Celebrating America 250: New York’s Role in the New Republic — Frederick Douglass

Posted on Categories Blog, Society Calendar

In our continuing series in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Historical Society of the New York Courts is highlighting New York’s role in the creation of our nation and its legacy through its annual calendar. In February, we are spotlighting the work of Frederick Douglass.

February: Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass, an African American man born into slavery, who chose February 14th as his birthday, escaped and found freedom, eventually settling in Rochester, New York. A leader in the abolitionist movement, Douglass published an antislavery newspaper, The North Star, advocating for the end of slavery and reflecting his belief in racial and gender equality. In 1852, Douglass spoke of how the existence of slavery undermined the ideals within the Declaration of Independence, asking “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Douglass died on February 20, 1895.

Image Captions

Frederick Douglass, engraving by John Chester Buttre, created approximately between 1800-1899, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library.

“Harper’s Weekly portrait of Frederick Douglass seated at desk holding newspaper,” December 13, 1879. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library.blog

Top of the front page of Frederick Douglass’s antislavery newspaper, The North Star, published in Rochester, New York, Vol. I, No. VII, February 11, 1848. Library of Congress, Digital Collections, Frederick Douglass Newspapers, 1847 to 1874, DLC sn84026365.

Catch up on prior months here!

Celebrating America 250: New York’s Role in the New Republic — The Manumission Society

Posted on Categories Blog, Society Calendar

This year, 2026, marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and the Historical Society of the New York Courts is celebrating New York’s role in the creation of our nation and its legacy with our annual calendar. It was with this document that American colonists broke free from the tyranny of British monarchical rule.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

With these words, a new form of government could begin—one that is by the people and for the people.

However, at the time of its writing, the promises of the Declaration could not be realized. At the national level, slavery continued to exist for nearly 100 years after the document’s creation, and women would not receive the right to vote nationally until 1920 when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. Nevertheless, rights activists such as Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, both of whom are featured in the calendar, persevered, to help establish greater equality in American society. They strived to ensure that the Declaration’s legacy can be realized for all Americans, and it is our responsibility as good citizens to carry this torch and uphold the principles of freedom in the Declaration of Independence—much like Lady Liberty does in New York Harbor.

We invite you to follow along each month as we share a uniquely New York contribution to the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution, and the promise of the U.S. Constitution!

January: The New York Manumission Society

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” These words in the Declaration of Independence revealed the promise of a new nation that would remain unfulfilled due to the existence of slavery. Founded on January 25, 1785, the New York Manumission Society advocated for the gradual abolition of slavery, promoted education and established schools for African Americans, and provided legal assistance and protection. The Society’s advocacy would eventually help lead to New York’s abolition of slavery, which culminated with final emancipation on July 4, 1827.

Image Captions

Engraving of African Free School, No. 2, New York, 1860. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library.

A formerly enslaved, and now free, woman escorting her children to school, 1862. Schomburg Center for Research in Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library.

“The Act of Incorporation and Constitution of the New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves: and protecting such of them as have been, or may be liberated. Revised and adopted, 31st January, 1809. With the bye-laws of the society annexed,” Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library.

Catch up on prior months here!

Law Day 2025 Art Contest Winners

Posted on Categories Blog, Education, Law Day

On May 1, Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson announced the winners of the 2025 Law Day Art Contest, co-sponsored by the Society and the Office for Justice Initiatives. One hundred students entered the competition from every corner of the state, making it very difficult to select three winners. We congratulate Elise Kwon (9th JD), Wendy Coleman (6th JD), and Zoe Allen (3rd JD) for their remarkable art that portrayed what this year’s ABA Law Day theme The Constitution’s Promise: Out of Many, One means to them.

First Prize: “E. Pluribus Unum-A Tapestry of Democracy” by Elise Kwon

Elise Kwon, First Prize Artist’s Description:
My artwork is inspired by the idea that America is a nation woven together by its people, laws, and shared responsibilities. I used to have a quilt from when I was younger that was woven together by my grandparents and had lots of different types of fabric from my childhood (old clothes, blankets…). That’s where I got the idea to create a quilt, showing how in America there are different communities, beliefs, and civic duties that come together to form our country (just like how individual and unique fabric patches come together to form a cohesive design). Each section of the quilt represents a part of our democracy. For example, there are patches to represent our government, civic engagement, our rights, justice, and national unity – depicting the Constitution’s promise of how there is ‘Out of Many, One.’ Every stitch in a quilt holds meaning and keeps the entire piece together, which is why different people from a variety of backgrounds/identities are working together to stitch the quilt. This is meant to show that every person’s role in democracy matters and that despite our individual differences, we remain as one nation.

 

Second Prize: “United We Stand” by Wendy Coleman

 

Wendy Coleman, Second Prize Artist’s Description:
My artwork is inspired by how although each of us are unique and from different cultural backgrounds, religions, and ethnicities, we are all united as one people under the constitution and are brought together to embrace our individuality and live among each other united under one nation and one dream.

 

 

 

 

 

Third Prize: “Unity” by Zoe Allen

Zoe Allen, Third Prize Artist’s Description:
Within the piece, ‘Unity’, a direct interpretation of the theme, ‘Out of many, one’ is shown. As the artist, this theme inspired me to use my friends, family, fellow classmates, and teachers as a reference to create an illusion of an American flag as they all come together into one group. This interpretation speaks to the notion that all of these New York citizens and American individuals have options out of many nations as to where they would like to live and grow. Everyone depicted within the painting has chosen America, and on a smaller scale, New York, for this important decision. This work also serves as an example of the vibrant community my family, school and state has created, and the honor that comes with being part of this community.

Welcome Our New Director of Programs, Education, and Research!

Posted on Categories Blog

Historical Society of the New York Courts Names Dr. Julia Rose Kraut As Its New Director of Programs, Education, and Research

The Historical Society of the New York Courts has named Dr. Julia Rose Kraut as its new Director of Programs, Education, and Research. The unanimous vote was cast at the Society’s biannual meeting of the Board of Trustees on September 24, 2024, and she started in her new position on October 1, 2024.

Dr. Julia Rose KrautJulia Rose Kraut holds a JD, as well as a Ph.D. in History, and she is a member of the New York State Bar. Dr. Kraut is a legal historian who specializes in immigration and First Amendment law and history. She is the author of Threat of Dissent: A History of Ideological Exclusion and Deportation in the United States (Harvard University Press, 2020), which is the first legal, social, and political history of the barring and expulsion of foreign noncitizens from the United States based on their political beliefs, expressions, and associations. The book traces this history from the Alien Friends Act of 1798 through the War on Terror. Dr. Kraut has received numerous grants and fellowships to support her research and writing, and she has delivered lectures on her work at various colleges, law schools, museums, and academic conferences. Dr. Kraut has also contributed chapters in edited volumes, including Whose America?: U.S. Immigration Policy since 1980 (University of Illinois Press, 2023) and Whistleblowing Nation: The History of National Security Disclosures and the Cult of State Secrecy (Columbia University Press, 2020).

Dr. Kraut began working with the Society in 2016, when she served as its inaugural Judith S. Kaye Fellow and taught a legal history course she designed Civil Rights, Civil Liberties, and the Empire State at Bard High School Early College in Manhattan and, a year later, in Queens. In this course, public high school students from across New York City learned how to read, analyze, and brief legal decisions and to place them in historical context, while understanding how laws have shaped history and paved the way for the nation’s current freedoms, protections, and challenges. Dr. Kraut also designed and taught a Law and Justice course for students at George Jackson Academy in Manhattan and served on the Society’s Education Committee. In 2022, she returned to Bard High School Early College for the Society and taught Preserving & Protecting Democracy in America: Civil Rights, Civil Liberties, & Civic Participation. She used this course as the basis for her creation of Building Informed Citizens Today for a Better Tomorrow: A Resource Toolkit for Teaching American Democracy & Government, an online resource available through the Society’s website containing lesson plans, classroom activities, videos, timelines, court opinions, and primary/secondary sources for secondary school teachers to use to teach civics, law, and history. In 2023, she became the Society’s inaugural Resident Education Fellow. In her new role as Director of Programs, Education, and Research, Dr. Kraut will work with Society staff and Board members on developing public programs and podcasts, editing and coordinating the publication of Judicial Notice, facilitating legal history and oral history projects, and expanding the Society’s educational programs.

Lifetime Member of the Society Honored at 60 Centre Street

Posted on Categories Blog, Public Events

This article was written by Adrian Untermyer, a Society Trustee and an urbanist who advocates for historic preservation and improved transportation in Greater New York and nationwide. Mr. Untermyer is former Deputy Director of the Historic Districts Council and began his career as a Legal Advocate at the Urban Justice Center. For further information and to keep in touch, visit him online at www.adrianuntermyer.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

This post was originally published as Friend of McAneny Honored at New York Courthouse by the Friends of George McAneny.

The magnificent New York County Courthouse is a “distinctive, six-sided judicial monolith” in the heart of Lower Manhattan, and owes its existence, in part, to George F. McAneny.

Former Chief Judge of the State of New York and Society President Jonathan Lippman embraces Werner following the unveiling of his plaque (right). Photo Credit: Adrian Untermyer

While the Courthouse’s McAneny connections are now better known following an exhibition there remembering the noted civic leader one man has long served as a key link between the memory of George McAneny and the structure he helped create.

That man is John F. Werner, lifetime member of the Society and the former Chief Clerk of the Civil Branch of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County. Chief Werner contributed decades of distinguished service to the Court, and also served as an accidental preservationist there in the classic McAneny mold. And by working behind the scenes to help organize podcasts and special events, Werner continues to breathe life into the facility even in retirement.

The inaugural Norman Goodman Lecture took place in the Courthouse’s monumental rotunda. Photo Credit: Adrian Untermyer

It was only fitting that an event Werner helped organize served as a surprise tribute to the McAneny-inspired leader. The proceedings – billed as the inaugural Norman Goodman Lecture, so named for Werner’s longtime mentor and boss – began innocently enough. With John Werner seated in the first row together with his family,  Dr. Jon Ritter kicked off a series of presentations featuring professors Greta Berman and Helen A. Harrison on the Courthouse’s stunning Works Progress Administration murals and comparisons to their contemporaries.

But as the presentation drew to a close, select attendees knew something special was in store. With well-wishers such as Werner’s longtime colleague and former Chief Judge of the State of New York Jonathan Lippman in attendance, the focus shifted to McAneny’s acolyte seated in the front row. To the words of a proclamation by Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Deborah A. Kaplan, colleagues unveiled a handsome new gold-and-black plaque affixed to the Rotunda’s smooth walls. Dedicated to John F. Werner, Esq. for “30 years of outstanding service,” the plaque also celebrated his “dedication and passion to preserve the Courthouse and to share its rich history.”

A new plaque celebrating John F. Werner now graces 60 Centre Street’s rotunda. Photo Credit: Adrian Untermyer

The impromptu celebration connoted famous remembrances from film and television, with Werner’s friends, family, and colleagues gathered all assembled for the surprise. An element of theatricality made sense, as Werner’s beloved Courthouse has long served as a host for film and television productions.

So with all of the attendees standing by, and George F. McAneny’s spirit alive in the room, John F. Werner received the recognition he so deeply deserved. “It was a splendid occasion,” wrote John’s son, John Jr., and it would have been difficult to disagree.

Harry Kendall Thaw Had A Problem

Posted on Categories Judicial Notice, Blog

This blog article was written by Mary Noé, a lawyer and professor in the undergraduate Legal Studies program at St. John’s University and editor of The Legal Apprentice, a showcase for student writing. Ms. Noé talks more extensively about the Harry Kendall Thaw case in the article “Murder At Madison Square Garden: A Dream Team’s Insane Game of Judicial Cat and Mouse” from Issue 18 of the Historical Society of the New York Courts’ Judicial Notice publication, a journal of articles of historical substance and scholarship that uniquely focuses on New York legal history. Be on the lookout later this week when we publish a podcast episode where host Eric van der Vort, Ph.D. speaks about this case with Mary Noé herself!

Harry Kendall Thaw, one of the wealthiest men in America, had a problem: if a jury found him guilty of murder, he would die in the electric chair at Sing Sing. It seemed like an open and shut case. Six months before his trial and in the presence of hundreds of people, Thaw shot the renowned architect Stanford White twice in the face and once in the shoulder with his 22-caliber gun in the presence of hundreds of people. White was watching the musical comedy Mamzelle Champagne on the rooftop of Madison Square Garden, a building he designed. At the heart of this tragedy is a girl, Evelyn Nesbit, and her chastity.

Presiding at Thaw’s trial was New York Justice Thomas W. Fitzgerald, who five months before was held in contempt for failure to respond to his debtors in court. The lead prosecutor was William Travers Jerome, a foe of Tammany Hall and a remote cousin of Winston Churchill. Harry Thaw’s dream team was led by Delphin Delmas, known as the “Napoleon of the California Bar” along with attorneys John Gleason, Clifford Hartridge, Daniel O’Reilly, Henry McPike, and A. Russell Peabody.

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Law Day 2024 Art Contest Winners

Posted on Categories Blog, Law Day

On May 1, Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson announced the winners of the 2024 Law Day Art Contest, co-sponsored by the Society and the Office for Justice Initiatives. Nearly 100 students entered the competition from every corner of the state, but there can only be three winners. We congratulate Mitchell Homick (7th JD), Shangjing Chen (10th JD), and Milo Brustein (2nd JD) for their magnificent art that portrayed what Voices of Democracy means to them.

First Prize, “Liberty Sings” by Mitchell Homick

Artist’s description:
In developing this work, I was driven to demonstrate how a unique sense of unity within our country is developed during the election process. I felt that Lady Liberty would portray the unified voice of the nation. In the piece, Lady Liberty sings an ode to democracy next to a ballot box as she encourages the audience to vote and have their own respective voices heard. As she presents herself in the opera show, symbolizing an election, the biggest spotlight in the theater highlights the importance of her guidance. The audience is represented primarily with red and blue to show the partisan nature of our country. Despite this political division, Americans are able to come together in the theater to hear Liberty sing.

 

Second Prize, “Democracy Bring Us Together” by Shangjing Chen

Artist’s description:
At the center of the work is a figure speaking into a microphone. This represents the main concept of democracy; the voice of the people. The stairs under the microphone represent the step-by-step progress Americans have made using their voices since they were granted free speech. The three branches next to it represent the ideas proposed by the people and adopted by the government; making the distribution of power more equal and allowing more people’s voices to be heard. Behind the figure is a globe, representing the power of democracy to influence the world. Finally, the different races of hands at the bottom represent different voices and are considered a representation of democracy. What people think matters and should be expressed.

 

Third Prize, “The Source of Our Voices” by Milo Brustein

Artist’s description:
The inspiration behind this piece came to me when I thought about the voices of democracy, more specifically where they come from. I then realized that many of us in this modern day get our voices from entertainment and media, which I thought was important to express. To illustrate this, I depicted the modern American family gathered around the TV, where icons of our democracy are shown (Lady Liberty, The bald eagle) speaking into a mic to express how they are the voices of our nation. I think that it’s important to recognize that the many pieces of media we consume build our sense of right and wrong, and we reflect that in our own voices.

Society on the Road: Region 9 Association of Public Historians Meeting

Posted on Categories Blog

The Society is heading upstate for a virtual presentation to members of the Association of Public Historians of New York State’s Region 9 Meeting. Executive Director Marilyn Marcus and Deputy Director Allison Morey will provide the attendees with information about the Historical Society’s many projects as well as information about the history of New York’s court system, from the Dutch colonial era to today.

The meeting will be held on May 4 in Fabius. Presenting organizations also include Syracuse University Special Collections Research Center and the Onondaga Historical Association’s Archives and Special Collections. We are delighted to join our colleagues and help provide researchers with the tools they need to support their projects.

Judicial Notice 18: 2023

Posted on Categories Judicial Notice, Publications

Issue 18

Watch Chatting with the Authors: A Series of our Podcast
Episode 21: Communications Strategy Fellow Dr. Eric van der Vort speaks with authors Prog. John Q. Barrett and Henry M. Greenberg, Esq., about one of New York’s most preeminent jurists: Benjamin N. Cardozo. 

Download Judicial Notice Issue 18

Judicial Notice 18 — Out Now!

Posted on Categories Blog

Issue 18 of Judicial Notice is now arriving on our members’ doorsteps. This issue features articles about important New York legal figures and judges, fascinating cases, and a Cardozo speech that hasn’t been published since he originally gave it!

Soon we will be restarting our Chatting with the Authors podcast series with Communications Strategy Fellow Dr. Eric van der Vort as the host. We’ll discuss the authors’ interests in their topics and behind-the-scenes stories that didn’t make the cut in the article. Read on to learn more about the issue with the Hon. Helen E. Freedman’s Letter from the Editor in Chief. 

Judicial Notice 18 articles take us back to New York events occurring in the latter part of 19th and early part of the 20th centuries. Judge Richard A. Dollinger describes the intersection of the lives of two diametrically opposite characters in Western New York: John Hazel, the old line G.O.P. loyalist who, in 1900, became the first Judge from the newly created federal district court for Western New York, and Emma Goldman, the famous if not notorious Russian immigrant and anarchist. Judge Hazel presided over the trial and sentencing of Leon Czolgosz, President William McKinley’s assassin. Czolgosz claimed to have been influenced by the work of Emma Goldman, making her seem to be an unindicted co-conspirator, although the two never met and Goldman decried his act.

Professor Mary Noe recounts the amazing story of Harry Thaw, socialite and assassin of renowned architect Sanford White. Thaw, the scion of a wealthy New York family, was prosecuted twice for murdering White, but it seems the lawyers and judges involved in the prosecution ended up in as much trouble as did the defendant. In the second trial, his insanity defense prevailed, but Thaw was committed to Matteawan State Hospital until he was able to prove he was no longer insane.

Your editor has written an article about Samuel J. Tilden, a distinguished New York lawyer, governor, and statesman, who won the majority popular vote for president in 1876 and who could have rightfully claimed that the election was stolen; but who sought for the sake of the country not to challenge the result. Breaking up the notorious Tweed Ring and assuring the establishment of the New York Public Library are but two of things for which Tilden should be remembered.

Although Judicial Notice has already featured a number of articles about New York Chief Judge and United States Supreme Court Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo, it seems there will never be too many.

Former Judicial Notice Editor and State Bar President Henry M. (Hank) Greenberg provides what he aptly describes as an “inspiring tribute” in Washington, the Constitution Builder, that Chief Judge Cardozo delivered in 1932, one week after having been nominated by President Herbert Hoover to the United States Supreme Court. The speech was part of an Albany celebration of the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s birth. Given during the heart of the Great Depression, it resounds with meaning for us today. In a short accompanying article, Greenberg speaks about Cardozo’s significant extra-judicial writings that have contributed mightily to our understanding of American common law and jurisprudence and the development of the Rule of Law as a cornerstone of democracy.

In the “Angle of Repose,” Professor John Q. Barrett describes a letter written in 1948 between Jacob Billikopf, an immigrant who became a prominent social worker, and Edward Lazansky, a first generation American who became a successful New York lawyer, New York’s Secretary of State, and Presiding Justice of the Second Department. Both, as young Jewish men during the turn of the century, had become friends and admirers of Judge Cardozo. In the letter, written ten years after Cardozo’s death, Lazansky assures Billikopf that the scholarly and judicial Cardozo also possessed a dry wit. It was demonstrated when Cardozo tried to enlighten a colleague about a case involving a bulkhead in Jamaica Bay and Mill Basin in New York. Professor Barrett followed up with a scholarly description of the actual case, which may be of particular interest to maritime lawyers.

Read Issue 18!

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