine Mooney | Maisey Loucks, SUNY Adirondack, Dr. John Arpey | Eileen McDonagh, Nassau Community College, Prof. Ann Harrison | Ryan Polito, Onondaga Community College, Prof. Rich Jarrett | Amanda Seepersaud, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Christine Mooney | Erwin Soria, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Christine Mooney | Daniela Teshima Valenzuela, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Stephen Hammel | Rebecca Woodruff, Genesee Community College, Prof. Charles Scruggs | Mirkala Zuna, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Christine Mooney
Left to Right: Frances Murray (Court of Appeals), Michael Benowitz (Assistant Director), Marilyn Marcus (Executive Director), Prof. David Deacon (Onondaga), Zachary Field (Grand Prize Winner), Dr. Jonas Falik (Queensborough), Hon. Jenny Rivera (Court of Appeals), Lida Ramos Arce (CUNY Prize Winner), Rhonda Parker (SUNY Prize Winner), Prof. Leslie Francis (Queensborough), Prof. Karen Wicka (Genesee)
Winners of the 2014 David A. Garfinkel Essay Scholarship with Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, Hon. Jenny Rivera.
Left to Right: Zachary Field (Grand Prize Winner), Hon. Jenny Rivera, Lida Ramos Arce (CUNY Prize Winner), and Rhonda Parker (SUNY Prize Winner).
2013
Cyberspace and the Law
What are Our Rights and Responsibilities?
NYS Community College Grand Prize
JOSH PAWLIKOWSKI
Mohawk Valley Community College
Prof. David Katz, Faculty Advisor
CUNY Community College Prize
RUBY SINGH
Queensborough Community College
Prof. Christine Mooney, Faculty Advisor
SUNY Community College Prize
ZACHARY FIELD
Onondaga Community College
Prof. Mary Bogin & Inst. David Hines, Faculty Advisors
Honorable Mentions
Husni Abdelqader, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Adam Luedtke | Benjamin Berry, Genesee Community College, Prof. Charles Scruggs | Kristi Diaz, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Christine Mooney | Gina DiGiovanni, Westchester Community College, Prof. David Wedlick | Jeinson Espinosa, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Stephen Hammel | Robert Johnson, Monroe Community College, Prof. Elizabeth Clifford | Beatrice LaViscount, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Christine Mooney | Daniel Vincent Marrano, Adirondack Community College, Prof. John W. Arpey | Christian Meyers, Borough of Manhattan Community College, Prof. Andrew Gottlieb | Farah Naz, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Stephen Hammel | Diane Notar, Erie Community College, Inst. Aaron Thomas | Sara Sahibzada, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Christine Mooney | Nicholas Van Nostrand, Fulton-Montgomery Community College, Prof. Stephen Astmann & Inst. Theodore Marotta
Seated Left to Right: Hon. Fern Fisher (Deputy Chief Admin. Judge), Ruby Singh (CUNY Prize Winner)
Standing Left to Right: Prof. David Katz, III (Mohawk Valley), Michael Benowitz (Assistant Director), David Hines (Onondaga), Zachary Field (SUNY Prize Winner), Marilyn Marcus (Executive Director), Frances Murray (Court of Appeals), Dr. Jonas Falik (Queensborough), John Pawlikowski (Grand Prize Winner), Prof. John Luby (Queensborough)
Winners of the 2013 Garfinkel Essay Scholarship accepting their awards.
Left to Right: Zachary Field (SUNY Prize Winner), Josh Pawlikowski (Grand Prize Winner), Ruby Singh (CUNY Prize Winner).
2012
The Blue and the Gray
New York During the Civil War
First Prize
RODNEY SCHUYLER
Fulton-Montgomery Community College
Prof. Theodore Marotta, Faculty Advisor
Second Prize
MARY ERCKERT
Erie Community College
Prof. Robert Caputi, Faculty Advisor
Third Prize
AMANDA GRIFFIN
Genesee Community College
Prof. Charles Scruggs, Faculty Advisor
Honorable Mentions
Jeremy Michael Fletcher, Onondaga Community College, Prof. Michele Ley | Cassandra L. Grice, Genesee Community College, Prof. Charles Scruggs | Megan Henry, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Christine Mooney | Rebekah Kimble, Schenectady County Community College, Prof. Evelyn Rybaltowski | Beatrice LaViscount, Queensborough Community College, Prof. Christine Mooney | Rachelle Lear, Onondaga Community College, Prof. David Hines | Jordan Valerino, Onondaga Community College, Prof. David Hines | Alexandra Woodruff, Jefferson Community College
Bottom Row, Left to Right: Amanda Griffin (3rd Prize Winner), Mary Erckert (2nd Prize Winner), Rodney Schulyer (1st Prize Winner)
Top Row, Left to Right: Michael Benowitz (Assistant Director), Marilyn Marcus (Executive Director), Frances Murray (Court of Appeals)
Society luncheon for Court of Appeals staff, scholarship judges, and winners with their families and professors. Greeted by Hon. Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick and Hon. Susan Phillips Read
2011
The Legal Legacy of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
First Prize
AMELIA WEIMAR
Onondaga Community College
Second Prize
KEVIN VOLK
Genesee Community College
Third Prize
JAMES GERBER
Borough of Manhattan Community College
Honorable Mentions
James Clark, Onondaga, Community College | Phyllis Washburn, Genesee Community College | Alysha Barker, Fulton-Montgomery Community College | Lana Medina, Hudson Valley Community College | Tammi Douglass, Jefferson Community College | John Wilkinson, Queensborough Community College | Maykel Farronay, Borough of Manhattan Community College | Elisha Zarpentine, Genesee Community College | Terrhon Vaughn, Queensborough Community College
2010
The Evolution of Justice Along the Erie Canal
First Prize
LEAH MARIE REINO
Genesee Community College
Second Prize
KERRI PICKARD-DEPRIEST
Genesee Community College
Finalists
Ese Peter Abohwo, Queensborough Community College | Phyllis Washburn, Genesee Community College
Honorable Mentions
Christina Basdeo, Queensborough Community College | Kristen Casper, Genesee Community College | Shannon Kilner, North Country Community College | Genevieve Oliveira, Genesee Community College | John Sambucci, Queensborough Community College | Cheuk W. Shum, Queensborough Community College
2009
The New Netherland Legal System and the Law of 21st Century New York
First Prize
DAWAR JAMAL
Queensborough Community College
Second Prize
COURTNEY MALEWICZ
Schenectady County Community College
Honorable Mentions
Tanea S. Bakare | Alexandra Dorga | Christina A. Edmunds | Carlos G. Marin | Kimberly Molina | Meela Neebar
2008
The Courts and Human Rights in New York
The Legacy of the Lemmon Slave Case
Hon. Judith S. Kaye with inaugural Garfinkel Essay Scholarship winner Elijah-Fagan Solis.
Court of Appeals’ Law Day ceremony where Elijah Fagan-Solis accepted his award.