Hon. Betty Weinberg Ellerin, senior counsel in Alston & Bird’s Litigation & Trial Practice Group in New York, has been honored by the New York State Court System with the dedication of a new children’s center in her name in recognition of her rich history of public service and advocacy on behalf of women and children in the justice system.
The “Hon. Betty Weinberg Ellerin Children’s Center,” which will be housed in the Manhattan Civil Courthouse, will provide drop-in care for children whose caregivers have court proceedings in the criminal, civil, and housing courts. Leading the center’s October 26 dedication were Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, Jr., Chief Administrative Judge for New York State Courts Lawrence Marks, and Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for New York City Courts Deborah Kaplan.
In commenting on the newly dedicated center, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals and of the State of New York Janet DiFiore said: “Betty Weinberg Ellerin is a trailblazing judge, renowned for her career-long dedication to improve the treatment of women and children in the courts. I am delighted that this much-needed Children’s Center will carry her name, honoring her longstanding public service and her impactful work on behalf of women and children in the justice system.”
Justice Ellerin’s career includes more than 20 years as a jurist in the Appellate Division, where she was the first woman appointed to the First Judicial Department and the only woman who has served as the department’s presiding justice. She was also the first woman appointed as the state’s deputy chief administrative judge for New York City courts, where she was responsible for the operation of all the trial courts within the city.
This is the most recent honor recognizing Justice Ellerin for her long and distinguished career of public service. In 2019, she was the recipient of the inaugural “Betty Weinberg Ellerin Award of Excellence,” named in her honor by the New York Women’s Bar Association; the “Career Public Service Award” from the Fund for Modern Courts; and the “Joan Dempsey Klein Honoree of the Year Award” from the National Association of Women Judges, whose awardees also include U.S. Supreme Court Justices William Brennan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sandra Day O’Connor, and Sonia Sotomayor.
The “Hon. Betty Weinberg Ellerin Children’s Center,” which will be housed in the Manhattan Civil Courthouse, will provide drop-in care for children whose caregivers have court proceedings in the criminal, civil, and housing courts. Leading the center’s October 26 dedication were Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, Jr., Chief Administrative Judge for New York State Courts Lawrence Marks, and Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for New York City Courts Deborah Kaplan.
In commenting on the newly dedicated center, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals and of the State of New York Janet DiFiore said: “Betty Weinberg Ellerin is a trailblazing judge, renowned for her career-long dedication to improve the treatment of women and children in the courts. I am delighted that this much-needed Children’s Center will carry her name, honoring her longstanding public service and her impactful work on behalf of women and children in the justice system.”
Justice Ellerin’s career includes more than 20 years as a jurist in the Appellate Division, where she was the first woman appointed to the First Judicial Department and the only woman who has served as the department’s presiding justice. She was also the first woman appointed as the state’s deputy chief administrative judge for New York City courts, where she was responsible for the operation of all the trial courts within the city.
This is the most recent honor recognizing Justice Ellerin for her long and distinguished career of public service. In 2019, she was the recipient of the inaugural “Betty Weinberg Ellerin Award of Excellence,” named in her honor by the New York Women’s Bar Association; the “Career Public Service Award” from the Fund for Modern Courts; and the “Joan Dempsey Klein Honoree of the Year Award” from the National Association of Women Judges, whose awardees also include U.S. Supreme Court Justices William Brennan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sandra Day O’Connor, and Sonia Sotomayor.