In this extraordinary time of reckoning, all of us at LIFT are proud to honor Black History Month.
We do so knowing that history is being written every day. Our actions can—and must—reflect our heartfelt commitment to attaining justice and equity for all New York families. This imperative drives everything we do.
Black History Month is about celebration and honoring—as well as reflection and learning. In that spirit, I’m sharing an insightful report on racial bias in the New York State court system that I think will interest you as a friend of LIFT.
The Report from the Special Advisor on Equal Justice in the New York State Courts takes a deep look at institutional racism in the court system and offers recommendations, including mandatory implicit bias training for all court personnel, enhancing translation services, and better bias-complaint-response systems. This independent review was written by Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Charles Johnson, at the request of Janet DiFiore, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals and of the State of New York.
We applaud Chief Judge DiFiore for inviting this in-depth review. The findings echo the experiences our clients share with us. We agree with the report’s assertion that this moment “demands a strong and pronounced rededication to equal justice under law by the New York State court system.”
LIFT takes this imperative to heart as we carry forth our 25th year of service in the midst of the pandemic and the growing momentum for racial justice.
LIFT is serving more unrepresented litigants in New York Family Court than ever. We are helping tens of thousands of people access justice through our videoconferencing platform, Helpline, webinars, and information updates on the pandemic’s effect on court operations.
We also represent the voice of pro se litigants by participating on nearly 20 policy/advocacy councils and committees, including the extensive partnership with the Family Court system. The Court is LIFT’s closest partner, and as a result, we are well-positioned to advocate for racial equity from within.
Despite the challenges, we believe significant change is on the horizon. Thank you for being our partner in helping to bring about that change.