Webinar

Presented by the Historical Society of the New York Courts,
in collaboration with The Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission,
and the NYS Unified Court System’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

This program showcased the life and career of Eunice Carter, the first African American woman Assistant District Attorney in NYS. We began with a talk by the authors of her biography Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America’s Most Powerful Mobster, her grandson Prof. Stephen L. Carter and her great-granddaughter Leah Aird Carter, Esq. The program concluded with a panel discussion by prominent African American NYS Court Judges, featuring Hon. Dianne T. Renwick and Hon. Troy K. Webber, and including Ms. Carter, moderated by Hon. Rowan D. Wilson. The panelists discussed the challenges of African American women in the legal profession today. Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and Former Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman provided a welcome and introduction, we heard from Matthew Diller, Dean at Fordham University School of Law, where Eunice Carter attended law school, and NY County District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., rededicated her plaque at the Manhattan DA’s Office.

PROGRAM

INTRODUCTION & PROGRAM MODERATOR
Eileen D. Millett, Esq., Counsel, Office of Court Administration

WELCOME
Hon. Janet DiFiore, Chief Judge of New York State

INTRODUCTIONS
Hon. Jonathan Lippman, President, Historical Society of the NY Courts and Former Chief Judge of the State of New York
Hon. Troy K. Webber, Co-Chair, Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission and Associate Justice, Appellate Division, First Dept.

PRESENTATION ON THE LIFE OF EUNICE CARTER
Prof. Stephen L. Carter, Yale Law School and Author of Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America’s Most Powerful Mobster
Leah Aird Carter, Esq., Principal Researcher of Invisible

REDEDICATION OF EUNICE CARTER PLAQUE
Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., Esq., New York County District Attorney

REMARKS FROM FORDHAM UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW DEAN
Matthew Diller, Esq., Dean, Fordham University School of Law and Paul Fuller Professor of Law

PANEL DISCUSSION
Moderated by Hon. Rowan D. Wilson, Associate Judge, New York State Court of Appeals
Leah Aird Carter, Esq.
Hon. Troy K. Webber
Hon. Dianne T. Renwick, Associate Justice, Appellate Division First Dept. and Vice-Chair, Historical Society of the NY Courts Board of Trustees

Photo: Image of the plaque dedicated to ADA Eunice Carter at the Manhattan DA’s Office

Historical Society of the New York Courts programming is sponsored by Humanities New York.

Watch the Segment on the Life of Eunice Carter

Watch the Panel Discussion Segment

 Watch the Entire Program Video